Let me tell you an embarrassing beer story. Some years ago, when I’d just started out on this great beer journey, I’d come to the conclusion in my mind that the Rogers this beer was named for was none other than well-known Australian brewer Brad Rogers.

Now, the smarter among you may have already figured out I was wrong. See I had my pioneering Australian breweries mixed up. Brad Rogers worked at Matilda Bay and not Little Creatures, who put out this beer (the Creatures named the beer for two guys named Roger, hence the grammatically appropriate apostrophe that comes after the S on the label).
But, even after I was aware of my mistake, it had firmed enough in my brain to continue to be the first thought that pops up whenever Rogers’ gets a mention.

This batch of Rogers’ was bought in August last year. I know that because I was making a homebrew version of it at the time. I had recalled that I’d always liked the fruitiness of the beer and wanted to make some for myself. I found a clone recipe online, bought the ingredients and, a day or so before making it, I bought a six-pack just to reacquaint myself with the flavour (for it had been a while since I’d last had it).

I found it wasn’t fruity at all, certainly not like I remembered it. And that prompted a quick rethink on the recipe and a dash to the homebrew shop to get some galaxy hops, which, at the time, I saw as the saviour of all beers. Put some galaxy in any beer and you’ll get a good beer, I figured.

This homebrew proved me wrong. It wasn’t hard to drink (but I made it and brewers find their own beers easier to drink than anybody else) but the fruitiness didn’t quite work with the style.

That style is English Bitter (I don’t know if that’s a real style or not, but just humor me), not Amber Ale as it says on Untappd. At least that’s how Rogers’ tastes to me; more like something you’d drink in an English pub rather than a US bar.

Having drunk this beer again, after finding it in my fridge, I’m a bit less judgmental of it than I was last August. I can appreciate the toffee notes but can’t help but wonder where the fruity flavour went that I remember being in there.

Would I drink it again?: There was a time when I would have said yes. But I now feel like my taste buds have left Rogers’ behind.