Brutal Bitter Ale | Rogue Ales
Brewed by:
Rogue Ales
Oregon, United States
rogue.com
Style: American IPA
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 6.30%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
**NOTE: This beer is now called "Brutal IPA" **
It has also been bottled as "Portland State IPA" (2010).
An Imperial bitter with exotic traditional floor malts, citrusy, hoppy flavor and stupendous hop aroma. Rogue brewmaster John Maier describes his Brutal IPA as a cross between a Very Extra Special Bitter and an Indian Pale Ale. Hedonistic!
8 INGREDIENTS: 2-Row, Carawheat, C15 & Rogue Farms Dare™ & Risk™ Malts; Rogue Farms Alluvial™ Hops; Free Range Coastal Water & Pacman Yeast.
22oz Bottle & Draft / 15° Plato / 46 IBU / 81 AA / 13° Lovibond
Added by BeerAdvocate on 08-28-2001
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 2,149 | Reviews: 1,110
4.01/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
L - orange amber, opaque with a thin white head that sticks around and leaves some lacing behind.
S - A lot of malt up front with citrus and hops intermixed. Some earthy notes as well but overall the smell is not incredibly strong.
T - Follows the nose - a ton of sweet malt upfront followed by a good amount of citrus citrus - the back-end leaves a nice, lasting bitterness from the hops. Eartiness throughout the flavor profile as well.
F - medium body with moderate to high carbonation. Somewhat fizzy, but not offensive.
O - This is a pretty interesting beer. It's definitely more of a bitter than an IPA in my opinion, but the beer does a good job of melding the two styles together into something unique. With that said I have a really hard time with the marketing of this beer being called "Brutal India Pale Ale". It's not brutal - to me at least - it's 46 IBUs, alcohol content is 6.18%, and the flavors while in your face, are not brutal in any way so the marketing, again to me, is a little off. I would have much preferred this to be called what it is first and foremost - a bitter. It's a hell of a bitter that has some IPA characteristics, but it is a bitter first, IPA second, and for that I was somewhat disappointed when I took my first sip.
1,263 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
L - orange amber, opaque with a thin white head that sticks around and leaves some lacing behind.
S - A lot of malt up front with citrus and hops intermixed. Some earthy notes as well but overall the smell is not incredibly strong.
T - Follows the nose - a ton of sweet malt upfront followed by a good amount of citrus citrus - the back-end leaves a nice, lasting bitterness from the hops. Eartiness throughout the flavor profile as well.
F - medium body with moderate to high carbonation. Somewhat fizzy, but not offensive.
O - This is a pretty interesting beer. It's definitely more of a bitter than an IPA in my opinion, but the beer does a good job of melding the two styles together into something unique. With that said I have a really hard time with the marketing of this beer being called "Brutal India Pale Ale". It's not brutal - to me at least - it's 46 IBUs, alcohol content is 6.18%, and the flavors while in your face, are not brutal in any way so the marketing, again to me, is a little off. I would have much preferred this to be called what it is first and foremost - a bitter. It's a hell of a bitter that has some IPA characteristics, but it is a bitter first, IPA second, and for that I was somewhat disappointed when I took my first sip.
1,263 characters
3.51/5 rDev -12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.69/5 rDev -8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Cloudy amber copper tone with hald inch of cream colour head.
Sweet hop, pine and citrus bouquet.
Medium bodied. Sweet malt, caramel, creamy bitter taste.
Overall, an IPA with some creamy and sweetness.
203 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Cloudy amber copper tone with hald inch of cream colour head.
Sweet hop, pine and citrus bouquet.
Medium bodied. Sweet malt, caramel, creamy bitter taste.
Overall, an IPA with some creamy and sweetness.
203 characters
3.83/5 rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.38/5 rDev +9.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Bitter IPA - Oakland Nov 2016
29 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Bitter IPA - Oakland Nov 2016
29 characters
4.22/5 rDev +5.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
3.75/5 rDev -6.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.94/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.86/5 rDev -3.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Color is a dark orange brown with a thin layer of white head. Aroma is of caramel, citrus, and some pine. Taste is similar to the smell, though sweeter than the smell. Medium body and light to moderate carbonation. Overall easy to drink and enjoyable.
255 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Color is a dark orange brown with a thin layer of white head. Aroma is of caramel, citrus, and some pine. Taste is similar to the smell, though sweeter than the smell. Medium body and light to moderate carbonation. Overall easy to drink and enjoyable.
255 characters
3.8/5 rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Okay session beer. IPA? A bit sweet for an american IPA. It suits more a ESB style of beer.
91 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Okay session beer. IPA? A bit sweet for an american IPA. It suits more a ESB style of beer.
91 characters
3.32/5 rDev -17.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
A-Brownish Orange with an off white head that lingers
S-Sweet hops on the nose with lots of malt, crystal and a hint of caramel
M-Medium mouthfeel with medium carbonation
T-Sweet caramel and malt upfront with very little bitterness to balance
O-This is more of an amber than an IPA, very much on the sweeter side of things and malt heavy
338 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
A-Brownish Orange with an off white head that lingers
S-Sweet hops on the nose with lots of malt, crystal and a hint of caramel
M-Medium mouthfeel with medium carbonation
T-Sweet caramel and malt upfront with very little bitterness to balance
O-This is more of an amber than an IPA, very much on the sweeter side of things and malt heavy
338 characters
4/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Had this one at Morganfield's Suntec City Mall in Singapore
59 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Had this one at Morganfield's Suntec City Mall in Singapore
59 characters
3.16/5 rDev -21.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
3.67/5 rDev -8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
amber colour with a thick off white head, smell is really subdued for an american IPA, i don't find this to be a very aromatic type of IPA at all. has a nice clean hop bitterness to it that is well balanced, by the malt.
220 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
amber colour with a thick off white head, smell is really subdued for an american IPA, i don't find this to be a very aromatic type of IPA at all. has a nice clean hop bitterness to it that is well balanced, by the malt.
220 characters
3.73/5 rDev -7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Pours a pale Amber with an off white head.
Smells of lemon, pine, and bready malt.
Taste is lemon and pine balanced by sweet malt - caramel and pecan - finishes dry with bitter herb.
185 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Pours a pale Amber with an off white head.
Smells of lemon, pine, and bready malt.
Taste is lemon and pine balanced by sweet malt - caramel and pecan - finishes dry with bitter herb.
185 characters
Brutal Bitter Ale from Rogue Ales
4.01
out of 5
based on 2,149 ratings.
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75