Younger's Special Bitter - Rogue Ales

ToddT

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Clear light brown color with an orange tint and a medium off white head. Head fades quickly but leaves some nice lace on the glass.

S- Caramel malts and East Kent Golding hops. Spot on in the nose for an English bitter.

T- Taste is spot on too, nice notes from the hops and perfectly balanced out with biscuit malts. Finish is dry and crisp with a final slight bitter note.

M- Light in body and decent carbonation. Very clean and crisp an easy drinker.

O- Outstanding take on the style, the 4.8% ABV is well hidden and this would be a great session beer for an evening out with friends. There is a nice story that goes along with the name of this beer too.

Serving type: cask

04-07-2012 01:07:11 | More by ToddT

Hojaminbag

Colorado

3.25/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

YSB has a brownish orange body and a creamy tan head. Both the retention and lacing are fairly good.

The aroma has a lot of English hops, with fruit and bitterness. Some toasted malts are noticeable also.

Toasted malts come through up front, with a bit of bread. Hops come next, with a fairly high amount of bitterness, some earthy flavors and some fruit. Somewhere in the middle a little bit of fruity yeast poles its head through also.

This beer is very dry from start to finish. The body is a little bit thin.

YSB is a decent bitter, but it has more bitterness than flavor.

Serving type: cask

08-25-2011 01:35:29 | More by Hojaminbag

hopsbreath

Oregon

4.22/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The first bar I went to when I moved to Portland was The Horse Brass Pub. The first beer I ordered was a YSB on cask. I've ordered more than a few since. A fellow BA pointed out some of the beer rock stars that were also there that night. Alan Sprints from Hair of the Dog, Guy Palmer from Lagunitas, and the man for whom that first pint was named after, Don Younger himself, seemingly having a great time. I'd never drank a beer in the presence of the person it was named for. If the beer would have sucked I suspect it would not have been as memorable. It was quite good though so that's a win in my book. Sadly the publican has passed since then leaving his legacy and memories behind. I won't claim to have actually met him and shook his hand because that would be a lie, but that's my memory of him. I don't think I will ever drink a YSB without remembering that first night in the Horse Brass. Its about noon right now after a long night shift and I'm just chilling at the bar with a freshly pulled pint. Here's to you Don.

A: Nice amber color with a couple fingers of fluffy, dusty head. It recedes down to a nice full cap with some decent lacing. That's good stuff right there. 4/5

S: Nice, moderately sweet, lightly roasted malts are a pleasure to the senses. Some berry-esque qualities show up as a nice compliment as well. Floral, English hops show up to help the balancing act. Well done. 4/5

T: Here is where the beer absolutely shines for me. Nice mild amount of bittering is the initial introduction to the taste buds. Some tannins light up their sweet spots. Its not until after the swallow that the long slowly developing finish leads to the copious amounts of whole grain biscuit. Pairs fantastically with fried foods. 4.5/5

M: Smooth, lightly scrubbing, and clean. Just what I expect from a cask bitter. 4/5

O: Good beer. Drinks easily enough and still maintains its wonderful character throughout. Perfect to drink several pints of while laughing with friends. 4/5

Serving type: cask

03-30-2011 19:39:35 | More by hopsbreath

chumba526

Oregon

1.02/5  rDev -74.2%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

I had this at Rogue's taproom in Portland.
The color is a murky brownish orange color with no foam or head of any kind; it looked completely flat: turns out it was when I tasted it.

The smell is of rotten sour malts. It also smells a bit nutty, a bit soapy. But mostly it smelt very stale: kind of smelt like old stale bread and old rotten yeast.

The taste is utterly disgusting. It tasted of off malts. A rotten nut taste as well is apparent. It tasted slightly sour with a gross honey aftertaste. There is also this disgusting rotten yeasty flavor to the beer.

Zero carbonation is in the beer and it was served at seventy degrees, I kid not. The overly warm temperature was hard to handle: cask should not be cold but it shouldn't be seventy degrees! No carbonation made the beer overly bad. I spit up the beer when I was drinking it. I am a huge fan of cask and this is the first cask ale I have tried that I could not drink.

Looking at other reviews I can only assume that Rogue is serving an improperly kept and old cask. It tasted like it could have been a good beer if fresh and properly stored. Rogue should spend less time on marketing and more time maintaining the quality of their beer! Rogue should be ashamed for serving this beer this way. Next time I'm in Portland I want to go to the Horse Brass and try a sample of it there to see if there is substantial difference.
If you order it at Rogue be sure to try a sample first.

Serving type: cask

07-03-2010 18:34:05 | More by chumba526

jdense

Oregon

4.1/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On cask at the Horse Brass 6.12.2010 during USA-England World Cup match.

Deep brown body, no visible carbonation, 1 finger creamy off white head, significant lacing. Nose is malty goodness, caramel. Taste is malty but with a nice hop hit, floral and grassy, on the back end. Mouthfeel is medium, minimal effervescence. Drinkability is superlative, light, refreshing. You really need to have the cask version to appreciate this offering. Now I see why The Old Tavern Rat drinks this all the time (when he's not drinking Scotch). I was pleasantly surprised how good this was. Definitely worth a try.

Serving type: cask

06-17-2010 00:49:52 | More by jdense

LeftyBWS

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On cask at Fathead's in Pittsburgh, PA, served in a 16 oz. mug.
A: Darkish orange-brown in color, with a thin bubbly tan head. Little carbonation, given it was on cask.
S: Sweetish fruitiness and floral hops, mostly, with some caramel malts present as well.
T: Very much mirrors the smell. Slight hoppiness at first, followed by a creamy fruit/citrus flavor, and a smooth malty finish. Very well-balanced. Almost seems subdued, but if any one flavor was brought out more, it would ruin the balance.
M: Slightly watery throughout, but not by too much. Not all that biting for a beer labeled as bitter.
D: Really good. This beer is smooth and goes down easy, without sacrificing good taste.
Overall, an interesting brew. The taste was quite good for the style. I expected a bit more of a hop flavor, but I realize that this might have disturbed the delicate balance of the flavors.

Serving type: cask

09-23-2007 21:15:48 | More by LeftyBWS

Damian

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Drank on cask at the Horse Brass Pub, Portland, OR

Poured a slightly hazy, orangey-copperish amber with no real head but rather a thin film of off-white frothiness. Surprisingly, the froth left spider webbing ridges of lacing all down the glass.

The aroma was fragrant, sugary sweet and very fruity. Granny smith apples, pears and sweet caramel malts came through strong.

The taste was well balanced, but the malts definitely took center stage. Creamy, biscuity malts came through up front. Caramel malts were also quite noticeable, along with somewhat sweet and fruity notes. The finish was slightly hoppy, providing the needed balance.

Mouthfeel was very flat and rather warm (typical of a cask ale) with a slight initial creaminess that disappeared as the beer turned completely flat.

As for drinkability, the beer was smooth, flavorful and easily sessionable. Furthermore, it made a perfect accompaniment to the Horse Brass's world famous fish and chips.

Serving type: cask

07-12-2007 04:15:00 | More by Damian

koolk

Australia

4.15/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

US Trip Aug-Dec 04

Tried from cask at Horse Brass pub in Portland. Strong amber orange colour with a small thin head that quickly leaves.

Strong and well blended aroma that is at its essence very simple - just malts and hops. Sound simple but the good level balance between the two leaves you feeling like your drinking a genuine English bitter. Some yeast like flavours emit, but only a touch.

Great body and mouthfeel on this one. The flavours are rich and slightly sweet malt offset well by the bitterness. On cask this is rich , creamy and full and tastes delicious!

Was lucky to stumble across this one at the H.B. and was well worth a crack. Great beer.

Serving type: cask

12-07-2004 00:48:49 | More by koolk

PopeJonPaul

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on cask at the Horse Brass in Portland, OR. Poured a coppery amber with a surprising head (likely thanks to being pumped from the keg by a 350lb bartender.) Lightly floral aroma, a definite citrus bitterness matched with a super-smooth malty creaminess, a contradiction but a good one. Has a nice smooth finish with a bit of brown sugariness, this turned out to be a refreshingly good cask beer, even if it's a combination of extremes.

Serving type: cask

11-28-2004 23:53:39 | More by PopeJonPaul

GreenWBush

Oregon

3.58/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Taken from cask, this Rogue offering fell victim to the all-consuming Pacman yeast. I felt like I was sniffing some sort of ozonated-wort even at the perfect temperatures. Malt and hop both seem vaguely forgotten here.

The picture was good enough; clear amber with a nice lace. The package offered was a little less sentimental.

The taste is very nutty and slightly caramelized, with a lightly piercing dose of noble hop. Biscuity.

A good cask bitter. Not one i'd really ever lust for.

Serving type: cask

10-04-2004 17:07:39 | More by GreenWBush

AllThingsNinja

Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This amber ale had little head, but a lot of pride. The Aromas of hops and spices was quite inviting. Unfortunately, the flavors in the beer weren't much more complex. While the bitter had an amazing balance between the malts and the bittering hops, it seemed that the spicy notes were distractingly strong. While they would have been a pleasant background effect, the cask tasted a bit like a spiced beer that was modeled after an ESB. The dry, tangy finish was quite pleasant. The beer was good, but not outstanding

Serving type: cask

05-11-2004 01:06:14 | More by AllThingsNinja

Maestro

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This was a great American bitter. On cask, the carbonation was so light and made the ale absolutely great. The head was thick and lasted for the whole beer. The color was red with a slight orange tint. The hops were very present in the nose. Very clean hops commanded the first taste. As you moved through the beer, the warm temperature and low carbonation made the ale absolutely great. The biscuity malt was a great balance to the bitterness which had hints of citrus and grass. A great cask-conditioned ale.

Serving type: cask

01-28-2004 03:28:16 | More by Maestro

Elemental

Oregon

4.5/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Oh man this is an excellent beer, specially from a cask. Good amber colored appearance with a thin plate of foam floating on the top. From the cask this gives a wonderful lightly fruity aroma with a nice hop smell. The taste is well balanced between the malts and hops. Not to bitter for the style but bitter enough to get the taste buds going. Has an almost light honey aroma and taste to it. Not quite as good out of the bottle but still worth checking out.
Overall a Great Bitter!

Serving type: cask

09-22-2003 23:33:07 | More by Elemental

freed

Oregon

4.33/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Cask conditioned imperial pint - looks cloudy and amber, big head that thins quickly. Nice balanced hop aroma, both field and citrus grove. Taste has a distinctly Rogue malt profile, nice chewy feel. Clean hop start and finish, nice for a bitter. Leaves the mouth asking for another sip.

Serving type: cask

08-11-2003 01:02:23 | More by freed

dwarbi

New York

4.47/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

It pours with a bubbly head that pops away quickly. The beer is a dark orange-brown and looks pretty murky. It smells very hoppy, but there are enough other scents for it to overpower. You can taste the hops, but not too much, as is the case with many American bitters. Delicious bitter. So far, the best bitter I've had.

Serving type: cask

05-04-2003 10:08:46 | More by dwarbi

Squire

4.98/5  rDev +26.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Several years ago this great Younger's Style bitter ale from Rogue was available in my location and I loved it. I can't get it anymore. It wasn't as hoppy or yeasty as Rogue's Brutal Bitter, but darn near as good, plus it sold in 12 oz bottles, whereas the Brutal Bitter was in 24 oz bottles. Both are great bitter ales in the best British tradition... and brewed in the US to boot.
Larry

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 22:35:29 | More by Squire

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is a really nice bitter... not over-the-top like their Brutal, but certainly 'west-coast'.

A great hop nose follows through in the flavour. Plenty of EKG give it the British flavour, but it's super-sized. Very solid bitterness. I'd be happy to session this one.

Light to moderate body is smooth with just a hint of acidity.

RIP Don.

Serving type: on-tap

09-02-2011 04:34:37 | More by Derek

Brewski4Drewski

South Carolina

3.33/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Several pours into 22oz nonic glass.
L: Pours dark orange/amber color, visible carbonation. Creates big 2 finger light head. Good lacing.

S: A little toasty, a little hoppy, maybe a little nutty. A twang I cannot put my finger on.

T: Similar... malty, slightly bitter/ sharp, a bit hoppy.

M: Medium bodied, carbonated throughout offering.

O: A pretty good bitter (but not the best of this style) from Rogue Ales. Nicely drinkable, killing growler wasn't a chore...glad to try it. I grabbed it thinking it was a special brown, but next time I'll stick with the Hazelnut Nectar. Cheeuhs

Serving type: growler

08-19-2011 20:39:27 | More by Brewski4Drewski

Natural510

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at South Park Tavern in Dayton.

Pours a dark amber-copper color with quality lacing.

Scent is malt-heavy with a sweet, fruity edge.

Flavor is well-balanced between the malt, with its sweet notes of caramel and cherry, and a hoppiness which is most apparent in the bitter finish.

Body is full and well-formed in classic bitter style. Bitter in the finish without the dryness typical in, say, a pale ale.

Excellent example of a British bitter, probably the best I've had from this side. Very full for a beer under 5%ABV, though the alcohol content still makes itself known. Well-balanced between malt sweetness and hop bitterness, exactly as it should be.

Serving type: on-tap

06-23-2011 00:10:08 | More by Natural510

cooch69

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bought this one as Fat Head's Ale. It came in a 22 ounce bottle.

Pours a hazy amber with some orange hues. Not much of a head, which is almost pure white in color.
Nose is big on the floral hoppiness and sweet caramel malts.

Taste is pretty good on this one. I was'nt sure to expect something hoppier than this from Rogue but it is a pretty Authentic English Ale. Sweet caramelized, bready malts and a nice mild biterness in the finish.

Recomended. Another solid offering from Rogue. Maybe they're onto something with this Pacman Yeast.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2011 00:59:21 | More by cooch69

negroobserver

New York

2.63/5  rDev -33.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

C: Ruby Red color with a golden hue.

S: Sweet. Light Malts. Light Roasted Scent. Light scent of hops. The beer has a funny pungent smell.

T: Malty.

M: Good carbonation. Smooth texture and slight alcohol/carbonation bite.

D: I didn't enjoy this beer at all becasue of the strange funky smell.

OVERALL: C- / C

Serving type: on-tap

04-12-2011 15:18:44 | More by negroobserver

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a slightly hazy amber color some slight carbonation rising to the surface. A fizzy/foamy off white head that rises to about 2 fingers. Slowly collapses to a thinner cap. A little bit of light splotchy lacing.

Aroma is of sweet malt, reminds me more of toffee. A bit of diacetyl noted. A bit of lemon peel. Frankly also smells like a Rogue offering.

Boring to say, but sometimes it applies so well. Flavor follows the aroma here. Toffee, some butter (diacetyl) and a finish with some mild citrus hops. And yes... it tastes like a Rogue Beer with the distinctive Pacman flavors. The finish is where the hops and lemon peel do come through....

Carbonation is very muted and just prickles at your tongue. Fairly light bodied

Overall, I think this is pretty much on target for the style. Not the most exciting beer in the world, but it's not supposed to be.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2011 20:36:13 | More by Reagan1984

claspada

New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Aromas begin with layers of grassy and flowery hops. Light biscuity and bready malts follow suit. Quite English indeed.
Tastes directly follow the nose with pleasant English grassy and herbal hoppiness with equal amounts of biscuity and bready malts. Perfect to style. Finsihes with the expected/delicious full and creamy Pacman yeast flavors. Carbonation and mouthfeel are perfect; full and bubbly, maybe less carbonation than a traditional English style and a bit fuller.
Overall this is a perfect beer, period. I wish I had this on draft in my house. It is extremely hard to make a beer of this ABV and style good, let alone packed with so much flavor. Will be drinking a lot more of this in the near future, especially in the warmer months.

Serving type: on-tap

03-09-2011 15:22:32 | More by claspada

THECPJ

Delaware

2.95/5  rDev -25.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Reviewed from notes

Appearance: murky brown with slight amber hue, 1 finger white head, leaves nice lacing

Smell: malts and caramel, sweetness

Taste: caramel, sweet malts, mild citrus

Mouthfeel: lots of carbonation, medium body

Drinkability: not overly bitter, but not overly exciting, quite carbonated

Cheers!
The CPJ

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 04:05:02 | More by THECPJ

schlazzgraft

New York

4.15/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Wow what a great beer - poured from a 22oz bottle into a pint glass

A - Great english ale look; rich amber in color and a mountainous head with great retention. The head fades and leaves a nice trail down the glass... beautiful!

S - Pretty light, but sweet and a bit fruity

T - Scrumptious; malty up front and than wiped clean by the ekg hops... a great example of the style.

M - smooth and creamy, but not too heavy

D - I could drink a lot of these, but it would probably fill you up pretty quick

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2010 22:49:58 | More by schlazzgraft