Rogue Brutal Bitter

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

Appearance: a bright, but hazy, apricottish hue, with a thick, bubbling, off-white lace-leaving head. Aroma: absolutely bristling with pine, pineapple, grapefruit, all sorts of citrus, very spikey, alert and lively, seriously delirious! On the palate, a monsoon ensues, a blast of brilliant bitterness, that fades a bit, yes, but returns with every sip. Texture is a treat, tangy, delicious, smooth, but tasty. Long, even eternal, finish. Ultimately, very dry, mouth watering, thirst quenching...yeah! It got me to thinking...this is the hophead's "lawnmower beer"! And me, I've got to live in an apartment! It's an "anytime" ale, I say! The name protests too much. It's not too brutal, but then I'm used to, and I welcome, a barrage of hops on my tongue at anytime I wish. The label reads "an Imperial style bitter" (aren't "bitters" UNbitter, such as ESBs?) using exotic traditional floor malts (huh?) Free Range Coastal Waters (okay, I'm lost, free range chicken I get, but free range water?) etc., etc. No matter my confusion, it's a damned great ale, not shy at all with the hops, and loaded down with flavor. Happily consumed from a generous 22oz. bomber.

This one tasted pretty fresh and went down damn quickly. Good hops on the nose without too much showing in the taste, well balanced and the alcohol is at a pleasant level. Enjoyable!

Not a bitter, squarely in the APA/IPA camp, but who cares? Medium orange appearance, good head, a bit murky with yeast on the second pour. Aroma is a mix of orange, grapefruit, and spice. The initial flavor in the mouth is of medium bodied, slightly biscuity malts, but they are really there just to provide some balance to the hop show that follows. The hops were a collage of grapefruit, spice, and some earthiness, with just the faintest hint of asparagus that rapidly faded. Surprisingly complex considering only one variety used and no dry hopping. This was exceptionally enjoyable. NOTE: Cask sample at CAH on 1/26/05 - tasting notes similar, but would bump up up the palate to a 5. Truly excellent.

Draft. Very citrus piney aroma. Lots of PNW hops in the nose. Smells good. Moderately hazy orange/copper color with a small frothy white head. Grapefruit juice and pine sol. Thats what this concoction takes like. One dimensional throughout. Not bad, but it’s basically hop juice.

08.16.04 Bomber. Pours a quite clouded glowing amber highlighted by gold around the edges; average tan head. Wonderful citrus and pine aroma. Solid malty backbone supports sharp, unctuous hoppiness. Hops are somewhat one dimensional (I only now see that only one hop is used) by today’s ’standards’. In truth, the PNW flavors and character of this beer are of the sort that made me so interested in craft brews the way I am today. A nostalgic brew, solid, delicious. Terrible name for a beer.

Hazy, honey-colored body and thin white head. Balanced aroma of English malts and citrus. Big citrus and herb flavor. High bitterness; does justice to the term “bitter”. But this seems like a standard IPA in my book.

Bomber. Earth, caramel, and dull hops in the nose. Murky copper golden body with a soapy off-tan head - reminds of apple cider. Bitter taste, drenched in hops, with slight malic swaths and spritzy wooden citrus. A very earthy, almost dirty tone, thick maltiness. Piney caramel is really nice, seems a bit brighter. Medium body (actually, consistency is a little like unfiltered cider as well) dries out toward the end, where it picks up some nice bready notes. Maris Otter is nice here, but clashes a bit with the Cascades. A good bitter with some balance and character. If the alcohol were a bit lower, I’d have this in droves in the summer months.

Cloudy orange body with a massive off-white head that quickly faded to oblivion. Bitter hop nose with citrus character. Dry bitter citrus body with a bitter hop finish.