Rogue Youngers Special Bitter

Brewed by Rogue Ales
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Newport, Oregon USA

Sampled at Fatheads in Pittsburgh, under the rebadged name of Fat Heads Ale. Pours hazy amber with very little head. Medium to light bodied with a thin British texture. Typical toffee malt flavor up front, with a tame balancing bitterness of spicy hops. Lots of buttery notes in this one, which seemed to subside as it approached room temp. As far as ESBs go, this is average.

Bottle - was a gift the person did not want. Too bad for him. The aroma was the first significant thing about the beer - very pleasing. This was one of the first bitters I have drunk in a long time and I enjoyed it very much. Looking forward to my next Rogue Younger’s.

On cask at Horse Brass in Portland, OR--This is the beer you need to try if you are ever at the Horse Brass pub in Portland, Oregon. Pours a light hazy amber with a frothy creamy white top. Biscuity nose with mild hop spiciness. Earthy and fruity. Zingy and faintly metallic. Great balanced carbonation level. Thiss is the beer to experience if in Oregon!

Draft at Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria in Greenville, SC. Poured a lovely, slightly hazy amber with highlights of brown and ruby and a medium-sized, persistent, light tan head. The aroma is pleasant - a subtle combination of bready malts+yeast with a decent level of earthy hops. The flavor started bittersweet with fruity and earthy hops and a light dose of bready malts. The level of fruity esters added a nice touch but was somewhat subdued all the way through. The malts were mildly sweet and bready throughout. The hops transform from earthy and fruity on the front of the palate to herbal and citrusy in the finish. The finish is somewhat dry from the balanced level of bitter hops. The mouthfeel is medium in bottle and was perfectly carbonated - creamy and light with just the right carbon dioxide zing. Overall, a great session beer.

Summit’s Cliff Hanger Ale bottle. Distinct Hop flavor - but not overbearing. Mildly Dark amber color. Not a very strong aroma. All in all, a nice drinkable beer with hop flavors.

Extremely thin body that tastes just like a well hopped budwieser. Super macro brewed taste. The malts taste like spoiled yeast. Perhaps mine was skunked?

Bottle. Foamed all over my counter when I opened it. Reddish brown pour with a filmy off white head. Balanced hop-malt character in the aroma - Grassy, with pithy undertones. Slighty metallic. Flavor is similar with a huge bitter kick in the middle that fades quickly but doesn’t go away completely. A bit over carbonated I think, decent though.

Had this beer on 3/12/2002. Aroma is a rich sweet malt scent with hints of citrusy hops. Color is an orangey brown with good carbonation and a nice head. Taste is crisp with a clean bitterness. Starting with a medium body that goes down crisp and easy. Finish is a nice almost creamy malt flavor backed by a clean bitterness. Its a tasty brew and I feel it fits into its category very well.