Brews and Blues Beer and Smokin’ Blues

Rogue American Amber Ale

As I have said in the past, you can't really go wrong with a Rogue Ales product.  I haven't worked my way through all the Rogue Ales yet, but I will eventually.  Today's sampling is Rogue's American Amber Ale.  This amber ale is a bit on the hoppy side at 53 IBO but it does have a nice malty finish to follow. 

Tonya and I made another trip to the World Market this afternoon, so I picked up another assorted six pack of beers to try.  I'm a bit behind on my beer tasting regimen because of school and work, but I'll get caught up soon enough.  If my count is correct, I currently have about 13 more brews ready to sample, and my Orange Blossom Special that I brewed recently is also about ready to taste for the first time.  It has been in the bottle for three weeks and it's probably ready to taste now, but I'll hold off another week or so and let it condition a little longer. 

I also ordered my Barley Crusher grain mill earlier this week and it arrived via FedEx this afternoon.  Since my mash tun is complete, my next brew will be an all-grain recipe.  I'm excited about finally getting to try all-grain brewing instead of extract.  Having the grain mill will give me a lot of flexibility in creating my beer recipes.  I won't be constrained to the grain bill used to make the malt extracts.  I will have a lot finer control of the flavor and characteristics of my beer.  I'll also be able to buy whole grains and crush them right before I'm ready to brew for maximum freshness.