Rogue Brutal Bitter

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

Another sample on tape at Hopyard. I shoud first say that I did enjoy the beer. With a name like Brutal Bitter it should be kick-ya-in-the-butt bitter, but alas this one didn’t quite meet that description. Pour is an orangish/gold color with notes of citrus juice like grapefruit and lemons. Mouthfeel was full and round. Flavor profile was good but I guess I was expecting a haymaker to the jaw and got more of a jab to the chin. The beer is bitter, very drinkable and tasty. Just didn’t lay me out like I thought it might.

bottle. This is a murky light brown with a thin head. Quite a citrusy aroma on this one with some underlying sweet malts. The flavor is also quite acidic with some spicier hops too. More citrus in the finish.

On tap at Stone. Two finger small bubble head that dies to a 1mm thick creamy layer climbing up the sides of the glass. Light orange amber color. Mild musty aroma from cleaning of the glass. Medium bitterness. Medium body. Leans a little dry.

22oz bottle from Evanston, WY. Pours a cloudy orange color with a large foamy white head. The aroma is very nice; loads of ripe hops, citrus and some marmalade. The flavor is similar; a light bitter hop initially, rich citrus hops, some light fruitiness, marmalade and lemon zest. Very nice. A smooth and full mouthfeel. A great example of the style.

Bottle. Pours a deep hazy orange amber body with thin head. Aroma is of sweet malt, slight fruit, small amount of soapy hops. Flavor is a nice bitter taste, lightly sweet, malty, nice hop bitterness, and nicely carbonated. One of the best Rogue’s I ever had. Now if only they would lower their price, I would buy this more ofthen.

Bottle from TJ’s. Trying to get around to rating some of the beers I started my career with. Muddy, orangish tan with thin white lace. Aroma is slighty hoppy with a nice malt character. Flavor is dead-on for the best esb’s I’ve had. Slightly hoppy with a nice bitter finish amidst and slightly thick body. Alcohol well hidden, and a nice bitter, hoppy finish. Hops aren’t overdone so much to make this an ipa like some esb’s are. Rogue’s best non-stout in my opinion.

From a distinctive 22 oz. Rogue brown bomber bottle with info and a blurb on the right side of bottle, sampled in a Rogue pint glass. Made a good appearance, poured a cloudy orangey copper with a fluffly white head that settled into a thin lacing, moderate carbonation overall. Had a piney and orange peel rind nose with a faint caramelized maltiness and, of course, the distinctive Pacman yeastiness. A crisp, hop coarse on the tongue and creamy smooth full bodied mouth feel, very good drinkability. Very tasty, sweet piney mixed with orange rind, a smooth biiterness with a touch of roughness, some oiliness as well, a sweet caramelized maltiness that starts to balance the taste in the middle along with a dryish Pacman flavor and an oily and sweet malty finish with the hop flavor lingering in the palate. An excellent ESB from Rogue, one of my favorite brewers, tasty with a smooth, balanced bitterness and distinctive Rogue flavors, a must try.

(on bottle)Disapointing and not brutal. Withheld in all aspects of the drinking faces and even gets irritating metalligc in the end. 94? tsk.