Rogue Brutal Bitter

I've written about Rogue before, though in the guise of Morimoto beers. This time I am writing about one of their beers bottled under their own label -- Brutal Bitter. Naturally, the name is going to tell you something about what to expect in the bottle. American brewers have taken Bitter to all-new heights from their British namesakes, and some of them truly are bitter affairs, with lots of bite that can often overwhelm the rest of the flavor. This beer is an off-amber color -- not quite fully red, but not quite a traditional ale color. It has great hops on the nose and you can tell it will have some bitterness, but when you take that first sip, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised, particularly if you serve it cold (not too cold, mind you). It has some bite, to be sure, but this is no bitter beast. The bitter sits at the back of the tongue in a cloying way. I've had some bitter beers that leave you wanting to scrape your tongue clean, but this one just has me reaching for more.