XS Imperial Younger's Special Bitter - Rogue Ales

thagr81us

South Carolina

2.73/5  rDev -30.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Served from 7 oz bottle into a Stone nonic. Pours a hazy red-orange with a one finger white head. Maintains lacing throughout. The aroma is comprised of malt, hops, and skunky. The flavor is of malt, subtle hop, and wood. It is medium on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall I did not really enjoy this brew much. The flavor was quite harsh and not appealing. I think the skunky aroma was also a turnoff on this one. I was expecting more, but was unfortunately let down. A rare miss from Rogue...

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2010 00:53:15 | More by thagr81us

Megahertz

Missouri

2.8/5  rDev -28.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

7 oz bottle poured roughly into a shaker, dregs and all.

A - Light brown, murky cloudy, with a 1 inch, lasting tan head. No lacing noted.

S - Estery, with mild plum and apricot. Slight English-style hop aromas detected (pungent, earthy).

T - Immediate yeast bite with alcohol warmth. Dark fruity esters mid with slight caramel sweetness. Astringent "spent tea bag" finish.

M - Medium to heavy body with surprisingly high carbonation, even at mild temperatures.

O - What are these guys doing? While rogue products are expensive, they typically have some value for the money. This is like bad homebrew.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 00:05:18 | More by Megahertz

bashiba

Iowa

2.88/5  rDev -26.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Poured a deep and slightly cloudy amber with a thin line of off white head.

The smell is very mild with a light toasted malt odor.

The flavor is mild with a bit of grain in the backbone and a mild citrus and pine hop flavor dominating the finish.

The mouthfeel is fine, a bit sticky.

A very average beer with nothing special to speak of, then considering the ridiculous price of this it really brings it down. Why is this so expensive? There are no special or rare ingredients that would drive the price up, also no special barrel aging or time constraints that would drive the price up. Easily one of the most overpriced beers I have ever had, and makes me feel embarrassed for purchasing it when I was so completely sure this would be the case.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2010 01:24:23 | More by bashiba

sweemzander

Illinois

3.03/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

7oz. bottle poured into a tulip.

(A)- Pours a hazy amber color. Some tan to white froth and lace.

(S)- Dry, with some cottonball-like grassy lemon citrus.

(T)- Sweet, mild heat. Some fig-like pine and citrus. Bitter.

(M)- A mellow carbonation level. A decent balance, though kinda sugary sweet and thin feeling.

(D)- Decent. Not quite sure how old it is, but its still good. A bit on the sweet side, but it does carry a nice bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 18:00:24 | More by sweemzander

cjacobsen

Illinois

3.08/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to sweemzander for bringing this one by. More likely that it got lost in his pocket for a while and had just finally found it.

Poured from a bottle for elves, 7 oz., into a snifter.

(A) Pretty clean with an orange hue to it. Brown in the darker areas of the beer. Not much head but it leaves some lacing.

(S) Not much here. Light malt, some grapefruit, hops and sugar.

(T) Tastes pretty bitter. Definitely a lot of sweet light malt. Some light citrus.

(M) Kind of grainy. Light body.

(O) Tastes like a hoppier pale ale. Not a lot going on with this beer and nothing to write home about. Worth a shot, literally...like a small small bottle's worth, but don't feel shorted (pun intended) if you can't find or try this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2011 14:09:43 | More by cjacobsen

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.15/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

16 ounce pint - $7.25 at Taco Mac in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Clear, rich mahogany-hued body with a ½ inch of off-white suds on top.

Smell: Lightly toasty pale maltiness with some distinct crystal malt whiffs and, of course, the hops, with earthy, floral notes and a fair amount of Amarillo.

Taste: Pale malts with some toasted undertones and a distinct crystal malt sweetness present. Floral, earthy hop flavors along with a hearty dose of citrus pith and line pine. Medium-high bitterness. The malts attempt to rebound late with a smidgen of brown sugar, but it soon submerges beneath the heavy hop tastes. As expected from a Rogue offering, this one wraps up particularly dry and bitter.

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium-plus carbonation.

Drinkability: An ESB crossed with American hops, Rogue's typically higher bitterness, and a solid bump of alcohol which, I'm continually being told, is what folks are into these days. Personally, I found the full entire sixteen ounces to be a bit of a chore to finish.

Serving type: on-tap

08-13-2009 02:35:32 | More by ChainGangGuy

kingcrowing

Vermont

3.2/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Ceramic bottle poured into a tulip.

Pours a nice ruby red, very crisp and clear with a small bright white head. Nose Is malty and a bit bitter.

Taste is sharp and fairly bitter, it's a bit funky and odd but pretty tasty and creamy. It's got a sharp bitterness. Pretty decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2010 00:41:28 | More by kingcrowing

drabmuh

Maryland

3.23/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

7 ounce bottle into a RR wine glass. Beer is brown with haze, thin head of tan bubbles, minimal lacing, low carbonation.

Aroma is sweet, has that Rogueness to it, and some caramel. Smells OK.

For such a big beer its rather weak in all the flavor departments. There is some lead off sweetness and malt character but overall its just not happening in the taste department. Its almost flat and plasticy on the palate. I did not dislike it but there is almost nothing to enjoy about it at the same time.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2010 18:04:01 | More by drabmuh

cannabanaceae

Washington

3.25/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer poured with a slight head that dissipated to nothing, probably a half oz. of yeast at the bottom.

The beer smells oxidized like an old barley wine, sweet, and bready.

The taste was no different than an average ESB. Exept for the oxidation. I bet it sat on the self for awhile because people were not as stupid as me, to spend $5 on 7oz of nothing special.

Mouthfeel was sticky, It finished with a Ho hum ending.

If your thinking about buying this beer DONT. It was pretty average, not bad per say but at a RIP OFF price. This is a gimmicky beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2010 00:49:26 | More by cannabanaceae

jmarsh123

Indiana

3.25/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a cloudy caramel with a two finger off-white sticky head.

Smells of caramel malt with a touch of earthy hops.

Caramel/meladroinen malt up front rounding into a spicy dry hop finish. Has that unique Rogue yeast flavor.

Fairly light mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Pretty good beer, but at the price not nearly worth it.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 23:50:35 | More by jmarsh123

ImusBeer

Georgia

3.33/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Another 11oz pour, not a problem but I wish they had some glasses other than the white wine stems.

It came a clear copper color with a white head and large bubbles. Died rather quickly.

The aromas started with citus then a slight malt. The flavours were of citrus, mostly orange and a sour aftertaste.

nothing much in the way of piney bitterness I was expecting but it was light and dry almost thin IMHO, bitter at the end mostly in the form of dryness.
D:

Serving type: on-tap

10-26-2009 16:13:32 | More by ImusBeer

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.35/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

7 oz bottle.
No freshness date.

Pours a 1cm off-white head that fades in about two minutes to a thin ring around the glass. Swirling easily revives head. Leaves a bit of lacing/streaking, but not a particularly memorable amount. Body is a dark brown color, golden-copper when held up to light, hazy from no filtration.

Aroma of caramel-colored malt sweetness, some maple. Acceptable per the style, but still fairly toned-down, would appreciate a bit more here.

Taste opens with fairly rich malt sweetness, some noticeable but mild bitterness, and assorted fruity esters. Ethanol becomes more apparent in the back of the mouth and aftertaste as the beer warms.

Body is medium to medium-heavy with enough carbonation to make this foam slightly on the palate. Moves pleasantly about. Finish very dry, slightly tannic, not sticky. Ethanol makes this warming in the mouth and body.

This would be much better if the ethanol was a bit more masked and the aromas a bit more expressive.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 05:28:37 | More by falloutsnow

DoubleJ

California

3.38/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

One freakin' dollar an ounce. Hey, a tick is a tick. $6.99 for a tiny 7 ounce bottle from Perry's Liquor, on to the beer:

Dark reddish orange in color. The head on top forms small and somewhat creamy, retaining its head mediocrily. The aroma is strong; diacetyl is dominant, hints of apricot hanging around. Also some rusty grain.

Very strong is the flavor. The bottle doesn't list an alcohol value, so I'm left to guessing it. I would have over 8% easy, but BA lists it at 7.1%. Diacetyl and bittersctch pair to make a strong base flavor. Hints of apricot skin, a vague veggie note diversify the portfolio. Some alcohol is present. In the mouth, the beer has a buzzy feel, primarily from the alcohol sppeing through. A little metallic and butterscotch run into the aftertaste.

An interesting concept; an imperial ESB. To be frank, I don't think this style needs any intensifying, as this offering shows.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2011 06:11:20 | More by DoubleJ

Hoptometrist

Oregon

3.38/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served from a tiny 7 oz. bottle into a snifter

A- Poured a murky brown and orange color, soapy head dissipated instantly that left minimal lacing

S- Sweet floral and fruity notes, big sweet caramel malts. Aromatic

T- Dominant herbal notes, lots of caramel sweetness, fresh floral notes, finishes with an unpleasant tea-like bitterness

M- Prickly carbonation, medium to lighter bodied, finishes semi-dry, some alcohol warming and light booziness

O- Pretty balanced flavor profile that finishes with an odd harshness and bitterness. I got this bottle for free, but imagine this one is worth skipping on considering how much these tiny Rogue bottles usually are

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 01:40:52 | More by Hoptometrist

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.4/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Poured a hazy, dark ice-tea color with a beach sand frothy head about a finger high. Against natural light the coloring appeared a firebrick red, revealing a steadfast effervesce of micro-bubbles. The lacing was slight, of very low coverage area, while the head retention was good, leaving a skim coating for the remainder of the drink.

S: The alcohol was most noticeable upfront. There were some instances of ripe tomatoes, toasted grains and a hop spiciness of warm cooked pineapples, and leafy green stem notes. Overall the bitterness was soft, mostly masked by the forefront of alcohol.

T: The flavor appeared a bit thin at first with warm watery citrus and toasted grains highlighted by a bit of alcohol warmth. The finish finds a bittering of warm pine juice and alcohol. The alcohol seems to be the main focus here, while the malting and hop bitterness play a weak second fiddle.

M: Medium body with hardly a mention of carbonation. Warm citrus and alcohol appear on the finish. Lacked a good residual coating, a bit light and mostly fueled by alcohol then anything else.

D: The alcohol seemed a bit excessive, though I've had much bigger, this tells me this just wasn't balanced to well. A drink of limited quantities. Overall I would prefer a more traditional take and the 7oz played well here.

End musings: this sample came from a 7oz. Nip bottle, which I think is probably the bare minimal to base a review of, but somehow still didn't seem enough for me. At the price they charge $4.60 I would say its not worthy of its high price for its limited volume and appeal.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2010 00:19:18 | More by beerthulhu

TheHoppiest

Ohio

3.4/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 7 oz splits bottle into a small chalice. Pours a slightly hazy amber-brown, like unfiltered iced-tea, with a 1/4" off-white head that soon reduces to a mere skim of head.

Smells sweet and yeasty, with hints of toffee, alcohol, apricot, and pear. Not exactly what I was expecting smell-wise from an ESB.

Starts bitter, but that flavor quickly rolls off in favor of a weak sweet tea taste with lingering bitter, almost like an echo. Notes of tobacco, spice, and earthy, herbal leafiness mid-taste, ending like the beer is trying to escape without being tasted.

Mouthfeel is rather light and unimpressive.

This is the third or fourth of the 7 oz splits XS beer I've had from Rogue. While I generally like their beers, this XS series has been underwhelming, particularly given that each tiny bottle is costing me $4-$5. I've not had one yet where I'd say the taste was such that I'd want to buy and drink another.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2011 01:04:35 | More by TheHoppiest

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

7 oz bottle into a ½ pint glass.

Pours a mostly clear copper, with lot of suspended oils present, and is topped with a finger of off-white head. This retains with a foamy ¼ finger that throws some frothy swathes of lacing up that sticks. The aroma smells grassy and lightly spicy, with citric fruit character that is layered on top of some doughy grains. A big of light alcohol warmth is showing itself as well.

The taste starts with a green citric bitterness that is set against a flat feeling toasted graininess and a splash of sweet caramel. There is a ripe and earthy component to this that lingers in the finish along with a deep pithy and spicy dryness. The mouthfeel is fuller bodied, with a sharp carbonation that is undercut by some beefy alcohol warmth that distinctly hangs on the breath after each sip.

This was decent enough, with a bold bitterness to it that was mostly well balanced. Unfortunately, this showed a bit too much of it’s ABV in spots, which took some of the drinkibility and overall enjoyment of this away from me. The 7 oz bottle here was a more than enough of this though.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2011 17:10:35 | More by Kegatron

TheRealBigC

Nevada

3.45/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours a medium brown with a thin head. This is a 7% beer that feels a bit stronger. It's not so bitter as it is fruity, but there's a mild bite to it that keeps you from drinking too quickly. a 12oz. draft was more than enough. I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't likely buy it again.

Serving type: on-tap

08-04-2012 00:34:18 | More by TheRealBigC

centbeerfest

Missouri

3.48/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Purchased in a 7 oz bottle for $4.99. It was the ridiculous price of the very small portion that really made me wonder how good this beer could really be.

Was lacking a glass so drank it out of the bottle and it was just good. Price played a big part of my expectations and as an ESB lover, I thought it was just okay.

Nice balance but the high alcohol was the predominant take away. Big fan of Rogue but in this case I would avoid this choice again.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 14:20:45 | More by centbeerfest

beertunes

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 7oz bottle into 10oz glass. Poured a slightly hazy coppery-orangeish amber color with just a wee small ring of off-white head that no retention or lacing.

The aroma was a nice mix of grainy malt, a bit of spicy yeast and a trace of hops. There was a bit of alcohol in the background. On the tongue, the hops showed through with more of a presence, the grains provided a very solid base and the yeast added a bit of spice at the end. The alcohol was noticeable, but not overpoweringly so.

The body was nicely full and smooth. Drinkability was good, while I'm happy to see brewers putting big beers into smaller servings, I think 12oz would have been just right for this brew.

Overall, a very nice beer. Certainly worth trying if you see it.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2010 21:18:16 | More by beertunes

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.5/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Mine is in the tiny nip bottle

Pours caramel colored. Good lacing average head retention with a finger of cream colored head

S: Herbal hops & apricots

T: Herbal hops, dark fruit & leafy hops up front, with just a touch of caramel. Woody hops, slight booze warmth & apricot all blend as this warms. Finishes with woody & herbal hops, plus more apricot & a touch of pear

MF: Medium bodied, low carbonation, somewhat chewy with pretty nice balance

Drinks easy, not a bad take on the style, but a bit too boozey

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2010 06:12:00 | More by russpowell

UCLABrewN84

California

3.51/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Pours a murky brown with a foamy khaki head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, caramel, and some fruity aromas. Taste is much the same with a fruity and tea-like flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. There is a bit of an astringent and drying quality of the beer in the mouth with each sip. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but nothing too extreme or strong going on here. I'm not too sure why this particular beer is sold in the small 7 oz. bottle size.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 03:03:01 | More by UCLABrewN84

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.53/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed on 10/3/08. On tap at Ginger Man. Pours a clear brown/orange with a thick light tan head. Aroma of caramel and toasted malts, bitter hops, and sweaty socks. Flavor is quite bitter with some caramel malt to balance it out. Yep, pretty much the best word to describe this beer is bitter. But it was tasty too.
7/4/7/4/14 (3.6/5)

Serving type: on-tap

12-27-2008 22:54:08 | More by LilBeerDoctor

jmz62565

Connecticut

3.55/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear burnt honey with some mahogony. The head is large with frothy tan colors and lacing that lasts. The smell is strong with roasted malt,brown sugar,bread yeast,and alcohol. The taste has a bitter alcohol flavor along with roasted malt,honey,brown sugar,and a bit of a weak watery aftertaste. The m/f is light with the flavors mixing OK. Not a bad beer,but not my favorite Rogue.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2010 00:06:03 | More by jmz62565

MuddyFeet

North Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed on-tap during a recent visit to Sunset Bar & Grill in Boston. Typed from notes.

Poured a burnt mahogany amber color. Slight off-white head that receded to a thin veneer. Nose is more malty than hoppy, which have just a slight presence.

I really like the bready flavors in this beer. Very unexpected considering the style. Hops are also a tad more subdued than expected and balance out the malty wholeness with a slight spruce-ness. Some heat from the alcohol is not very well concealed though. Mouthfeel is perhaps a tad thinner than ideal but no great knock. Interesting take on the style and I can definitely enjoy more of these.

Serving type: on-tap

03-15-2007 14:47:41 | More by MuddyFeet