Rogue Brutal Bitter

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

June, 2003: Big pint bottle. A damn fine bitter. Appearance is a dull hazy lightish orange. Marris Otter provides a firm, sweet base, but the use of other malts softens and develops and enriches. Good fruit aroma, not unlike that of an Abbott Ale. Hops are earthy but also shot through with some icy grapefruit juice. Impressive.

Tap @ Summits. Orangey-copper color with a thin white head. Light citrusy hop aroma caramel malt underneath. Flavor is light on the malt with a fair amount of tangy hop acidity and a modertely bitter finish that is long and dry.

Slightly hazy medium-golden pour with a tall, rocky off-white head. Quite a lot of sediment, as well as some very persistent lacing. Aroma was strong with citrus and grassy hoppiness... and some underlying caramel malty sweetness (really what I’d hope for in a good ESB). The first things to hit the tastebuds were the Cascade hops... with their wonderful grapefruity goodness. Very good balance between the high-alpha and bittering hops, as well as the medium caramel backbone. Very pleasant grassy/piney bitter finish. Definitely enjoyed this one!

Smells like a citrus IPA with pine. Fruit midsip. Downs bitter yet toned down with a faint lemoniness and Bittersweet aftertaste. Oily 59 IBU. Americanized ESB. Forget Wheat, this at the end of the hot day.

Bottle (12oz). Poured a murky, active amber-orange with a decent straw-coloured foamy head - decent lacing. Aroma lush hops - not too sharp - sweet lightly roasted malt, a touch of peat and vaguely of sour grain. Taste - oh, yeah, there’s that Rogue signature - medley of grapefruity acidic hop bitterness, a little bit of malt and grassy cereal grain in there, perhaps some dried wildflowers. Nice long linger, starts hoppy, finishes hoppy, but not harsh and not too much for a non-hop-head like myself. Palate is lively, a bit acidic, decent body. Excellent west coast take on an ESB, could be a bit maltier.

Bottle 650 ml (listed as 6 % , 15 P)
Appearance: (3.5/5) Pours as murky amber with hint of bright copper, medium light creamy/rocky head.
Nose : (7/10) Fresh scent of crystal hops with sweet , juicy caramel going trough.
Flavor/Palate : Medium bodied ale , continuation of what aroma presented. Sweet caramel malt as main centre with bitter wet leaf hop side. Slightly chewy texture. Beyond light long lasting bitterness not much is carried at finish. Decent yet still I could not escape feeling of having simple two-dimensional ale. (F-6.9/10)(P-2.8/5)

October 2007. Bottle. Orange body with a small white head. Moderate hoppy aroma, odd earthy note to the hops. Decent amount of bitterness throughout, light citrus, earthy resin. Average palate. Meh. Just ok. 7/3/7/3/14-15 - 3.5 <P>October 2006. 12oz bottle from Bishops Cellar in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Amber body, with a generous fluffy beige head and lacing. Aroma of light, muted hops, grass, and a light hint of bile up front that seems very out of place gives way to muted caramel malt as it warms a bit. Pleasant citrus - grapefruit in the flavour seems restrained, light round fruitiness lingers. Malt is a tertiary player. Average palate. Very unassertive, this was a disappointing re-rate. Am hoping perhaps the bottle was showing its age, and will try another one when given the opportunity. 6/4/6/3/13 - 3.2 <P> April 2002. Very hoppy and bitter. Similar to HopDevil in the degree of bitterness. Tasty if you like a bitter beer. 7/4/8/4/16 - 3.9

Orange gold color. Medium head. There are chunks of something in the bottom of the glass. Aroma is floral and grapefruit. A very nice bitter. Hops are very pronounced. Complex flavors, the dominant hop flavors being grapefruit, floral and pine. Yet there is a very strong malt backbone to this beer. It’s a very hoppy and bitter beer. Yet for all that bitterness, it’s a very smooth tasting bitter. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is very bitter. Don’t think I want to know what’s sitting at the bottom of the glass though. Etched/painted beer bottle.