Rogue Morimoto Imperial Pilsner

Brewed by Rogue Ales
Style: European Strong Lager
Newport, Oregon USA

750 mL bottle, snifter. Toasted bread cereal malt (H); floral and grass hops (H); white grape and pepper aromas. Simple, but clean and powerful, aroma. Body is a deep gold, almost to the point of being amber-orange. First pour didn’t create a great head due to "glugging". Subsequent pours allowed an average-sized, creamy, lasting, white head to develop. Heavily sweet, lightly acidic, moderately bitter flavor becomes a moderately sweet, lightly acidic, heavily bitter, lasting finish. Medium-full body, creamy texture, lively carbonation, lightly astringent. The bottom line is: I’m really impressed with how such a big flavor was conjured from such simple ingredients. I could do without the acidity and astringency though.

Dark orange-gold in colour topped by a large foamy white head. Malts are fruity and sweet and rather dominant for a pilsner. Hops are spicy and peppery. Fairly smooth and dry lager with lots of herbal fragrances, but there is a definite hop kick and a slight alcohol bite. Snazzy ceramic pained bottle. Pricey

08.26.04 big ol’ crock o’beer. Pours a slightly hazed gold. Aromas are boldly hoppy for a pilsner with a sweet, cotton candy character. Flavor is not so big, but somewhat cloyingly sweet. There is a substantial hop character from middle to back and a substantial bed of malts. The palate is thick, syrupy, velvet...about the consistency of unsolidified pudding. Some light fruitiness emerges. Subtle, complex flavors for such a big beer. Quite an experiment from a brewer that I don’t generally consider experimental. I’m not sure why they call it a pils.

(Bottle) Pours a slightly hazy golden color with a small white head. Aroma of toasted malt and toffee. Enjoyable, fresh, and somewhat complex flavor of hops, malts, and spices. Tasty! Thanks for sharing, legion242!

Bottle. Sure it gets points for packaging. Beautiful. Nose is malty and cereal like. Tastes like a good crystal malt. Very full flavored for a pilsner. Sweet finish with a good mild hop presence that isn’t overdone.

Don’t understand the Asian theme to this one...poured hazy gold with a thick white head...smells of alcohol and grass...definate clean mouthfeel with alcohol sweetness...tasted alcohol but nowhere near 8.8%...

smells like cotton candy. hazy dark yellow with a white head. cherry taffy notes to this taste that is sweet and bitter.

Bottle at Yeoman’s Road Pub. Hop Head delight. Not very compelling though. It’s almost a "LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME," kind of beer. Entirely too bitter for this style and most styles to be honest. Naturally, my hop addict friend loved it and rated it his favorite beer as of the momeny he sipped it. Rogue makes some decent brews, but the hopfest gets old after a while. It’s like can’t you do something else...like maybe balance a beer and give it some subtle flavors and complexity?