Rogue Youngers Special Bitter

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

I’m not sure how Rogue manages to support so many labels in its protfolio but it seems that every time I go to the store there’s a new one. Many follow the same theme Rogue Red, Santa’s Reserve, Brutal Bitter and now YSB. Great aroma in this one, piney hops, woodsy, faint hints of smoke. Flavor is interesting with sweet caramel malts at the front that quickly gets overshadowed by a hop bitterness that runs throughout. Finishes with a good citric bitter quench. Another top rate Rogue, but having tried several similar brews from them nothing too exciting. [Update: once again typically Rogue, was disappointed to pick up Cliff Hanger and find it was the same brew, 2 points down on the overall for this reason, sorry guys, just be more honest, turning from a most loved brewery to a disliked brewery quickly]

Fairly mellow for a Rogue beer. Subtle hoppiness when compared to the Brutal Bitter, this seemed like more of an attempt of Rogue’s to appeal to a more general audience. Nice, but nothing astonishingly different.

The bitterness didn’t really make itself known in this beer, at least to me. It had more of a sweet flavor to it. Nice coloring. Has a great aroma, too.

Very faintly hazy amber orange colour under a medium sized short lasting head. Floral hops and light honeycomb malt and citrusy aroma. Mild but very creamy smooth body. Decent perfumed floral hoppy bitter start. Slightly sweeter middle before back to a dry bitter hoppy finish. A really nice bitter and it really want me to try to sample the Brutal.

cloudy amber topped with clouds of froth..carmel apple aroma once again..Well..this ESB actually has some bitterness to speak of..amazing isnt it...so with the usual carmel appleness of ESB's, add a tad of hop bitterness and...still ordinary..some apple sweets in there though..there's still nothing special about this bitter..

Nice hoppy aroma, a bit sweet and some aromatic that reminded me of coffee. Small head with little lacing on top of apple cider colored beer. Medium carb and medium watery body. Bit of cider taste but not very sweet. Nice bittering - crisp. Like a dry pils. A little weak and watery though.

Not too bad. Light texture with a fairly moderate flavor. Not too hoppy, but very little malt flavor. Not one of my favorite Rogues, but still a decent beer.

Hazy Red/orange. Fresh malt smell. Bitter hops taste hits right away, but is soon followed and balanced out by a nice strong even caramel/earthy malt flavor. Carries through its medium full body with a nice even bitter. Nice that it wasnt sharp. Just a real even toned beer. Complexity is a bit lacking surprisingly, but I drank these before letting it warm to room tempurature.