Rogue Brutal Bitter

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

Great bitters from the huge hops. It’s called ’Brutal Bitter’ for a reason--you don’t like bitter, drink something else. Really no malts to speak of, but does have a nice color and manages a nice, fully body. A good one.

Orange coloured. Notes of apricots, pineapples and honey. Very bitter and hoppy. Complex. A great brew.

Very impressive beer, hazy & cloudy medium-dark golden color, nice thick bubbly white head that laced around the glass, plenty of hops in the aroma balanced by some nice grainy maltiness, the flavors were very well balanced also, tons of hops in the flavor & aftertaste, it's so brilliant to be burping up hops, very well balanced body, along with the huge hoppiness of the beer it had quite a malt profile, dry & spicy aftertaste as well, a very excellent & well-rounded beer

Highly bitter. Strong aftertaste. Good, fruity aroma.

Pours out hazy orange amber with a rough frothy tall head that stuck around a while. Smells of grass, pine, and yeasty sourdough bread. Malt profile is not as complex as Fuller's ESB. Generally pale and caramel malts that are easily dominated by the American hops. Tasted pine and spruce with a distinct snap of hop bitterness and a hint of citrus flavors. Little too harsh for the style and to make a good session beer. Would be a great IPA. Just not as good as a bitter.

The tawny, auburn color of this brew is slightly affected by its light cloudiness, and yet it maintains the exact complexion I most look for in a quality IPA. The head is off-white, prodigious and enduring. Lace is most impressive with this brew. Citrus notes abound on the nose, along with a piney sweetness which is difficult to describe. It exudes a warm sharpness which sets the mouth to watering. Smooth and crisp at the same time, the first thing that hits you are the hops, delightfully tingly, then combining with an alcohol warmth and carbonated sharpness. Right in the back and holding this brew up throughout is a rigid malt sweetness; not cloying in any manner, but there to support what is a massive amount of hops. Fruity tastes and hop oil esters combine to make this a very full flavored beer, yet creamy, and the finish is long and lingering. What a great example of a full-hopped Northwest IPA.

On tap at Barley’s Taphouse in Asheville, NC. Fantastic hop aroma. While it almost burns your nose, you can still smell some sweetness. Amazingly enough, this is not an unpleasant bitter taste. Amber in color. Say, this isn’t so brutal. I like.

On tap @Cato's. Pale orange body. Nice crisp bitter hoppy flavor. Spicy grapefruit flavor prominent. Tastes like an IPA which is fine with me.