The Brewery: Rogue Ales (Newport, OR)
The Brew: Brutal IPA (formerly Brutal Bitter Ale)
Availability: Draft & Bottles (22oz. Bombers)
ABV: 8.5% // IBU: 59
Rating: 8.5/10
Location: The Westy
The Story? Round two with Michael Stark and crew improvising and it's time for more good chats and a classic from Rogue.
The Beer? Brutal is served up as translucent, light amber with a tuft of fluffy, white head that has a bit of lace and decent staying power. Deep floral and pine aromas with malt touches are present in the nose. The whole aroma is quite raw.
For the taste, when you say "Brutal IPA", this is not what expected. Imperial Bitter or ESB seem more the case. Brutal has an old-school feel to with with plenty of complexity - strong bitterness, lots of caramel, esters, but not the citrus bomb you may expect from most "brutals" these days.
Herbal, pine, and some breadiness appear further through while the intense dryness builds along with the heavy mouthfeel. Roasted notes are in there too, but the malts never get sweet.
Overall, a classic bitter beer and a good starting point for complex intensity that isn't overhopped. Likely not a true "Brutal IPA" in most peoples books these days, but cheers to standing out.
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