Mushroom Madness
Rogue Ales

when i saw this on the menu at their newport public house, i had to have it! a malty strong ale done with candy cap mushrooms, which i have seen in beer from the northwest before, pretty rad ingredient and i think the execution here is wonderful. i also think the base style is well selected and suited for the mushrooms, good call on that. medium amber colored brew, very little head from the tap, some viscosity evident but it doesnt look huge either. aroma of earthy mushrooms simmering in soy sauce, straight up wet earth and umami, even a little salt and savory to it, downright weird, some malt sweetness and a hint of maple from the mushrooms too, but this is more food than drink in the nose. the flavor is nothing like the nose, more sweet and rich, caramelized grain sugar, baked dessert, bread pudding, toffee, that kind of thing, maple and honey, still earthy and wet and weird, but the mushrooms are more in sync with the malt here, and its less peculiar, less umami for sure. its smooth, not alcoholic at all, and the richness is tamed by the finish, actually remarkably clean to drink, and this could definitely be a pint beer, weird as it is. a really cool use of an uncommon ingredient here, a beer well built to showcase it, and something quite impressive overall. well done here, i really enjoyed it, very unique.