It was a great honor to have a chance to visit the Rogue Brewery in Newport, Oregon today. i have been a fan of the Rogue beers since I first tasted them in Colordao in 1992 and they became available in Ohio in 1994.

I'm sitting at a table in the Rogue brew pub on Newport Bay right now enjpying an Oregasmic Ale (made from ingredients all from Oregon). I just finished an amazing tasting and tour with Rogue Director of Sales Jim Cline and our amazing tour guide Derek Johnson.

We had a chance to tour the entire brewery and their imprtessive new distillery. It was a truly epic day for me, as I have admired and enjoyed their beers for the better pat of two decades.

Here's a look at what we tasted today:

Rogue Farms Good Chit Pilsner

Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar

Rogue Farms 7 Hop IPA

Rogue Chocolate Stout

We also visited the Rogue Distillery and tasted some unbelievably well crafted whiskey and gin that is yet to be released for sale.

All I can say about this day is that it is truly a personal highlight for me in my 15+ years in the beverage business. The Rogue philosphy of "do what they say can't be done" comes through in every part of their business and every person I met during our visit.

Readers of the Drinks Blog can look forward to a comprehensive print artiicle on my visit to Rogue in an upcoming edition of The Vindicator. Speical thanks to my local contacts at Heidelberg Distributing for arranging this day.

Tomorrow, I'm on to the the Willamette Valley for three days of winery visits. Stay tuned for more live blogs from these incredible wineries!