Rogue Brutal Bitter

Brewed by Rogue Ales
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Newport, Oregon USA

22. Great little session beer without a doubt. Pours murky toffee-ish dark amber color, sudsy white head that falls to film before you get much of a chance to think about it. Occasional condensation-like drops of lace here and there on the way down. Modest nose; not much to say: some light pacman ale-y fruitiness, some little orange-y citric hop notes. Grainy medium body with active carb, plenty more fruity bits: hoppy orange pith, yeasty general fruitiness (hints of peach?), some light biscuit and very light grain husk notes. Quenching and strong enough to stand up to food--awesome utility beer. Jack Joyce couldn’t piss me off much more than he does given that I know him only as his occasional customer, but even despite that, I love this beer and need to grab it more often.

12oz bottle. Hazy light copper color with large bubbled white head. Aroma is malty and some hops. Aroma is too light. The taste is influenced by the high carbonation. Starts off as the aroma did with sweet malt first the some hops follow. Doesn’t at all seem to be a Brutal Bitter. Bitterness does not match its name. Really a nice drinkable beer though but the hops come up short. Should rename it Mellow Bitter.

Orange amber and very hazy, particularly with agitation at the end of the pour. Soft orange-cream head. Fresh grapefruit, apricot, and tangerine aromas jump out of the glass. Very fresh fruity citrus flavours up front are quickly twisted into an incredibly bitter finish that, perhaps surprisingly, is very pleasant and feels right. Once I got further into this and my palate re-calibrated, there was a definite soft earthy malt flavour as well. Very well made indeed.

This is so good, I cannot even begin to express how much I like this brew. It starts out with a fragrant floral aroma, with a mellow grapefruit, citrusy hoppy flavor that is smoothed out by a hazelnut/caramel esque flavor that I found to not be that bitter. Highly reccomended, this could quite possibly be one of the perfect beers

Hazy orange copper color. No head. Earthy, grassy, lemon hops in the aroma. This tastes more like an IPA to me, but its got nice earthy sweet notes with some resiny citrus hops in the finish. Nice lingering bitterness in this one. As it gets warmer, more sweet caramel malt comes into play and it becomes more reminiscient of a bitter. Nice and drinkable. I would drink this frequently.

Pours orange gold, fluffy white head. Aroma is Grapefruit, of course, plus some hints of sweet, juicy malts. Very Citric / hoppiness, almost a grapefruit flavor, but in a good way.

Bronze, hazy with a clinging, lasting white foam head. Emphasize "brutal" here--more hops than any bitter I've ever had, I think, asting astringency and grapefruit. Forget the commercial label, this is in APA/IPA territory to me. (on tap at Rogue Ales Public House, Portland)

Bottle Lemony hop aroma orange amber color with a medium white, heavy lacing head; Nice hoppy flavor with a little citrus, nice hop bitterness into the finish. Tastes much different and more hoppy than the Britsh ESB’s I’ve had!