Rogue Youngers Special Bitter

Medium sized tan head, fair retention, good lace. Hazy copper color. Raw hop nose. Medium body. Good malt to hop balance, crystal malt flavors, biscuity. Good beer! Well balanced dry finish.

Hazy yellow/golden, no head. Malty and fruity, rather mild and easy to drink.

Hazy golden, no head. Sweet and fruity, rather mild. Quite ok, but nothing that matches the best.

This brew pours with an amber-orange body topped by a medium thick off-white head with lots of lacing. The aroma is slightly sour and slightly bitter with citrusy hop notes a touch of pine and a hint of sweet malt. The flavor is bitter and hoppy with piney notes, slight citrus notes, and a slight metallic note. the finish is bitter and piney. Medium bodied and dry.

Medium amber with redish highlights. Nice hops in the nose. Good hops on the palate -- the malt comes through as the beer warms. Good round mouthfeel. Smooth and warming. A good American take on a British ESB.

Average head atop of golden bitter ale. The nose is hops, with possible hints of citrus. The taste follows the nose but citrus is more pronounced as grapefruit. Smooth despite the hops.

Pours a clouded orange with a medium white head. Nose is hoppy and citrusy but there is a faint sweetness as well. The taste is almost pure citrus! Grapefruit and orange seem to make up the bulk of this one. Very faint malts are evident. Finishes with a light bitterness which is surprising considering how bitter the taste is.

I had this on tap at the newly opened Rogue Public House in San Francisco when I was at a friend's wedding. This, along with a few other great Rogue moments were among the highlights of the food and drink portion of the trip. Hoppy as you would expect but not the detraction of the other fruit and floral flavours and aromas. Refreshing well-balanced beer that lingers quite nicely. Wish I had brought some home with me but there was only so much room.... Added infoHad this again in the guise of Summit's Wayside Cliffhanger ale (Thanks Len) and still really enjoyed the smooth, hoppy rich brown offering. Nice.