Younger's Special Bitter - Rogue Ales

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Very good bitterness, though leaf hop sucking, balanced with orange citrus and malt, like blending with an American pale. Drinkable,but a bomber is too much even for the two of us. Orangey colour body with good creamy head. Willamette and East Kent Golding hops. Smooth mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2007 04:37:41 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

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

Hazy orange-amber that is more orange than amber. The pale ecru colored cap is several fingers in height, is large-bubbled, stays for a bit, and leaves ragged looking rings of lace.

The nose is surprising in a good way. The beer smells like a well-hopped pale ale (or even an IPA), with lots of citric fruity hops. There's no doubt that I'm going to like this one.

Younger's Special bitter isn't quite as hoppy as an IPA, though it's close. There's a good bit of caramel malt on the bottom end, balanced by a lemon-orange-floral hoppiness on the top end. The flavor profile is similar to Goose Island Honker's Ale, though that beer use Styrian Goldings and this one uses East Kent Goldings. Medium mouthfeel for the style.

YSB is yet another quality beer from Rogue Ales. English Bitter isn't a style that I'm familiar with, but I enjoyed this one very much. Thankfully, it's available in my local grocery.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2004 19:35:27 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

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

Picked this one up in a BIF and found it sitting in the back of my fridge, decided to open it up with dinner last night, Served chilled and poured into a pint glass, this one was consumed on 11/16/2009.
 
The pour was nice, amber in color with a rich white head on top. Very nicely done I have to say. Lots of carbonation could be seen coming up from the bottom of the glass throughout the entire session. Aroma is a mix of nice caramel malts, hints of piney hops and a nice buttery, biscuit liken note as well. As I take the first sip a nice and smooth feel rolls across the tongue. Nice medium body and very well carbonated, it all comes across very nicely. Rich with a nice smooth finish that was not too dry at all. Long taste of smooth caramel malts and a nice rich finish left me looking for more and really helped this one go down quite quickly.
 
Overall this was a very, very nice ale to sip on for dinner. I would have no issue with having this one again any day.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2009 16:25:14 | More by mikesgroove

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.45/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a cloudy, dark reddish-orange body with a medium-sized, off-white head.

Smell: Either a component within the aroma or the combination of grapefruit, citrus, and sweet-smelling malts reminds me of shredded mild cheddar cheese.

Taste: Earthy, toasted malt flavors upfront with a bit of buttery caramel sweetness. Hops provide a gentle citrusy, spicy finish. Some yeast flavors manage to creep into the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body. Moderate carbonation.

Drinkability: The kind of easy drinking you'd expect from this type of beer, although, as is often the case, I would've preferred a bit less carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2007 18:22:00 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

4.03/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a fairly clear amber color with a thick, firm head that leaves lots of lacing behind

Smell: Malty aroma that has both toasty and caramel characteristics, along with a touch of diacetyl

Taste: Lots of malt up front, at one moment toasty and at another, more caramel; tea-like, almost lemony, bitter flavors arrive by mid-palate and mingle with the malt; after the swallow, the bitterness builds considerably, with an earthy, mineral character, but the sweeter malt flavors also persist into the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: A pretty fine example of a style that is rarely brewed on this side of the pond

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2009 03:47:11 | More by brentk56

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.1/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle courtesy of Okbeer: Poured a medium brown color ale with a medium light brown head with better then average retention. Aroma of English hops is dominating with nice floral aspects. Taste is dominated by English hops and provides a lot of dryness. I thought the malt was a bit too discreet and some caramel malt would have brought some sweetness to balance the dryness form the hops. Body is quite full with some medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2007 17:07:35 | More by Phyl21ca

oberon

North Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a medium abber with not much head to it very light and fades quickly,the aroma seems more on the malty side lightly fruity and some caramel/nut tones.A nice mix here,more of a malt tilted brew wich is somewhat sprising coming from Rogue,nice biscuit malt flavor with some light sweetness finishing with some piney-like hop flavors.One of my favorite ones from Rogue wich sometimes overhop their brews in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2003 17:59:41 | More by oberon

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.03/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: bright bronze color, generous, nay, thick, nay, muscular head of creamy foam.
Aroma: nice hops, slightly citric, but with more caramel, perhaps a blend of both, in any case, this is a hoppier nose than many a bitter I've tried before, but this is Rogue, after all, so it's par for course.
Taste: Mmmmm!
Sometimes, that's all it takes, that's all I can say, or have need to...Mmmmm!
Not good enough? Well...brief bitterness on palate from hop entry, but soon smoothed, leaving nothing but smoothness in it's wake, utterly saturated with flavor, a yeasty, fruity, a trifle caramel-y, bright, yet clean flavor, with a quick, though tasty finish. Medium body, abundant character, allowing nothing but happiness to occur with each visit to the mouth.
That's what I was talking about...Mmmm!!!
Easily among my favorite session brew choices, a treat every time.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2004 11:27:26 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

3.78/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a reddish amber color with a thick off-white head that fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a nice malty scent surrounded by their signature hop aroma. The taste is decent. It has a nice malty palate with a bitter finish. It is filled with hops again in the taste. It's good, but I wish they would back off the hop flavor on this one so that the true malt character can be revealed. The mouthfeel is good. It's a medium bodied beer with good carbonation. This beer goes down easy, but I don't think It's true to the style. That said. I could drink this until the cows come home.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2004 01:23:56 | More by WesWes

Gueuzedude

Arizona

4.58/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Wonderfully balanced beer. Dark Copper color, a tad bit on the cloudy side. This beer is an awesome session beer. I so wish I could get this on a regular basis. The hops are in this beer, both flavor (flowery, slight citrus)& bittering, and they are perfectly balanced by the malt.

Serving type: on-tap

11-03-2003 20:14:24 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a mug glass.

A: The beer is a deep orange/amber color, with a thin off-white head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of caramelized malts, nuts, some spice, a little citrus and a good amount of hops.

T: Just like the name implies, the taste is bitter up front with a strong flavor of pale hops. There's some background sweetness from flavors of caramel and a hearty malt character that provides some balance. The after-taste is slightly bitter and slightly sweet.

M: Smooth and crisp, medium body, medium carbonation, clean and dry finish.

D: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, decent kick, good representation of style, this is a good beer to drink for a while if your in the mood for a good session beer with some substance.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2008 01:39:49 | More by TheManiacalOne

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.03/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This 22 oz cliff hanger ale comes via Ddarden hooking me up!

Poues orange/amber with 4 fingers+ of fluffy sand colored head. Very good lacing & head retention

S: Herbal & piney hops, plus fruittyness once warmed

T: Piney hops & a little honey malt sweetness. Citrus hops start to bite as this warms along with some dryness. I also catch fruittyness, a hint of tobaacco, hop tea & brown sugar. Finishes with piney hops & fruittyness

MF: Medium bodied, low carbonation & pretty darn good blalance

Drinks very easy, I do remember this being a little truer to its english-style roots & remember it being better then. Not a bad choice to session on. Not a huge fan of amarillo hops though..

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2007 05:01:04 | More by russpowell

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours a cloudy medium copper colour, with one finger of creamy off-white head, which leaves a thin spotty wall of lace around the glass. It smells of caramel, toffee, and some soft, earthy hops. The taste is caramel malt, some biscuit, and mild piney, earthy hops. The carbonation is a bit high at first, but quickly abates, the body is decently weighted and smooth, and it finishes off-dry, with a bit of piney hops hanging around, and generally smooth.

This seems like a very agreeable, sessionable English bitter, with a pinch of West Coast USA thrown in for good measure.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2009 05:03:19 | More by biboergosum

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Amber hue a nice creamy caramel hued head leaves nice even lacing as it dwindles. Aroma: Sweet caramel malt backbone wrapped with pine and earthy toned hops, along with a nice bready characteristic Pac Man yeast I presume. Taste: Extreme bitterness in the flavor but also sorts some good earthy and floral hop tones, a nice biscuit sweetness balances the hop barrage. Mouthfeel: Medium bodied some hop resins stick to the palate but pretty smooth overall. Drinkability: Healthy dose of hops with a nice malt character tasty ale.

Serving type: on-tap

03-30-2004 03:21:23 | More by WVbeergeek

smcolw

Massachusetts

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

Good two-finger head with some lasting power. Moderate lace. Orange-amber color and nearly clear.

Very nice blend of hop and malt--powerful aroma. Inviting.

Good hop bite, but with a solid malt base. The aftertaste is strongly bitter and lasts a very long time. The body is solid with an appropriate amount of carbonation. In many ways, this could be considered the quintessential bitter...American style.

I'm giving this one some extra points for its bold flavors and pleasant smoothness.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2008 22:34:40 | More by smcolw

Wasatch

Utah

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy brown/amber color, some carbonation, small head, nice lacing afterwards. Scents of hops, malt, and caramel. Very nice taste of caramel, and malts, a little dry, but not that bitter at all. Medium body. Another excellent brew from Rogue, if I were to guess the ABV I would say about 5-5.2%. This is a very drinkable brew and would make a nice session drink.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2005 20:34:36 | More by Wasatch

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.13/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Deep coppery color, short lasting head, light carbonation. Typical hoppiness for an ESB. A little malty overtones but after taste is clearly the hops.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2002 19:14:38 | More by jdhilt

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served in an American pint glass)

A-This beer has a very hazy dark orange body with a creamy/bubbly light tan head. There is a strong carbonation of big bubbles.

S- The smell of green pine hops and a very dry pale malt note.

T- The taste of green hops is dry and makes my mouth pucker. There is a dry pale malt with a faint biscuit note. There is a faint orange note and a carbonic finish.

M- This beer has a medium mouthfeel.

D- This beer is dry as dust with a big hop flavor. Not much other flavor or interesting characteristics going on.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2006 03:09:19 | More by rhoadsrage

Jason

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: 12 oz brown long neck bottle with no freshness date, info about the beer or brewery. Thin layer of sediment stays intact during pouring.

Appearance: Good foaming action, attractive Brussels Lace is unwavering. Rustic tawny colour with a slight chill hazed that fades as the brew warms up a bit.

Smell: Deep sweet maltiness that is more caramel than toasted in the aroma. Hints of fruitiness from the yeast and well as a mild yeast note permeate from the liquid.

Taste: Medium bodied with lush crispness. Rich and fruity with a heavy hand of hops to counter the spread of malt sweetness over the palate. Fresh bursts of toasted and caramel malt come in several layers and give off a cake like maltiness. Hops range from woody to brisk citrus to slightly sharp bitterness and have no problem balancing the malt out. Faint fruity esters form middle to end with a flare of yeast and a lasting toasted grainy flavour.

Notes: Keep them coming, this one does me just fine. I could happily sip this brew all day long.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2002 17:45:08 | More by Jason

Billolick

New York

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

Rogue bomber, $6.99 at DeCicco's in Ardsley, NY. Pours typical darker almond amber, khaki head, that goes all tiny bubbly, and leaves a mess of fine fine lace and a nice shimmering and lightly frothy film. Orange peel, and lighly musty nose. Well hopped Biter, nice malty under coating, thoroughly tasty and enjoyable Rogue brew. Pac NW all the way, with the healthy hop attack shining through. Softly citric and quite appealing. Clearly quality, nicely done.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2009 01:15:46 | More by Billolick

Bighuge

Minnesota

3.25/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer is a slightly hazy copper color. A thin egg-white head sits on top and is well retained. It's got that pungent hop aroma that I love about Rogue beers. This carries over into the taste as well. I also get some citric tones too. Seems to be an adequate caramel malt backbone. Thin and carbonated mouthfeel. This is a decent brew, but I much prefer their Brutal Bitter.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2002 20:49:10 | More by Bighuge

glid02

Georgia

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on-tap at the Brick Store in Atlanta.

Pours a clear light brown color with a 1.5-finger light tan head. The head recedes into a patchy layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of bright citrus hops with husky lightly toasted malts.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Lightly toasted grainy malt flavors up front with good amounts of citrus and lighter amounts of pine hop flavors. The hop flavors fade away right before a solidly bitter ending. As the beer warms the malt flavors intensify and take on a sweeter caramel malt flavor with hints of toffee.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a good thickness with moderate carbonation.

Drinkability is good. I didn't have a problem finishing my glass and could have a few more.

Overall this was one of the better Bitters I remember having, however it's worth noting that all of my favorites have had more hops than are standard for the style. Even without all the hops, the solid malt bill would make Rogue's take on the style worth a shot.

Serving type: on-tap

09-15-2009 03:24:14 | More by glid02

Gusler

Arizona

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

Deep amber the color of the beer on the pour middling is the head, the texture frothy with fair sheets of lace that cling to the last. Sweet malt aromas along with caramel and just a touch of the hop flowers greet your senses. The start is nicely sweet with the mouth feel middling, pleasingly hopped, pertinent in its carbonation and also quite dry, and a damn decent beer in my books.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2002 05:22:34 | More by Gusler

wl0307

United Kingdom (England)

4.13/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bought this beer at the Sainsbury's during its May promotion. It's very pricey--2.99pounds for a 650ml bottle. But given that it's not a regular guest anywhere here in Britain, I was more than willing to give it a try. At the time of consumption, its BB date is 01/04/06, so I suppose the beer should be relatively fresh.

Appearance: served in a goblet, it pours reddish copper colour, very thin off-white head, with consistently ascending fine bubbles.
Smell: very lively and slightly sweet new honey-like malty nose and flowery+(light)citrusy hops in the background--clear sign of good amount of hops being used in this bitter. Straight-forward as well as utterly pleasant.
Taste & Aftertaste: due to its initial fizzy body, it feels in the mouth a bit clashing at first; after five seconds there comes mouthwatering and smooth fruity (plummy) palate and citrus-peel like bitter taste, with a tinge of nuttiness; the finish is vertical, lingering and round bitterness brought by apparently generous use of hops.
Mouthfeel & Drinkability: a medium-bodied Premium Bitter with full flavour and very smooth mouthfeel, its aftertaste outweighs the palate but generally is quite balanced. Couldn't get enough of this drink when friends are around~~ Almost the best bottled bitter I've tried recently!

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2005 01:28:16 | More by wl0307

plaid75

New York

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

On draft at The Blind Tiger, NYC.

Poured a light to medium copper hue with a one finger frothy white head. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell featured a soft doughy malt and a grassy hop.

The taste consisted of a smooth biscuity malt, a touch of caramel and a spicy and grassy hop. Good doughy aftertaste.

The mouthfeel was toward the fuller side of the style with a good lingering hop.

Overall a well balanced and delicious ale.

Serving type: on-tap

05-21-2009 15:54:44 | More by plaid75