Rogue Morimoto Imperial Pilsner

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

nice bottle except for the price tag-- big numbers which clash with the peasant quality of the faux crock bottle. alas boys and girls, we’re deeply into the days of hyper high-end pricing for "special releases" -- ostensibly for the gourmet market. they slap an eleven dollar sticker on some ambitious brewing experiment, as if --as a beer geek ever in search of daring new products-- I’M supposed to underwrite these zymurological tinkerings and test products. they want ME to feel like a peasant because i dare to criticize the price-- if i point out that a fine duvel or a unibroue product costs HALF this tariff. well i don’t feel like a peasant: this is six dollars worth of beer in an eleven dollar bottle. and if i EVER visit the rogue brewery, watch out, i’m going to bulge my sweater stealing ashtrays, rolls of toilet paper and glasses till i get that money back. seriously, tho, this is a fairly nice beverage-- it’s not the beers fault that the accountants had a field day with my gullibility. admittedly, i don’t know an "imperial pilsner" from egyptian embalming fluid, i just respond to the taste-- so forgive me if i don’t give weight to the fact that the yeast plunged to the bottom rather than stayed at the top-- the yeast could take a dogsled across the antarctic for all i care. i give no points for the fact that this is a lager instead of an ale. this beer, whatever the hell it is, it pours beautifully, plunging fearlessly into vibrant oranges found only in the hearts of peaches and backlit golden barley fields; this beer sets a crown of white foam atop strong updrafts of vanilla apricot aroma. it has some belgian blonde and tripple effects, with corky yeasts and white wine flavors. it’s sweet and strong, with full-bodied golden malts -- sweet as waffles--with honey and almonds; a mild tweaking of hops, mostly citrus. it has complexities that you can spend time with, and furrow your brow with, and a buzz that can bribe you into affable agreement. a very nice beer, but, but... i STILL want a five dollar rebate!

Somehow the hops are brighter here, more metallic, than I usually get from Saaz. I can get the pilsner malt, the sweetness of which is well-balanced by the high hops. I personally don’t see the west-coastness of the hops that some claim (they’re not piney, for goodness sakes!) but they don’t fit well with the whole package. I agree with some others prior that that the body is aiming for oily bohemian qualities but this is not slippery or soapy enough. hmmm. Weird moster, one I’ve been looking forward to, for, oh, forever. Like biting a battery. Gets sweet later on in the warming process. Big alcohol rears it’s head late. A bummer, but still above average.

Light lager nose, gold color, low head. Very strong hop bitter with a faily heavy malt. Rather like a bohemian pils than a German pils, but with a west coast aggressiveness. Smooth with a lingering grass bitter. Nice.

Served from a very cool ceramic bottle. Cloudy medium orange, displays a minimal and quicly dying head. Lovely strong, fruity nose. You’ll never confuse it with an IPA, but it nice hoppy tinge will have you wondering. On the tongue, it’s heavily malty, sweet all the way through, with a nice grapefruity bitter hop tang at the finish that lasts and lasts. A supremely drinkable beer, alcohol well-hidden and the hops better integrated than in many of their celebrated flavors.

Pours dark straw (not copper) with a Brobdingnagian head and tons of lace. Hopcit aroma (as expected) with taste of malt, hopcit, and a slight tart apricotty finish. As it warmed the alcohol made itself known, and it acquired a slight harshness and a tad of astringency that I had to deduct slightly for. Great mouthfeel, and a great beer. Worth the price.

Gold with Orange hints. Nice color. Huge, frothy, head of foam. Nose of pilsner malt, cream, caramel, toffee, salt a a pretty huge dose of hops (flowers, weeds). Notes of bready, biscuity, caramel like malts, sugar, coffee grounds and floral hops. Creamy and full mouthfeel. A good beer.

What a cool honking heavy artsy-fartsy bottle - love it. Golden color, soft carbonation. Herbal and flower nose. Nice bitter, long lasting grapey taste.

Hazy golden beer with a thin white head. Light spicey aroma almost belgian, rather sweet. Sweet malts and hops with notes of oranges and alcohol warmth. Long hop finish, creamy mouthfeel. (Sept. 2004)