XS McRogue Scotch Ale - Rogue Ales

RBorsato

Virginia

4.95/5  rDev +27.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Dark brown color with little to no head and no lace. Carbonation virtually non-existent. Malty aroma - primarily chocolate (more like cocoa powder). Malty chocolatey flavor. Medium-Full bodied, rich and creamy. Ages very well ! Would love to taste fresh.

Label states: "Rogue-XS", 17.5 Plato, 45.5 IBU, 28.64 L, 77 AA

Bottled in 1998
Tasted: 04/08/03

(7oz / $3.49)

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2003 09:33:38 | More by RBorsato

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.88/5  rDev +25.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Just got this recently and it has a bottled on date of 1998. Hope it cellared nicely.

Pours with no head and a deep burgandy color. This beer has a lovely caramel sweet, smokey and woody aroma. This beer tastes fabulous. (And I only have 7 ounces to enjoy.) On the first couple tastes, I get chocolate, great wood character, beautiful hazelnut flavor, brown sugar, vanilla bean and some java. Astounding. One of the best beers I've had in awhile. And now I've only got about 2 ounces left to enjoy. Gotta go.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2002 21:14:20 | More by Bighuge

Winter

Wisconsin

4.85/5  rDev +24.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Bottled in 1998. 7 oz bottle.

Pours a dark brown with absolutely no head. Heavenly aroma consists of sweet toffee, caramel and chocolate. Oh, man, this is going to be good! Mouthfeel is thinner than I expected (somewhat watery), but still very smooth. Exquisite taste consists of sweet malt, caramel, toasted nut, oats and a touch of oak. The rolled oats used during the brewing process adds such a great smoothness of both texture and flavor to this Scotch ale. I wish I would have purchased more than one bottle. If I can find this again, I will definitely stock up.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2003 16:41:41 | More by Winter

bens0n

Texas

4.55/5  rDev +17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I grabbed the last bottle of this hastily when I saw it on the shelf.. Bottled in 2010 says: best when aged for 1 year, but I was so eager to try this that I couldn't wait. (review from notes)

This beer pours a murky golden brown color with a slight amount of off white head, I am surprised how flat this is, there is almost no head at all.

The most prevalent thing to me is the chocolate, its a sweet chocolaty smell, not bitter and unsweetened like most stout beers. There is a nice background of yeast that comes along at the end, it is just extremely rich.

It tastes almost exactly like it smells, it is extremely smooth, and some hints of caramel are also noticeable which are not noticeable on the nose. It is on the medium bodied side, almost no carbonation at all.

I just wish I was able to have more of this.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2010 03:20:45 | More by bens0n

ckollias

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed this 7 oz beer out of a pint glass.

A: Pours a dark brown hue with amber highlights with a thin white head that quickly dissipates.

S: Heavy malt aroma with a sweet caramel backbone.

T: Similar to the smell, heavy malt and sweet caramel flavors cross the palate.

M: Heavy body and medium carbonation.

O: Fantastic Scott ale - great balance and enough alcohol to make it interesting.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2011 02:12:18 | More by ckollias

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

4.48/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pour is this overly hazy cloudy beast of an ale. Decent white head. The smell is laden with caramel and toffee, everything I want to see from a scotch ale. Very sweet smelling and malt forward for sure.

The taste is actually really good. Very malt forward, with a strong caramel presence. Toffee is right behind in second but its close. Its so smooth and drinkable. I even think my girl might like how sweet and tasty this is, thats how sweet it is.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 01:15:20 | More by VncentLIFE

hyuga

North Carolina

4.47/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I picked up this 1998 bottle about a month ago. The bottle suggests aging for 6 months, let's see what 8 times that amount has done for it. Head is completely gone due to the aging. Nice color though, deep dark brown. Extremely intense caramel aroma, with some nutty sweet coffee aroma underneath. Tasting this I find that the full flavors I expect from a great scotch ale are mostly still there, and even more complex than in others. It seems that the body has suffered a bit though, I would imagine that this was once much more full-bodied. Many rich, sweet flavors, including caramel, chocolate, and roasted/coffee-like character, as well as a wood-like character in the background. Faintly smoky. Even without a head, it still has a nice, creamy mouthfeel. It would really be great if they started brewing this again for us all to enjoy. I'd probably give it an even higher rating with proper aging, and I know I'd be drinking it by the gallon!

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2002 01:36:34 | More by hyuga

JamesS

Indiana

4.47/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Gibbie's, Morgantown, WV.
Poured a wonderful dark brown with copper flashes of light throughout with excellent head and a bit of nice lacing. Very deep malty scent with a bit of smokiness in the nose. Wonderful flavor, with deep malt tones, a great smokiness, hints of peat, and a touch of caramel. Goes down quite smoothly, but it does have an odd, almost generic, flavor on the tongue at the very end.

Serving type: on-tap

11-04-2010 18:16:31 | More by JamesS

mattmaples

Oregon

4.45/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 2 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This is one more in Rogues XS line but for the life of me I can't see paying that kind of money for this beer. The others in this line I2PA, Old Crusty, Imperial Stout, Smoked all are very intense and or high in alcohol. This is a good Scotch ale (although the head on mine was nonexistant) I can't see paying XS prices. Lovely complex malt structure with the Caramunich and oats comming through. Subtle hopping, if it wasn't so expensive I could enjoy a couple of pints of this at 1 siting.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2001 14:50:05 | More by mattmaples

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2000 - 7 oz bottle. It poured clear until I hit the yeast at the bottom of the bottle - thus, a hazy auburn body topped by a very thin off-white head that drops almost immediately. The nose, however, makes up for any inadequacies in the appearance with a bold sweet caramel that can express coconut, light fruit, and even a dull earthiness as it's swirled in the glass. The body is full with a very mild carbonation that leaves it exceptionally smooth and lightly creamy in the mouth. The flavor doesn't deliver the bold sweetness that the nose indicates, but rather, a more balanced and complex maltiness with some bready character, soft chocolate, a firm bitterness, some limited fruitiness, some light smoke and a touch of alcohol. It finishes dry with some mild hop flavor and the light alcohol and smokiness laying about the mouth and throat. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2002 17:04:48 | More by NeroFiddled

darthbogart

Texas

4.38/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Received this tiny little bottle as part of a Christmas gift just over a year ago. I faithfully stored it away all this time, and finally cracked it open tonight to celebrate my first day at my new job.

Exceptionally well balanced. Very smooth, very drinkable. Hides the 7.0 ABV very well. Hits the tongue just right. A memorably vibrant, complex, and distinctive taste.

Wish I had about 11 more of these.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 00:41:34 | More by darthbogart

Mosstrooper

California

4.35/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a small bottle into a Samuel Adams Perfect Pint glass.

Appearance: Opaque copper with a small slightly orange head that dissipates quickly and leaves behind some spotty lace.

Smell: Caramel malt, apple, grape, and a smoky character with a slight herbal backing.

Taste: Begins biscuity and with sweet caramel, rounding out to buttery sweetness and finishing with a very pleasant bitter flavor. Throughout, though, there is a smoky character as the aroma would suggest.

Mouthfeel: Medium in body with balanced carbonation and a watery finish.

Overall: This is an outstanding beer and has a very unique character compared to many others of this style. Too bad it only comes in tiny single bottles.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2011 19:03:55 | More by Mosstrooper

Kromes

Georgia

4.35/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Bottled in 2010. A hazy deep copper color with a thin line of bubbles on top. Good legs on the glass.

S: Big caramel and earthy, peat, and plum aromas. Noticable alcohol aroma also.

T: A very nice smooth milky caramel flavor. Lots of earthy flavors in there also. Some fruity plum flavors and alcohol. Finish is sweet and smooth and a touch dry.

M: Heavy body with a milky and smooth texture. Very nice feel to it.

O: Definitely one of the top Scotch ales I've had. Very pure tasting. Lots going on in this beer. Great flavors and very nice feel to it.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 21:49:04 | More by Kromes

TheHoppiest

Ohio

4.3/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a tiny 7 oz bottle into a tulip glass. I bought this alomost wto years ago; the label bears a stamp stating that it should be cellared a year before drinking. So lets see of the wait was worth it!

Pours a cloudy muddy brown, with minimal head. In fact, I'm getting more of a pond-scum bubbling on one side of the glass than what you'd think of as a true head of beer.

Has a wonderful aroma, with pleny of peat, butter and yeast, malty breadines and toffee, and a bit of booziness to make you think you're glad it came in a small bottle.

While it had quite the barleywine style aroma, that smell does not carry over to the taste. Smooth and lighter than would be belived from the smell, this starts sweet and almost fruity, with a warm toffee middle and a creamy buttery finish paired with the mildest of hop bitter.

Medium bodied, this has a smooth mouthfeel. Though not bitter or drying, it does leave a tacky feel on the tongue.

I had generally been unimpressed with this line-up by Rogue, but this ale has helped restore some of my faith. I don't know if this particular brew was just better than the others, or if it was aging it alomst two years. Either way, it was a wee heavy I would have again.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 22:25:27 | More by TheHoppiest

whatthehull

California

4.23/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Tulip

A - deep swampy brown and very earthy, no finger head and some sticky legs

S - tons of sugar, very dense sweet malts, cinnamon, ripe bananas, lots of grains, a lot of Belgian notes in the wheat and barley, caramel, vanilla and more awesome malts

T - tons of malts, spices, huge bready belgian yeast, sugar, vanilla, white chocolate, earth, bananas, grain and crazy wheat

M - full bodied, well balanced, medium minus complexity, low acidity and long sweet malty finish

D/O - very nice, refreshing, easy drinking and smooth beer. This is something I could get down with on a daily. Great malts, sugars and yeast. Just all around tasty

Final thought - $4 is a bit much for 7 or so ounces, but at 7% abv and great tasting. This is awesome. Not a huge rogue fan, but their xs line is solid

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 07:30:30 | More by whatthehull

paceyourself

Connecticut

4.22/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2000 Vintage
A roasted coffee and chocolate aroma is strong enough to make you take notice. A hard pour produced no head and no sign of carbonation. The rusty brown color gets cloudy with some sediment. With smooth and creamy feel the sweet caramel, toasted malt and smokey flavors hold off the hoppy bitterness to the very end. I wish i had more than just one 7oz. bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2003 18:52:08 | More by paceyourself

JeremyHB

Minnesota

4.22/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

7 oz Bottle reads: Bottled in 2010 - UNFILTERED & UNFI??ED BEST WHEN AGED 1 YEAR
9 INGREDIENTS: Amber, Pale Chocolate, & Rogue Micro Barley Farm Dare Malts, Kent Golding, Wilamette & Rogue Micro Hopyard Revolution Hops; Rolled Oats, Free Range Coastal Water & Pacman Yeast.

Poured really smooth with a subtle foam. Very small bubbles, seems nicely carbonated for the style. Clear but heavily off red its Amber malts I suspect are Caramel 60L which gives it a phantom 'sweetness'. High ABV is pretty evident, but more of a warming effect than booziness. Has a pretty nice long lasting finish which is a nice contrast to the raisin like flavor you get right away. I would say this is a great example of a beer that is better sipped than drank. (grammar?)
Exceptionally clear. Best feature is its long lasting memorable finish, but comes across slightly too caramel for me.
Amazing beer, I must again point out the 7 oz. bottle which I think is a perfect amount for a beer of this caliber.
I will certainly try to brew a version of this for use personally but maybe I will decrease caramel and chocolate malt slightly and sub glacier for wilamette.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2010 05:48:35 | More by JeremyHB

Jason

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: Tiny 7oz brown bottle with a 2000 bottled on date.

Appearance: Hazy reddish amber colour, tight bubbly off white lace that holds together well.

Smell: Sweet caramel, fruity with a light smokiness, earthy yeast and a slight hop leaf converge to make a complex aroma.

Taste: Big creamy mouth feel, bready caramel maltiness. Low carbonation with a stress smoothness. Smoke flavour is vague and should be, mildly fruit with a noticeable alcohol which seems drawn out by the year+ aging. Maltiness is close to being huge, hops are there but are faded by age yet still have a good balancing twang. Lustrous finish of malt and hops with fruity, caramel and a ghost like smoke.

Notes: First, 7 measly ounces of the stuff is not enough … what a tease. I’d love to sit down with an imperial pint of the stuff but it would be a $12 pint so being that you would have to buy three bottles. Just not fair.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2002 18:34:37 | More by Jason

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.15/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served from bottle into a Surly Darkness snifter. Poured a deep reddish brown with a half finger off-white head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, dark chocolate, caramel, and slight citrus hop. The flavor was of sweet malt, caramel, cream, and dark chocolate. It had a light feel on the palate with mild carbonation. Overall this was an excellent brew. The flavor profile on this one was very complex and quite tasty. In all honestly I really only bought this one for the little bottle, but glad that I did. The aroma wasn't too bad on this one either. All-around a very solid brew that is a must try.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2011 14:12:29 | More by thagr81us

Jarod

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer poured in to the glass an amber color with ruby red hues when held to the light. Cloudy. The head was a cream/white color, not long lasting, 15 seconds I believe. The aroma was some what sweet with hints of coffee, malt, some chocolate, medium to light fruits, yeasty, and a light hop bite. The taste was creamy surprising due to the lack of head (I would have thought), tastes of malt, caramel, yeast/bread, some of the fruit came out and tones of alcohol and hops were also present. Small bottle with a lot compressed into it. I would like to get a few more bottles to enjoy and get more out of them. I liked it none the less.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2003 09:20:57 | More by Jarod

AndyAvalanche

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Unfortunately only a 7 oz. bottle poured into a Sierra Nevada Tulip/Snifter Style Glass. The beer is an amber brown color that is overall a little hazy. Small tan head that goes away after a few minutes. Not a heck of a lot of lacing, the liquid produces minimal glass retention.

Smell is very good and truly unique. Caramel, toffee and even a slight smokeiness from the malts. Faint earthy, herbal, and floral notes from the hops. Hint of fruitiness from both the hops and the yeast as well. This beer truly has a lot going on without ever being over bearing.

Taste is good too. It all blends together a little quicker here. Toffee and caramel are a little weaker here. Dark fruitiness, citrus zest, and some sweet smoky notes.

Certainly a full bodied brew, good carbonation level and just the perfect amount of warmth from the alcohol. Good drinkability as well, phenomenally balanced overall.

Too bad it's 8 bucks a bottle and only 7 oz. I'd like more if it wasn't so freaking expensive. I'd hate to see the prices of a 12 oz. or even a bomber. Still good though, glad Rogue made a scotch ale, and more of this style should go this route.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2011 03:58:03 | More by AndyAvalanche

Fluke828

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on draught last night and it was served to me in a nice clean, tulip glass.

A: Pours a very deep, burnt brown/red with less than one finger of head and minimal lacing.

S: Couldn't really make up my mind on pinpointing the smell at first but after it warmed a bit, there was a definitive smokey aroma that resembled burnt sweet hazlenut and caramel. It also smelled of somewhat strong mocha or alcholic chocolate (best I could come up with)

T: Taste is extremely smooth and almost velvety. Strength is there just as smell indicated but it is softened a bit. Chocolate is there along with a coffee-esque maltiness. It tasted very fresh as the carbonation was present but not overbearing.

M: Somewhat acidic but not unpleasant, carbonation again, is present but not overpowering and well balanced.

D: I am assuming it was fairly fresh being on draught and going down so smooth. Quite drinkable and perfect balance, not harsh at all.

Overall I throughly enjoyed this brew. I am new to Scotch Ales (and reviewing beers in general so take all of this with a grain of salt) and this was a welcome introduction. It was only $7 however I doubt it was a full pints-worth being served in the tulip, still enjoyed it very much. (I tried a taste of it at first as it seemed to be quite popular i.e. lots of people ordering it and the bartenders all were raving about it, glad I did because I would have this again.

EDIT: I am an idiot for not realizing this was an xtra special....feel extra special after enjoying it on tap for that matter!

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2011 22:41:49 | More by Fluke828

smakawhat

Maryland

4.13/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

AAWWWww.. she's so CUUUUttee, that tiny little bottle there. Let's throw here in a tulip glass and see how this goes.

Off the pour a creamy off tan head is made, and sits with a good retention of about a finger for some time. Body color is a very dark brown and red garnet, slightly see through looking up from the glass below. Looks great.

Fantastic nose. Giant milky chocolate, some faint clove and dark spicy malt. This thing smells wonderful, it's basic, it's a scotch ale, but it's about as great and solid as it can get.

Taste brings a bit of muted sense from the great nose but still the same feeling. Mild milk chocolate on the mid palate, with a slightly wet feel. Mild smoke on the finish.

Overall, pretty good, not mind blowing and slightly disappointing from the nose. But I certainly wont turn one down that's for sure.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 03:36:06 | More by smakawhat

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass.

A: Cloudy orange-brown with a one-finger, off-white head that lasted a couple of minutes. Nice lacing.

S: Caramel and orange. Sweet malt.

T: Moderate sweetness and moderate bitterness. Molasses, dark fruit, and dark bread.

M: Medium bodied with soft carbonation. Smooth and slightly chewy.

O: Slightly lacking in hop character and under-carbonated, but pretty good overall.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 02:21:20 | More by SolipsismalCat

OldFrothingSlosh

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Presentation: 7oz. bottle purchased ($2.49 if memory serves me) at "The Party Source" in Cincinnati, OH. Bottles in 1996. Interestingly, it states on the bottle that it is "best when aged for at least 6 months." Hmmmm....this bottle is 7 years old and who knows how it was stored in that long period. This could be a fun review.

Appearance: No "pphhppttt" when I opened the bottle. Nothing. Zilch, zip, nada. Poured a muddy brown with lots of "floaties" in the concotion. Thick layer of sediment remains at the bottom of the bottle. No chance of breaking it loose. And in case you couldn't tell: No head.

Smell: Interesting aroma on this one....tough to put the finger (or in this case, 'nose') on it. A "Hershey's Quick" aroma is what best describes it for me. Like I said, strange.

Taste: Fruity flavor (mostly raisins) dominate the flavor profile. Some chololate flavor shines through the murky beer, too. I'm trying to guess the ABV of this beer, and I'm thinking it's gotta be pretty steep, given the alcohol warming effect this has.

Mouthfeel: Thick. Almost sryp-like. A real palate-coater here, folks.

Drinkability: Certainly a sipping beer. Lack of carbonation drops the score by 0.5. Still, a very good beer for being 7 years old with no clue as to the conditions it went through. I wish I would have picked up another.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2003 16:41:45 | More by OldFrothingSlosh