Rogue has teamed up with Captain Sig from the Northwestern, one of the crab boats featured on Discovery's Deadliest Catch, to produce Captain Sig's Northwestern Ale, which is honestly the best red ale I've ever had.  Portions of the proceeds generated by this one-time brew will go to the Fisherman's Fund which aids injured fishermen in Alaska.  Captain Sig and the Northwestern crew are my favorite crew on Deadliest Catch, one of few television shows that really interests me because they are some of the most hardcore individuals on the planet.  Not to take a way from any of the other brave crews on the Bering Sea, it's just that the Northwestern crew's attitudes remind me of my own.

Northwestern Ale really pours more like an amber ale than a red ale, but I won't argue with Rogue on the matter.  The nose on this is exquisite.  It's sweet yet earthy.  I pick up notes of orange and horehound and I'm absolutely enamored with that combination all of a sudden.  I'll have to get some horehound candy and an orange and try the combination.  The hops are evident, but they are beautifully floral rather than bitter.  As you take your first sip, the beer coats the palate with silky smooth malts and those floral hops.  I can't describe how delicious this beer is. The complexity is really rather astounding and it's hard to pick out individual flavors as they meld together so well.  I get a piney bitterness on the finish and a little bit of that citrus comes back but this time it's more lemon-like than orange.

The silky smoothness and complex flavors of the hops combined with the absolutely perfect balance of bitter and sweet, malty and hoppy, floral and earthy, make this one of my favorite all-time beers.   Remember, this is a one-time brew and after this run, you won't be able to get it again.  Go find this!  Go find this right now and pick up several bottles, you will not be disappointed.  Not only are you going to enjoy an absolutely delicious brew, you're going to be helping those brave gentlemen of the sea who work their asses off to bring you some delicious crab.