Rogue XS Imperial India Pale Ale
I’m pretty sure I’ve had this beer before, but this is the first time I’ve had it in the miniature-sized 7 OZ bottle. I want to say that I had it out of the much larger, flip-top gray bottles that the XS series usually comes in.
At any rate, this 9.5% ABV brew is a surprisingly drinkable Imperial IPA. It’s not nearly as bitter as the company’s Brutal Bitter (which I need to find again to give a proper review), but packs a beefier alcohol footprint and a more tropical hop presence. My only real complaint with this beer was the bottle size — I wish I had more of it to enjoy!
Appearance
The beer pours a hazy, yellow amber in color with a quickly disappearing white head.
Aroma
Tropical citrus and earthy, piny hops dominate the nose. There’s a light level of caramel hops in the mix to help balance the floral aroma.
Taste
There’s a great deal of wonderfully, hoppy goodness packed into this little bottle. The tropical fruits, earthy pine and subtle malt all come together smoothly for an easy drinking Imperial IPA. There’s a light cloying sweetness to accompany an almost full bodied mouthfeel. The lingering bitterness in the finish has a nice bite, but isn’t overwhelming and goes along nicely with the warming glow of the higher alcohol level.
Overall
This was a pretty darn good brew. Like I said, I think my only real complaint would be the serving size, but that’s really only due to my local shop and their ability to at least get this size on the shelves. I’d love to get this one again on a much warmer day. I can see it being a very refreshing brew after mowing the yard.
Rating: 4.25/5