Dead guy ale…quite a strange one to name a beer after but this German Maierbock got it’s name from being nothing more than a tap sticker without a beer in conjunction with it, until it became popular among the revelers at the Casa U Betcha festival (celebration of the Mayan day of the dead) in Portland, Oregon.
Served in a shaker glass the attractive hazy amber pour generates a steady 1 finger head that casually simmers down to a fine layer on top. Reasonable lacing. The aroma is a little restrained but what we like about it is the balance between the fruity/piney hops and the toasty malts. We detect a subtle sweetness too, maybe stone fruits – in particular either peach or apricot, maybe both. Light caramel, honey and a hint of spice in the background as well. Very delicate aroma. In the mouth it’s really smooth with average carbonation. The body is mild-medium and very light on the tongue. Quite sessional actually, which is pretty impressive considering the ABV is 6.5%. There is a slight alcohol warming initially but the sweet caramel and honey notes tone it down. Some subtle malt sweetness through the mid is rounded off by a fruity finish with a gentle dryness on the rear-palate. Length is OK, nothing spectacular. Very approachable beer, everything about it is mild, light and sessional. Another decent offering from Rogue.