(Newport, OR) – Rogue Ales is set to release three new beers to kick off the new year. Rogue John John Ale will be available beginning January 1st with the second in the Chatoe Rogue Series, Chatoe Dirtoir Black Lager, being released on January 10th. Rogue Double Mocha Porter will join them soon thereafter. Availability is expected to be limited for Chatoe Dirtoir though DMP and JJA will both be available in all markets. DMP will last the winter.

Double Mocha Porter is a branding shift for the brewery. You might notice that the typical XS Series branding that we have seen on these big beers recently is not present on the Double Mocha label (see below). Rogue Ales President, Brett Joyce, confirmed that the XS Series name is moving to 7 oz. nips (yes, they’re coming!). In its place for 2010 is the “Double Series,” a new line that will feature the debut of Rogue Double Chocolate Stout, which has the makings to be an amped version of the brewery’s classic American Stout, and the return of Double Dead Guy.

Rogue John John Ale is Dead Guy Ale aged in barrels that once held Rogue Distillery’s own Dead Guy Whiskey. John John Ale went into barrels last Wednesday. The label features two men well known around Rogue: Brewmaster, John Maier, and Master Distiller, John Couchot.

As for Chatoe Dirtoir, that went into tanks on Thursday. This is the second beer in the Chatoe Rogue Series, following Wet Hop Ale. More beers are to come from this line in 2010. From a press release posted on Beer Advocate in September, “2010 Chatoe Rogue products will use Rogue Micro Farms’ Independence, Revolution, Liberty, Freedom, Newport, Rebel and Alluvial hops from the Wigrich Appellation and Dare, Risk and Dream malts from the Tygh Valley Appellation. Chatoe products will include Pinot Envy Ale, Dirtoir Black Lager, Single Malt Ale, and OREgasmic Ale.”

Chatoe Dirtoir and John John Ale will be packaged in 22 oz. bombers and Double Mocha Porter will be sold in 750’s.

Beer stats stats:

Chatoe Dirtoir Black Lager (courtesy of Norman Miller, The Beer Nut)

Malts: Melanoidin, Carafe Special II, Black, Chocolate and Rogue Micro Barley Farm Risk
Hops: Rogue Micro Hop Yard Independent and Revolution Hops
Yeast: German

150 Plato, 35 International Bitter Units, 75 Apparent Attenuation, 1300 Lovibond.

Double Mocha Porter

Malts: C120, C150, Kiln Coffee, Black, Chocolate and Rogue Micro-Barley Farm Risk
Hops: 100% Summit Hops
Yeast: Top Fermenting Pacman

19 deg. Plato, 78 IBU, 76 AA, 133 deg. Lovibond

Double Dead Guy Ale

Malts: Carastan, Rogue Micro-Barley Farm Dare and Risk
Hops: Saaz, Willamette, Rogue Micro-Farm Hop Yard Revolution (read more about their hops here – pdf link)
Yeast: Top Fermenting Pacman

16 deg. Plato, 40 IBU, 78 AA, 16 deg. Lovibond

Label description: “Deep honey in color with a malt aroma, a caramel, vanilla, and oak finish.”