By Brian Yeo
Our story begins not that many years ago when I happened to find myself aimlessly wandering the streets of a major Pacific Northwest city in search of a snack following a few early afternoon pints.
Not being overly familiar with the city or its dining options I decided to check out a place solely because I liked the name. And that’s when it happened.
From across the room I spotted you, I was transfixed . . . utterly awestruck . . . throwing caution to the wind I approached and simply said . . . I Must Have You!
Now before you get the wrong idea and think what the heck does this have to do with beer let’s set a few things straight. The city was Portland, Oregon, the establishment was Voodoo Doughnuts, and the object of my insatiable desire was a doughnut slathered in maple and topped with strips of bacon (insert best Homer Simpson impersonation here).
I have always subscribed to the philosophy that everything is better with bacon but a doughnut with bacon??? Possibly the greatest thing ever! That was, of course, until I heard that Rogue Ales and Voodoo Doughnuts would collaborate on a Bacon Maple Ale and better yet, the LCBO would be releasing 1,400 bottles through select Toronto stores starting at the end of May.
Once again I found myself quietly muttering . . . I Must Have You . . .
So, what Rogue and Voodoo have given us is a baker’s dozen of ingredients including smoked malts, pure maple syrup, applewood smoked bacon, and free range coastal water among others to produce the Bacon Maple Ale.
To taste this brew be prepared to approach it with an open-mind. Almost immediately your nose will be greeted with billowing wafts of hardwood smoke and pure sweet maple flavour with the bacon being a more subtle background note. The flavour profile is quite similar, dominated by rich smokiness, moderate sweetness and a little more pork flavour showing through combined with a nice little hop bite.
Where this beer truly succeeded with me was when I paired it up to some homemade grilled burgers, stuffed with Blue Haze smoked blue cheese and topped with maple bacon and caramelized onions, as there was a lot of harmony in the flavour profiles.
To be fair, this beer may be a challenge for some to consume a whole bottle as the smoke element is somewhat intense and may be better shared amongst some curious beer nerds or unsuspecting friends (I’m looking at you Rick).
Beers like the Rogue Voodoo Maple Bacon Ale need to be taken for what they are, a unique insight into the inspired creativity to which some brewers are willing to push the boundaries of their craft and challenge the market’s perception of what good craft beer can be.
These passionate folks are always swinging for the fences . . . sometimes they connect, sometimes they foul it off, but rarely do they ever strikeout completely.
• LCBO Limited Availability 289504, 5.6% abv, $9.65, 750ml bottle
If you are looking to try something else from the fine folks at Rogue Ales, the LCBO has also introduced a limited supply of the Double Dead Guy Ale through select stores. The Double Dead Guy is a big American Strong Ale with a full body that carries with it aromas of rich malts, dark cocoa, dried dark fruit, herbal tea, and spring fruit blossoms with full on hop bite and well integrated alcohol. All around a very well crafted beer.
• LCBO Limited Availability 246835, 8.2% abv, $10.05, 750 ml bottle
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