Charlie 1981
Rogue Ales & Spirits in Newport, Oregon, United States 🇺🇸
Strong Ale Special Out of Production|
Score
6.99
|
|
Originally brewed and bottled for the 2001 National Craft Brewers Conference-a private bottling & release with no distribution. A second batch, Charlie Redux was brewed with very limited distribution. 2005 is the hat-trick batch, Charlie 1981 returns for a third time as part of John's Locker Stock!
Charlie 1981 is an unfiltered strong ale, it exhibits massive bitterness and a firm malt backbone. Hedonistic! Brewed using Pale Malt, Munich and Crystal 40 malts, Horizon, Sterling and Amarillo Hops. Estimated measurements are: 18.2 degrees Plato (OG), 3.5 Degrees Plato (TG), 75 IBU's, 8.5% ABV. Prost!
Charlie 1981 is named in honor of Charlie Papazian, president of the Association of Brewers, founder of the American Homebrewers Association and homebrewing guru. John Maier, Brewmaster for Rogue Ales, made his first batch of beer in 1981 using Papazian's influential book "The New Complete Joy of Homebrewing."
Charlie 1981 is an unfiltered strong ale, it exhibits massive bitterness and a firm malt backbone. Hedonistic! Brewed using Pale Malt, Munich and Crystal 40 malts, Horizon, Sterling and Amarillo Hops. Estimated measurements are: 18.2 degrees Plato (OG), 3.5 Degrees Plato (TG), 75 IBU's, 8.5% ABV. Prost!
Charlie 1981 is named in honor of Charlie Papazian, president of the Association of Brewers, founder of the American Homebrewers Association and homebrewing guru. John Maier, Brewmaster for Rogue Ales, made his first batch of beer in 1981 using Papazian's influential book "The New Complete Joy of Homebrewing."
Sign up to add a tick or review
7.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Draught from the tiger. Pours a cloudy burnt siena. Fizzy head that leaves concentric rings. Aroma is hops and earth. Bitter taste with a bit of citrus.
Tried
on 20 May 2025
at 00:53
7.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Poured up on tap at Flanny’s where it exhibits a deep copper brown body that supports a light tan head of foam that leaves behind some nice sheet lacing. The aroma offers up some roasted malts, sweet malts, a faint dash of fruity esters, pine and then floral hops. The taste delivers a unique unexpected rauch malt sensation that comes and goes, could just be in my mind. It then runs quickly into sweet malts, some roasted malts and bitter pine hops. To midway the hops grow in intensity and pick up an herbal and floral hoppiness. Behind the sort of muddled malts and hops are wafer thin sweet ripe cherry like fruity esters. It’s a bit muddled but still fun to drink.
Tried
from Draft
on 02 Oct 2016
at 20:51
7/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8
On tap at the pib. Pours a cloudy orange color with a small white head. A light fruity caramel nose. The flavor is toffee, caramel, marmalade, heat. Ok. Yeasty. .
Tried
from Draft
on 24 Jun 2016
at 14:11
7/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Draft at The Green Dragon in Portland, OR on 4 June 2013. Pours a hazy copper with a thin off-white head. Strong aroma of malts and bitter hop notes. Big flavours; quite a lot of initial bitterness, more than I was expecting, but it turns to sweetness with the heavy malt and alcohol.
Tried
from Draft
on 23 Jul 2013
at 12:35
6.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7
This hits you right in the face. Strong in everything, malty aroma with hops fighting for attention. Malty flavour, as if saying, I’m an ale, not a lager. Finish falls off the table. Something doesn’t quite gel, but worth drinking
Tried
on 27 May 2013
at 15:45
7/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Sampled on tap at PIB, pours hazy dark orange with a small beige head. Aroma of caramel / butterscotch, tropical fruits (peach, pineapple) and booze. Flavour of caramel, dark fruits and booze - the booze sort of cancels out some of the other qualities. Solid.
Tried
from Draft
on 17 Jul 2011
at 09:39
6.5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Sample at Buckeye Beer Engine. Pours a slightly cloudy orange color with a medium thin off-white head that dissipates steadily. Short strings of lacing on the glass. Aroma of bready malt and citrus. Light, clean body with flavors of citrus, mild hops and sweet toasted malt. The finish is sweet and citrusy with a short hoppy aftertaste. Decent overall.
Tried
on 04 Apr 2011
at 14:21
6.1/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 4
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Draft @ Sunset Grill and Tap. Deep amber body. Small, off-white head. Hops dominate the aroma with notes of orange peel, and pine. A bi of toasted grain and sweet toffee. The flavor is moderately sweet and lightly to moderately bitter. It finishes lightly to moderately sweet and moderately bitter. Medium to full body, creamy texture, moderate carbonation. The hops come through BIG time as it warms. Not a bad brew, just not my type of thing.
Tried
from Draft
on 04 Mar 2011
at 21:39
6.9/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
On tap at The Petrol Station. Pours a cloudy orange with a small quickly diminishing white head. The aroma is a floral hops and grapefruit. Medium mouthfeel with a sweet wet hop upront and a nice lingering light bitter finish. Easy to drink hiding the alcohol very well, a very good American strong ale from Rogue.
Tried
from Draft
on 01 Mar 2011
at 13:00
7.6/10
—
Appearance 4
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 3
Overall 15
Draft. Deep amber body. Rocky, off-white head. Hops dominate the aroma with notes of orange peel, pine and sap. While the malts take a backseat in the nose, there are notes of toasted grain and sweet toffee. Hints of earthiness and spice. The flavor is moderately sweet and lightly to moderately bitter. It finishes lightly to moderately sweet and moderately bitter. Medium to full body, creamy texture, moderate carbonation. Nicely balanced strong ale. It avoids the thick, grainy texture and flavor of so many other beers in this catch-all style. Piney, citrus hop flavor folds eaasily into the caramel, toffee malts, but emerge in a bitter finish.
Tried
from Draft
on 06 Feb 2011
at 18:04