Brutal Bitter Ale - Rogue Ales

ImusBeer

Georgia

4.22/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Got this at my local Mall of Georgia Taco Mac.
They were pouring this out of a draft cask with some extra hoppyness with some simco hops.

It poured a light orange amber, a bit hazy with off white head. The head died quickly which may have had something to do with the extra hop filter.

It smelled hoppy but not overly so, with some citrus.

The taste was mainly citrus, possibly some Peaches and Apples? A hoppy mouthfeel but light along with some bitterness at the finish. A very good a beer all around.

Serving type: cask

09-16-2009 15:40:23 | More by ImusBeer

glid02

Georgia

4.13/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Cask from Trappeze in Athens, GA.

Pours a hazy copper color with two fingers of off-white head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving thick lacing.

Smells of floral and grapefruit hop aromas with hints of mildly spicy malts.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Robust malt flavors up front are joined by grapefruit hop flavors in short order, though they're not quite as intense as the smell led me to believe. A small amount of spiciness comes out near the end of the sip before a bitter ending that manages to become more bitter as the beer disappears.

Mouthfeel is good. It has a nice thickness with soft carbonation.

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

Overall this was a tasty beverage that I think benefitted from the cask conditioning - the hops were able to shine a bit more. Worth a shot.

Serving type: cask

08-13-2009 16:14:49 | More by glid02

IronCitySteve

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had on cask.

A: A cloudy orangish color (napalm?) with an off white foamy head. Heavy lacing.

S: Very fruitful, mostly citrus fruits with a hint of grass or hay.

T: A little more pine hop than I enjoy, but balance a bit with citrus (lemon).

M: Obviously it leaves a bitter taste long after each swig. Also leave the tongue a little dry.

D: A great beer for the hop lover.

Serving type: cask

05-28-2008 14:03:42 | More by IronCitySteve

brentk56

North Carolina

4.43/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Arrives at the bar with a medium amber color and a beaten eggwhite head; boistrous lacing all over the pint glass

Smell: Fruity aroma with apricot and grapefruit esters

Taste: Apricot flavors on the front end are joined by a steady progression of piney bitter flavors; a touch floral on the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium/heavy bodied with low carbonation

Drinkability: Superb drinker - nicely balanced between the fruity and bitter flavors

Serving type: cask

05-11-2006 00:52:39 | More by brentk56

Dithyramb

Maryland

4.33/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sampled on cask at the real ale festival in Baltimore (review from long thought dead notes)
Slightly hazy amber, ripe peach looking brew. Fluffy, long lasting off-white head with excellent lacing.
Grapefruity hop aromas
Biscuity malt undertone balances well with some citrus inspired, though simple bitter flavor. Dry hopping allows for a long bitter mouthfeel that stays with you.
Overall, expected more of a hop punch from a west coast "brutal bitter" though it may have lost some umph in the cask variety. Great session brew nonetheless. Worth having several.

Serving type: cask

12-05-2005 15:04:24 | More by Dithyramb

AlexJ

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cask-conditioned draft at Delaney's Tap Room (New Haven, CT). A touch darker and hazier than in a bottle. Ultra thich,smooth creamy head. Aroma of toasted malts, butterscotch, pine notes, floral/herbal notes and bread. Smell profile is totally different than bottled. Doesn't even taste like the Brutal Bitter I know, but is still damn tastey. Much maltier with a less aggressive hop profile with a very light mouthfeel due to cask-conditioning. The floral and piney hops come through at the end leaving my palate satisfied and wanting another sip. Very good and very different from what I was expecting.

Serving type: cask

12-09-2004 21:21:50 | More by AlexJ

bultrey

New York

4.7/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Oh yeah. This is the shiznit right here. On cask at Fathead's in Pittsburgh, this was a real treat that I won't soon forget. A nice hazy gold color, with a decent head and nice, full carbonation for a cask. The smell was fresh and hoppy, of the grassy, herbal variety. This thing tasted so damn good, fresh, clean and crisp... some real herbaceous hop notes. This had many of the same flavors as the hop wallop I recently tried for the first time, except this was much more balanced and smooth. The hops bitterness lingered on well after each sip, but faded enough to invite sip after sip, making this an extremely drinkable beer. I really loved this and would jump at the chance to have it on cask again.

Serving type: cask

11-11-2004 05:08:06 | More by bultrey

Boto

Connecticut

3.9/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cask Draught: A nice find at Eli Cannons. Served at proper cellar temperature. It pours a slightly amber, dark golden color. Mine ended up with quite a bit of head on it, which did linger awhile. It was dense with very small bubbles. The aroma is rich and malty, with hints of pine and grapefruit hops. Well balanced malt body with a bit of a hop bite. Very good example of this style.

Serving type: cask

08-19-2004 11:30:27 | More by Boto

OldFrothingSlosh

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On cask at the Innsbrook Alehouse during the 7/24 gathering.

Arrived in an imperial pint glass with a wonderfully thick and creamy 2" white head over top a cloudy orange body. Distinct rings of lace all the way down the glass. Very nice. Aromas are hoppy, to say the least. Grapefruit juice mixed in with some floral notes dominate the old schnoz. Flavor is delightfully enhanced by sticking it on the beer engine. A smooth, yet deceptively bitter flavor that was the perfect way to start my day of quaffing. Only token sweetness attempts to control the eventual hop landslide that occupies your palate. Finishes with a resinous hop oil spill. Very, very smooth and pretty full-bodied. Massively drinkable. A great experience that was enhanced by the conditioning.

Serving type: cask

07-26-2004 11:50:46 | More by OldFrothingSlosh

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.6/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Part of the Poitras/VA 2004 vacation.

Enjoyed on cask at Capital Ale House - Innsbrook, Glen Allen, VA

Imperial pint glass presentation. Dense tan 1/2" head over a dark copper brew, and laced admirably. Good hoppy aroma, with the flavor exhibiting an intense malt character for an IPA, which works well with the strong hops. Surprisingly well-balanced in my mind for a product named "Brutal Bitter". Mouthfeel and drinkability excellent.

Serving type: cask

07-09-2004 11:50:25 | More by ppoitras

UnionMade

Colorado

3.4/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

The beer is a hazy orangey amber, topped with a thick dollop of off-white foam. Great head retention, lasting past the liquid, with clumpy rings of lace stepping all the way down the glass. Very attractive cascade from the hand pump, as well.
The aroma is dominated by grapefruity citric hops. The malt barely breaks through the pacific northwest onslaught, providing a trace of toasty aroma. Some yeast is apparent, with a bit of appley esters sneaking under the hop radar as the beer approaches room temperature, along with a faint waft of alcohol. Plenty of piney and herbal hop aroma, as well. The dry hopping and late additions must be insane to produce this kind of hoppiness.
The flavor starts out with a pretty solid toasty maltiness, almost instantly overpowered by rind-like citric hops. A rather oily feel, with tons of hop bitterness. The carbonation is nice and smooth, typical cask fare, supporting a rather heavy full body. Faint apple/pear esters in the middle, which are quickly trampled by the hops. Most of the subtleties are blotted out in a hop fugue, only barely perceptable as your palate deadens enough to the hops to taste anything else. Some piney and herbal hopping is apparent in the finish. It tastes like some sort of cascade crossbreed, maybe with something german. A slight yeasty breadiness in the finish, with a trace of alcohol. The aftertaste....what do you think?
Eli Cannon's in Middletown, CT used to have this on the beer engine all the time. I actually got tired of it pretty quick, and just started to pass it up in favor of regular tap beers. Really unusual for me. It's a good beer, but not my idea of ESB. Definitely more like an IPA. The hops really aren't incredibly powerful, but not quite what I was expecting at first. It's pretty much an imperial bitter, if there was such a thing.

Serving type: cask

01-20-2004 10:40:13 | More by UnionMade

dwarbi

New York

4.18/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Monstrous white head. Very thick and it goes nowhere. The beer itself is not completely transparent. Smells of hops and bitter. Pleasant taste. Creamy and very smooth. Bitter aftertaste, but tremendously drinkable. Elaborate, hard to pin combination of flavors.

Serving type: cask

05-29-2003 19:33:13 | More by dwarbi

MissOrch

New York

4.3/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Last night was my second time sampling this fine brew, but this time it was on cask. It poured a cloudy caramel color, allowing a very minimal glow of light through the glass, but I still couldn't see all the way through. The head was thick and spongy like shaving cream, bobbing on top of the beer.

A very sticky sweet smell wafted over the sides of the glass. I was overwhelmed with a nose of strong grapefruit, mandarin orange, and notes of malt. It smelled like a cross between a candy and a malt liquor, like if I spilled some on a marble floor, my shoes would stick permanently.

The beer had a smooth, creamy, low carbonation cask feel with a squeaky, almost tannin like bitter finish. The first sip was very sweet and malty. The next flavor that kicked in was burned caramel, and finished with a brutally bitter hop taste that left a surprisingly clean finish. I had no problems finishing the whole pint, although I was reeling a little by the end. Packs a lot of flavor-- I like it!

Serving type: cask

05-29-2003 12:54:37 | More by MissOrch

far333

Connecticut

3.63/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Golden color with an orange head. The head was nearly two inches high. Not sure if that's typical or if the barkeep gave me a bad pour. Didn't expect that for a cask beer. Nice lacing down the glass as I drank. Aroma of citrus and pine, followed by a hoppy flavor with citrus tones. Taste is very hoppy from start to finish, but not overpowering, even when served at the appropriate temperature for a cask beer. A pretty drinkable beer, but with aroma and flavor just a bit above average for my tastes, it's not one that I would choose often.

Serving type: cask

05-04-2003 06:31:45 | More by far333

aaronh

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +3%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Cask conditioned at Fathead's.

Deep amber color. Sizeable creamy head that lasts the entire glass. Hints of sweet malt and hops in the aroma. Smooth malt sweetness with a pronounced smooth grapefruit flavor. Decent bitterness onthe finish cleans things up. The aftertaste hits you with more pink grapefruit flavors. The mouthfeel is very smooth, which leads to an excellent drinkability. Who knew Brutality could be so smooth? An excellent offering from Rogue.

Serving type: cask

02-03-2003 14:27:51 | More by aaronh

TerryW

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Well, I would hardly call this beer "brutal" in any way, shape or form. The name is just flat out misleading axs I've had IPAs far rougher than this one. It is, however, one kickass beer - quite excellent.

Big head settles to a solid cap, lots of lace all the way. Hazy apricot orange in colour. Quite handsome. Great hoppy nose, more orange citrus than anything else, underlaid by malt. Los of orange to taste up front when it's cold, but that gives way to grapefruit as the beer starts to warm and the bitterness of it becomes more pronounced. Fairly soft to drink, nice lingering flavours and bitterness. Just comes across as an all round well-crafted beer.

Excellent job and thank you.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2013 19:21:25 | More by TerryW

WalterHeisenberg

New Mexico

4.91/5  rDev +21.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Aggressive pour into goblet
A: cloudy orange fat off white head. Dies slowly good lacing. Looks mighty tasty
S: Biscuity big lemon orange citrus malty floral hops.smells bitter. Smells as good as it looks
T:Biscuty malty hoppy Bitter orange rind Bitter malty orange dry finish. Malt orange bitter hops linger BUT all balanced very well. Hoppy over the toppy. It ain't called brutal bitter for nothing
M: a tad bit thin at first. Then smooth chewey sticky.
O: It is bitter all around but not brutally. But it's a balanced bitter. Very smooth. Overall a top notch IPA looks smell taste are all quality.You can definetly do way worse I can see this being a bitter pale ale.And this particular bottle was old. I found it in the back of my pantry. Been there 10-12 months. Still pretty nice.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 00:18:39 | More by WalterHeisenberg

SometimesIfart

Michigan

2.03/5  rDev -49.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A - Popped the top and was instantly met by an overflow. Pours a murky orange with a three finger slightly off-white head. Left good lacing.

S - Upon twenty attempted whiffs, i could not pick up a damn thing.

T -A small amount of grapefruit and pineapple quickly transition to nothing but water.

M - Medium bodied with high carbonation.

O - What. The. FUCK. This beer is neither brutal nor bitter. Where's the flavor? it tasted like grapefruit flavored water. And even that didn't stick around for more than half a second. Yes i checked the date on the bottle and it's only a few weeks old. this was the blandest IPA ( If you can even call it that ) That I have ever had. I wasted nearly 8 bucks on this atrocity.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 03:36:13 | More by SometimesIfart

Kremlock

Ontario (Canada)

4.06/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: Thick white frothy head that is 1 inch thick. high lacing with big legs. Some of the foam sticks in chunks to the glass. Beer is unfiltered, hazy and orange in colour.

S: Orange, grapefruit and citrus aromas. Malty, bready backbone balances the hop aromas.

T: Citrus flavours well balanced with some bready malt.

M: med-high body, balanced flavours, dry finish.

O: This is a great ipa. Well balanced 50-50 hop to malt.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 00:20:58 | More by Kremlock

JordanPhraczek

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Served in a Baxter Brewery Can-shaped glass out of a 22oz Bottle bought at Depot Liquors in Beverly, MA.

A - Clear dulled orange body with a quickly rising beige head. Bubbles in this burst apart like molten lava and eventually dissipate into a one finger head. Filtered.

S - Smooth citrus hop smell. No alcohol detected. I dipped my nose into the head because the smell was luring me in, I wish it was even stronger. Pine notes upon exhalation.

T - Crystal hops with a nice earthy malt taste, lighter but this beer delivers. The namesake of this beer would not lead you to believe it is 5.8% alcohol, but given all the IPAs that raise the alcohol % way up to achieve this kind of flavor, I'd say this beer flawlessly delivered a drinkable ale with great hop taste. As with lots of Rogue beers and some of the other Northern Cali/Oregon beers the cleanliness of the brew is noticeable.

M - The malt sticks to your tongue and forms an even film on your tongue that the hop taste builds off, so the mouthfeel in this beer is pretty outstanding. The head on the beer lasted until the end and formed a pillow of foam to drink once the beer was finished.

O - I thought because of the name that I was getting a DIPA, and I am pleasantly surprised that this beer was lighter than most northwest IPAs with this kind of flavor. A clean, crisp, earthy offering from Rogue that reminds you of great home brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 22:33:52 | More by JordanPhraczek

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Appearance: It has a nice hazy golden/orange color to it. It has a nice bubbly off-white head that dies down moderately and leaves nice lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitely give out hints of floral and grassy hops, some light citrus and sweet bready malts.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has some floral notes, grassy hops, some pine resins, a touch of citrus and some sweet bready/toasty malts.

Mouthfeel: It has a low/medium carbonation with a nice overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a smooth drinkable beer accompanied with good flavors and aromas.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 20:42:21 | More by SebD

CaptMaelstrom

Tennessee

4.05/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A - Cloudy and orange.

S - Hoppy.

T - The first time I tried this beer, I thought it was a perfect 5. Now, I'm not sure it's hoppy enough. Still nicely balanced and quite bitter.

M - Smooth and creamy, like a wheat beer more than an IPA.

O - Balanced. Doesn't really live up to the brutal namesake. But good.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 19:05:26 | More by CaptMaelstrom

Digimaika2

Ontario (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Bottle has a production date of Jan. 10, 2013. Last one on the shelf. It was meant to be.

(4.25) A: Cloudy and copper with a very pleasing frothy/bubbly foam head. Commendable retention and evident lacing down the glass.

(4.25) S: Damp pine, rich buttered bread, oranges, honey, toffee, faint peppermint, and spices. Overall a smooth and gentle aroma that is as much malty as it is hoppy along with a bit of a sweeter emphasis. Not a very strong aroma but what’s there is very nice.

(4.25) T: Wet pine, juicy yet non-tart citrus fruits, floral qualities, rich bread-like backbone, assorted spices, and a tea-like taste. This is very smooth and very well balanced from what I can taste. The hearty malt presence gives the citrus fruits a juicy and modest taste that increases the drinkability as this is very palatable.

(4.5) M: Med-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Nice and oily with a bit of gritty texture. Well done.

(4.25) D: This is real interesting and a nice change of pace from intensely hoppy IPA’s (not that there’s anything wrong with those). The taste profile is quite diverse, flavourful, yet down to earth. I may have to scrounge the liquor stores for more of these.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 01:32:32 | More by Digimaika2

DeltaGolfSierra

Tennessee

3.53/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance is ight copper with a smaller than average head that fades quickly. The scent of hop oils is citrus and pine, and while it is a pleasing smell, it seems a bit subdued compared to other IPAs. The taste is a bit subdued as well, as hop bitterness does not overpower a malt y sweetness. Not brutally bitter by any means. Mouthfeel is average. Overall, there is nothing particularly memorable about this beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 01:18:40 | More by DeltaGolfSierra

Liquoric3

Germany

3.6/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Nice orange golden colour with a two finger white head. Label on the bottle is simple but I like it. Smell is not as intense as in many other IPAs ( think it is an old bottle) I had but still very pleasant, I get light citrus and pine.
Taste is also citrus, but mostly pine and all tastes come in very mild. Pleasant hop bitterness on the palate not very intense but really enjoyable. Body is medium. I think it is a good IPA for beginners who are new to the style but nothing outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 14:32:22 | More by Liquoric3