Rogue Morimoto Imperial Pilsner

Rogue Brewing out of Oregon has a year-round profile which always manages to please, but to date their one-offs and specialty beers have been hit-or-miss, with the misses currently being in the majority. In particular, their ceramic series has left me far from impressed or tempted to enjoy another. Today I tackle another of their ceramic flip-top series, the Morimoto Imperial Pilsner. While the bottle is pretty, what lurks inside remains to be seen.
My Morimoto Imperial Pilsner poured a dark, almost dirty straw color with a small head which fades very quickly into a thin layer. A few repeated swirls produce a rather impressive scattering of lace which clings almost desperately to the sides of my glass. Her nose is an interesting array of dank grass, hard-boiled eggs, and fresh sticky pine sap. My first sip is sweet and then immediately followed up by a bitter bite which lingers long after. I am immediately reminded of a sweeter mild IPA and less of a pilsner, imperial or not. Sweet malts hint of caramel and honey with some herbal notes lingering with the sweet and resinous pine. As she warms, the biscuit and honey malts develop an off-flavor to them and more of the hard-boiled eggs I got in the nose come out to play. The ceramic container it comes in is large, and as I pour my second glass, some fresh melon and orange tease my nose but none are present in the palate. Dry and crisp in her finish with a tart, citric bit which hints of grapefruit. Right about now, I’m not quite sure where this beer is going. While I have no intention of pouring her down the drain, I’m not sure what it is I am drinking and what the Morimoto Imperial Pilsner is trying to tell me. I am left with a slightly sour and rotten aftertaste, sticky hop oils, and bland malty esters.
A very jumbled mess from start to finish, even my writing muse has difficulty making a cohesive summary of what exactly my palate is experiencing. I applaud Rogue’s efforts to try something new and different, but maybe instead of a pretty ceramic container, they should have concentrated more on perfecting and crafting a beautiful brew to go inside.

Rated 11/9/2008 (bottle): Pours a golden color body, somewhat cloudy and bubbly. Huge rocky frothy white head, lasting a while. Hoppy bitter aroma, sweetness, and some floral-ness. Some grain present too. Soft mouthfeel a little watery. Has a bitter aftertaste. Grainy taste, maybe wheat or something. Bitter. Letting this one warm up a bit has minimal affect. Thirst quenching. Nice bitter taste.

(Ceramic Bottle). Citrus aroma. Hazy golden body, fluffy medium size head. Delicious citrus and malt flavor, with a pleasing semi-bitter finish. High quality, and high priced.

On tap at Roman’s. Poured clear brighter golden with a creamy cap of white head. The aroma was bright and vibrant with floral notes over sourdough bread.. juicy overall with medium-skinned fruits joining in. The flavor found bread and honey sweetness at the core with plenty of spicy bitterness surrounding (floral, grapefruit, and pine primarily).. finished spicy with a rewarding warmth. Extra-smooth on the palate with rolling carbonation.. ideal bitterness level.. great balance. Excellent brew!

750 mL ceramic bottle. Pours a cloudy yellow with a small, white head. Little carbonation. Great Lacing. This is extremely hoppy for a pilsner- almost like an IPA wannabe. Aroma is- I’m not kidding- pasture land or cow manure. Very earthy and dirty. Taste is grass with some pepper in there. Reminds me vaguely of a good Czech Pilsner- much sweeter than a Czech variety. Finish is bitter and resiny. Disappointing to say the least especially for the price.

Bouteille en grès de 750 ml obtenue via Iimportations Privées Bièropholie. Arôme: Odeur de céréales avec une pointe d’orange. Apparence: La couleur est blonde voilée. Présence d’un moyen col mousseux et d’une large dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût très présent d’houblon avec une pointe de miel et de céréales. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture huileuse. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. Légère amertume d’houblon en arrière goût. (Rating #1977)

Cloudy orange-golden poor, off-white head, good lacing. Aromas of apples, pears, cider, caramel, ginger, celeri, light pepper finish... Fantastic! Balanced mouthfeel, lightly salty, medium-heavy body, very hoppy. Flavors are all based on hops, caramel, gree vegetables, salty, oignons...

(Bouteille de 1 litre - Dégusté avec french tickler) Une biere de couleur miel brumeux avec un mince collet moyennement collant de couleur blanc. Odeur de pommes, épices, un peu d’humidité et d’alcohol. Gout de sel, d’humidité, d’épices et également un peu de citron.