Rogue Day 2: Choc Beer Brekkie and The Ultimate Taste-Off

After the first night getting my taste buds back ater 2 years of wilderness, I made sure to get to the Wheaty at 11am for it's opening to get back on the Rogue's Choc Stout for brekkie. Ok, it was still the morning, but was 11:30am Melbourne time, and from there it is close enough, and only kept it to 33oml, so it wasn't like I was having a full beer...

After lunch (lamb shank pie w/ James Squire Amber Ale) with my sis, a walk around Adelaide CBD and parks, and consuming my first chocolate egg for the season, I went back to the Wheaty as the tradies started to hit the pub and decided that seeing they had both the keg and bottled versions of the Rogue's Choc Stout, it would be wrong of me not to taste them off together. I think all the staff know me now so they didn't think it was too weird I was buying both versions together...they are an understanding lot to beer nerds.

Right from the start I could pick differences. While it was cold I could not get much difference in smell or taste, but the difference in carbonation was quite noticeable. The bottled version zinged across my tongue alot more making it harder to get any flavour from. As it warmed up there was definitely a richer smell from the kegged version, with something like vanilla coming through, and this came through in taste as well. The liqourice meld from choc to alcohol in the kegged version is not in the bottle, and while there is a choc bitter/sweet aftertaste from the keg, the bottled version tends to have just a bitter backpalate and aftertaste. Of course it is a simple case of freshness that is capable from the keg over the bottle that allows it to keep the heightened flavours over the bottle, and gives it a fuller taste. The head seemed to hold on slightly better from the keg again helping in smell and with the mouthfeel of the beer.

While getting through about 6 standard drinks in this taste off, my sis arrived from finishing work and so we got to share another moment with this beer together, and left the pub before the office workers would be coming in.

So, with it being Good Friday, the Wheaty is closed, so they have a day off from me being in there. Still, come tomorrow I will be back in there to make to most of whatever is left of the keg. I hope the keg did not blow last night as would like to have at least one more to sit an just enjoy drinking it, and not be comparing or judging. If the keg could actually last til Easter Sunday that would be great, to have chocolate beer and chocolate eggs together, but I am not expecting it.

Cheers,

Beef