I don't know about you, but whenever anyone mentions the U.S. National Park Service (NPS), I think of places like the ones that are mentioned on the four beer cans up above plus Acadia, Glacier, Denali, Great Smokey Mountains or any of the other 51 places that are designated as National Parks by the NPS. It turns out that in addition to the 59 areas designated as National Parks in the U.S. by the NPS, there are 358 other areas across the U.S. that fall under their jurisdiction which are broken down into the following NPS designations:
- 11 National Battlefields
- 4 National Battlefield Parks
- 1 National Battlefield Site
- 9 National Military Parks
- 51 National Historical Parks
- 78 National Historic Sites
- 1 International Historic Site
- 4 National Lakeshores
- 30 National Memorials
- 87 National Monuments
- 4 National Parkways
- 19 National Preserves
- 2 National Reserves
- 18 National Recreation Areas
- 5 National Rivers
- 10 National Wild and Scenic Rivers and Riverways
- 3 National Scenic Trails
- 10 National Seashores
- And 11 areas that are classified as Other
I guess I now have to thank the good people at Rogue for piquing my interest about the U.S. NPS. Who says that beer drinking isn't educational? Anyway...
Now that we know a bit more about the U.S. NPS, let's talk a bit about this unique Craft Beer collaboration between Rogue Ales & Spirits and Pendleton Woolen Mills. Collaborations in the Craft Beer world aren't particularly unusual and we've been lucky enough to try a few of them over the years, but a collaboration between a Craft Brewer and a 154 year old company that's best known for its wool blankets and garments is quite unusual. Here's what Rogue had to say about this collaboration in a recent press release...
In a three-way collision between Rogue Ales, Pendleton Woolen Mills and America's treasures, Rogue announces the release of four Pendleton Pale Ale cans, each dedicated to a National Park. Brewed with hops and malts grown on Rogue Farms in Oregon, Pendleton Pale Ale is a refreshing ode to Crater Lake, Grand Canyon, Yosemite and Mt. Rainier. Each park is honored with limited-edition cans inspired by Pendleton Woolen Mills' National Parks Collection."The National Parks revolutionized the outdoors," said Rogue President, Brett Joyce. "Rogue and our friends at Pendleton Woolen Mills collided to create Pendleton Pale Ale in a package that begs to be taken into the wild and shared with friends."Pendleton joins Rogue Ales in a celebration of our National Parks. Pendleton Pale Ale in four stunning stripe graphics take their cue from Pendleton's National Park Stripe blankets. Rogue's tribute to the national parks adds a special splash to sharing good times while remembering our American treasures," commented Mort Bishop, Pendleton President.Now that we know a bit more about this unique Craft Beer collaboration, let's get on with the review...
- Appearance: Red-orange color that is reminiscent of a blood orange soda. Minimal head and lacing.
- ABV: 5.2%
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Aroma
- Limpd: Malt, wet bread and citrus
- G-LO: Very malty at first with a strong orange marmalade scent. Once that passes, I get some tangerine and pine scented hops.
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Taste
- Limpd: Very light. The flavors aren't all that crisp but they are refreshing. The malt is upfront followed by the some sweetness and some citrus. Then, there is a little hops and the accompanying bitterness ending with more bitterness in the mild finish.
- G-LO: Lightly carbonated with a light to medium mouthfeel. Much more citrusy than I was expecting with a bit of pithyness at the start. Slightly bitter in the middle with some malt sweetness making an appearance to lend some balance. More pithyness at the finish with a slightly bitter lemon pith flavor lingering in the aftertaste.
The Verdict
- Limpd: I had hoped that this would be a crisp, refreshing summer beer. I got the refreshing and the light flavors that I look for in the summer (and you can't beat the portability) but the crispness just wasn't there. The flavors were a little too muted and not as complementary as I wanted. It wasn't that it was a bad beer just not as good as I hoped it would be.
- G-LO: While I love the whole concept behind the Rogue Pendleton Pale Ale which celebrates the magnificence of the U.S. National Park Service, the beer itself wasn't completely working for me. The beginning and middle were quite good, but that lingering pithyness which reminds me of biting a lemon or orange peel was just a bit too much for my taste. Overall, this beer was just ok.
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