Rogue Dead Guy Whiskey

The aroma is unpleasant. It has a distinct "off" quality. It smells like a high school locker belonging to someone who rarely showers. The taste is unequivocally the worst thing I have ever consumed. It's significantly worse than another spirit I've tried. I could at least see someone liking that one. Since this is made from distilled beer mash, it has a distinctive flavor that is just awful. It starts with a pleasant oakiness but concludes with a foul, stale coffee taste that persists indefinitely. I would not even offer this to an enemy, as it would imply a lack of personal standards. Final thought: spare yourself the unpleasantness of drinking something that tastes like it was distilled in the coffin of the person depicted on the bottle.

The new design looks great. One eventually has to move on from beer bottles; that's a universal progression, right? The spirit itself needs more time. It shouldn't have been released yet, as it's clearly too young. The stated minimum aging of two years seems to be the maximum. It's a little too sweet and not well-balanced. The malt composition is prominent, similar to the beer it originated from, but it lacks sufficient depth to justify the cost. Not yet, anyway. The spirits from this producer have improved significantly and show ongoing progress. I'm anticipating when they will demonstrate the patience to release a mature, refined product.

The bottle indicates ocean aging for two years, so this might be a newer bottling compared to others reviewed. Nose: Typical whiskey notes: caramel and vanilla. A slight bready, yeasty quality is present too. Perhaps something floral in the background. Palate: Tastes almost exactly like it smells. Caramel and vanilla dominate, with a butter and bread combination as a secondary note. Fruity flavors emerge periodically, like pear, possibly sweet apple, even a little banana. The finish is long, spicy with black pepper and has a strong kick. This is a good and intriguing spirit, especially if you appreciate the beer it's based on. However, it's not exceptionally great. It's a bit too expensive. The bottle and presentation are very attractive, though.

While not exceptional, it was rather ordinary. I'd venture to say it's slightly superior to the other evaluations. The aroma presented various fruits and vanilla. The initial taste on the palate seemed lacking, as if heavily diluted or like ice had melted for an hour. The flavors emerged a moment or two later. Sweet vanilla and fruit mingled with char. It brought to mind summer evenings when my family would grill peaches over an open fire. The sweet fruit yielded to char, wood, and subtle vanilla. Faint fruit notes returned, lingering at the back of the mouth, akin to a dry wine.

Initial flat beer-like aroma, but improves after ten minutes to reveal coffee, chocolate, and baking spices. The taste mirrors the aroma, resembling a dessert of milk/dark chocolate, coffee, hazelnut, and caramel, yet not overly sweet. The texture is neither very oily and thick nor thin, feeling velvety but showing some youth. An aged version (>5 yr) of the Oregon single malt would be fascinating. A medium-length finish, slightly dry, which encourages another sip.

This is the original vintage Rogue Dead Guy Spirits. The bottle was aged in oak casks for 1 month, contrasting with the 2-year aging stated in the description. A subtle oakiness with a sweet, fruity banana essence. The aroma is distinctly banana-like with hints of honey. There's a noticeable sweetness in the mid-palate. A slight earthy, grassy undertone emerges after a few sips. The flavor profile clearly undergoes significant shifts with each taste.