Rogue: Brutal IPA

I find it surprising that so far this month with my focus being IPA's, that I have not even mentioned anything from Rogue. On tap now is their Brutal IPA, and as a fan of extremes I expect great things from anything with the word brutal in it's title. As a hop head, few beers frighten me when they claim to be so hoppy that your taste buds will not recover for hours and so, I continuously find myself in search of the one that will shake me to the bones. I did not find it here but I sure as hell found a damn good IPA. 

Like about 95% of their other beers this one is brewed with their very own revolution hops as well as some crystal hops and their own dare and risk malts. Light orange and hazy in color, with a thick rustic head and huge lacing. 

There is more citrus in the aroma than a lot of other IPA's that I have enjoyed and the hop presence comes through as being sweet, strong and well balanced by a malt undertone. Hints of grapefruit, and sweet pine.

Uh, yeah, not Brutal by any means. Sure, this beer is hoppy, and maybe my palate has just been desensitized by years of abuse but I know brutal and this beer is more sweet and smooth with a serious dash of bitterness to it. Flavors of grapefruit, toffee, and pine. At 59 IBU's however, any serious IPA drinker will know that they aren't in for a death star of a beer, but I assure you, you are in for a treat. 

This is a clean, dry IPA full of citrus, subtle pine and malt. Don't let the name fool you and don't be such a baby. 

What I have found with a lot of beers that claim to be a vicious assault on the taste buds is that it may just be all relative. Sure, if all you've had up till the point when you discover such a beer is Bud Light, you may be a bit turned off but as a hop head, I know that we rely on one masochistic notion; the bitter the better. Rogue created a great IPA with a unique flavor and even though there is nothing brutal about it, you still won't like it if you like a beer without a backbone.