XS Imperial India Pale Ale - Rogue Ales

mkotsayfan

California

3.75/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured out of a 7 oz bottle into a pint glass.

The look is a mudded dark orange, with about a finger and a half of head. Smell is somewhat inviting, the usual hoppy smell you would expect from a DIPA. The malt really comes through in the smell as well.

Taste is balanced, with a protruding pine taste as well as some citrus. But it seems like something is missing...

Overall, it is a solid beer, but probabaly not something I will go out of my way to obtain again.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 00:40:54 | More by mkotsayfan

kennylopez

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 7oz bottle into a small goblet style glass.

Appearance: hazy golden yellow with a residing thin fine white head.

Smells: a very well hopped and a nice bold barley nose. it smells quite flavorful with simple and nothing really out of the ordinary.

Tastes: a smooth full barley taste that balances great with the generous amount of hops they added to give this ale a full bodied bitter bite.

Mouthfeel: actually frothy and well carbonated when you drink it considering the head. It leaves a little bite, but you don't really taste any alcohol esters over the massive amount of ingredients they used.

Overall: I like this ale. I wish they bottled it in 12 oz bottles and ditch the 7oz bottle. besides that its a great brew and worth the money in my opinion, I am just willing to pay more to get more. A single worth picking up more than one when you come across it.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 02:20:39 | More by kennylopez

emmasdad

Colorado

3.83/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I remember buying 7 ounce bottles of this one back in the mid nineties (and stupidly overpaying even then). Seeing it on tap a couple weeks back at Hops & Pie, I took the opportunity to review it. Poured a hazy orange color with a beige head. Aromas of mango, pineapple and sweet malt. On the palate, this one is medium bodied, with flavors of mango, pineapple and sweet malt.

Serving type: on-tap

09-04-2011 16:19:23 | More by emmasdad

bishopdc0

Maine

3/5  rDev -27.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On tap at the Rogue event at Novare Res.

The color is golden straw with decent head to start it dissipates to the glasses edge

The aroma is sweet malty and biscuit to start, the hops create a citrus and hints of alcohol.

The taste starts with a big malt and is heavy, what you might expect from an IIPA. The taste comes in as a little harsh from the alcohol. The hops come in and provide only hints of citrus and finish bitter.

I wonder how fresh this brew was, for an event i would hoping for a more fresh taste.

Serving type: on-tap

08-21-2011 23:43:20 | More by bishopdc0

AmericanGothic

Iowa

4/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a nonic at Red's.

A: Pours a clear, golden color with one finger of off-white head. Good retention and lace.

S: Citrus and a little sweet malt.

T: Starts with pine, then turns to dry biscuit and citrus, a hint of peach, then finishes with pine. Also a little alcohol on the finish.

M: Light and smooth.

O: Good but not great. Still, it hit the spot. Would have had another if time had allowed.

Serving type: on-tap

08-16-2011 02:32:01 | More by AmericanGothic

vfgccp

New York

3.7/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A – Rich, auburn orange. Almost like a 1:3 mix of ice tea and orange Gatorade. Firm white head holds up with nice retention and lace.

S – Soft orange, lemon, nectarine, and fresh bread. Light booze on the back end. Residual impression of yellow raisins.

T – Boozy with a harsh lemon and herbal bitterness up front. Light, almost wart-like sweetness with hazelnuts mid profile. Rolling, bitter lemon pith note through the finish.

M – Medium body with nice carbonation. Bright bitterness throughout. Net-sweet finish.

O – Rogue balances the alcohol in this DIPA with an aggressive level of bitterness. If you like bright, alpha-hop bombs this brew is for you.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 21:46:40 | More by vfgccp

dgilks

Australia

4.08/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Slightly cloudy golden colour with a large, off-white head. Great head retention.

Smooth and malty with distinct fruity hop notes. Grapes, kiwi fruit, grapefruit. Good but it is a bit subdued.

Sweet malt with plenty of bitterness. Mellow tropical fruit and citrus. Good grapefruit note. A big, balanced IIPA. The one issue for me is the distinct Pacman note that comes across in all Rogue beers.

Medium body with moderate carbonation. Fine.

A good beer but with the hop punch of a good DIPA. The maltiness is accented a touch too much by the Pacman yeast but it's still quite tasty.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2011 06:23:58 | More by dgilks

DmanGTR

New York

3.58/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at World of Beer, Sarasota FL

Poured a deep golden, quite clear, but nary a head. What happened to it? Did it get decapitated? Looks somewhat still, but a few swirls gave it a thin white cap that offered a tiny chunk of lace.

Aroma is of pine and grapefruit, with more emphasis on the pine, and a light floral note. A little bit of honey and pale malt sweetness gives it depth.

Flavor is actually pretty well balanced between the sweet and bitter. No harshness at all. Again, more pine than citrus, but both are present. Finishes with a bit of grassiness. The sweet honey undertone is almost as prominent as the hops. Perhaps slightly too sweet for something like this. It covers the hops.

A nice body that finishes bittersweet with a sweet finish. I find a bit of slickness too, which deters me somewhat. Crisp carbonation.

Overall, a decent DIPA. Not something I would go crazy trying to find, but I'd be interested in seeing how it ages. I would enjoy it more if the hops were more pronounced and the body a bit less sweet.

Serving type: on-tap

07-28-2011 03:56:26 | More by DmanGTR

fostachild

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

7oz bottle.

pours a slightly cloudy, medium golden yellow color. very little head, leaves some lacing.

super hoppy smell, citrus, fruit, alcohol. quite nice.

pretty strong taste upfront. alcohol, bitter. nice hops. okay carbonation - gets a little more drinkable after the first few sips. overall good but not amazing.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 06:25:15 | More by fostachild

ummswimmin

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had never had one of these little bottles before, but I notice them every time I go beer shopping. I always wonder the value found in a smaller bottle.

This beer looks and smells like a double IPA. I get lots of citrus and pine from the bouquet. There isn't much head, but the coloring is a perfect, hazy orange.

The flavor is extremely aggressive. The hoppiness is over the top. I got lots of citrus and pine in the flavor as well. Unfortunately this beer didn't balance very well. There is a lot of bitterness in each mouthfull.

This was a decent double IPA, but I think I will go for the Double Jack next time.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2011 19:25:43 | More by ummswimmin

mudbug

Oregon

4.43/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Scored a 12pk of these 7oz nibs at the Rogue sale at the back of the brewery at a very reasonable price! Thank you Rogue!
Well since I can easily pour two of these into a large tulip I shall!
Pour results in a surprisingly clear amber, just a hint of cloudy with a very thin head that leaves sticky lacing on the side of glass. carbonation is subdued, the beer is very still with only the occasional small bubble struggling to rise.
Aroma is Dank grassy and floral hops and a hint of pine, time to dive in...
Oh yes, this is a nice DIPA, tons of grapefruit rind,pine,and a nice bitter spice on the end to boot. Malt sweetness is there but only for the backseat ride.
A little slick and chewy, has a long bitter aftertaste.
A very nice take on the style, few DIPA's are this bold, therefore it's a standout!

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 00:20:27 | More by mudbug

grittybrews

Washington

4.1/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a hazy golden-orange into a tulip with a finger of quick-receding white head. Very nice aroma of juicy grapefruit, tangerine, pine, and lots of caramel.

Moderate carbonation and a creamy, somewhat light mouthfeel. Pine up front followed by sweet, somewhat wheaty caramel. Grapefruit and more astringent pine on the long finish.

Very nice overall -- even with a little boozy warmth, seven ounces go quickly. However, I could have used a little more complexity of flavor given the price point.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2011 04:13:53 | More by grittybrews

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This IPA pours out as a murky orange color. The head and lacing are white and sticky. The smell of the beer is hoppy and has some nice malts in the faint background. The taste is very piney and has a nice smooth citrusy taste. Mouthfeel stings at first and mellows out after the swallow. Overall its a pretty killer IPA for sure. Well worth the try if you come across it.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2011 00:10:55 | More by Knapp85

Halcyondays

California

3.53/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

7 oz. nip bottle,

A: Pours orange with a medium long lasting white head. Solid and fairly thick lace.

S: Bit of a musty malt play initially, but then gets hoppy. Lemon zest, fermented oranges, melon rind and pine.

T: Quite bitter with a heavy dose of mint and eucalyptus, limonene, and a very piney finish. Never really fruity, it goes more to the herbal hop flavours. Much lighter malt character than I imagined would be there.

M: Medium to full-bodied, frothy, very oily. Thin finish.

O: One of the originals, but this is my first time ever having it. An enjoyable effort, it is well made, but there's just a ton of better stuff from the West Coast now at a fraction of the price, I mean this is the equivalent of a $16 bomber.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2011 04:01:12 | More by Halcyondays

BretSikkink

Mexico

4.05/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served on tap at the Rogue taproom in San Francisco. Clear orange color with some chill haze. Bubbling is pretty good, creamy foam. Nice look, with a firm citric fruity nose. Some tropical fruit and bubblegum as well. Little malt in the flavor but stronger on the tastebuds. Some sweetness balances the strong hops. Body and mouthfeel are quite large. While it's a blast-a-minute, I really wouldn't mind a tighter focus on the hops and easing out the mouthfeel a little. Great beer no matter what.

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2011 23:02:41 | More by BretSikkink

Shrews629

Kentucky

4.05/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance - A cloudy orange/peach color with a slightly off white colored head with average size and average retention. The beer poured with a significant "glug", which didn't lend itself to a very nice pour. Combination of large and small bubbles in the head. Pretty good lacing though.

Smell - An aggressive piny note. Grapefruit. A slight earthy undertone. More than what was expected. A bit resinous. A touch of caramel. A touch of the alcohol fragrance. Balanced well. Not as clean smelling as I thought it might be. More maltiness than what is typically found in an Imperial IPA.

Taste - More piny hops. Grapefruit is not profiled as much. It's there, but held back a bit. A slight alcohol taste. Something similar to a clear alcohol. Nice medium bitterness. A touch of caramel and a low level of toastiness. Balanced well.

Mouthfeel - Medium. Dry. Not as smooth as others, but still really nice. Crisp and snappy. A slight alcohol bite that leaves a nice, deep warmth. Nice carbonation. Copious amounts of flavor left behind.

This is a good beer. It's not quite as good as some of the other Rogue's I've had, but its still enjoyable. Very good in all aspects. It's worthy of contemplation, but I didn't forget to enjoy it. Farily drinkable and worth a try. Comes in a very cool looking bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2011 20:16:45 | More by Shrews629

metter98

New York

4.1/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer is hazy yellow in color and has a light amount of carbonation along with some particles visible floating in suspension. It poured with a thin off white head that has good retention properties and never completely faded away.
S: There are moderate aromas of citrus hops in the nose with grapefruit standing out in particular.
T: There are some hints of sweetness in the initial taste but these are quickly followed by bitter and grapefruit flavors.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. There is dryness and warming from the alcohol in the finish.
O: The beer is surprisingly drinkable considering its strength. It definitely tastes like a strong beer but the alcohol is well masked from the taste.

Note: 2010 vintage

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2011 01:58:50 | More by metter98

ktrillionaire

Florida

2.98/5  rDev -28%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - It pours a brassy golden hue, and is capped with a short lived head that quickly collapes into filmy froth. Lacing there is not .

S - The nose is somewhat lemony and herbal, and not so much citrus lemon as lemongrass and lemon verbena. The nose masks the alcohol well, which is more than I can say for the taste.

T - This is one of the hottest tasting IPAs I've ever had. It tastes like it is fortified with grain alcohol. Other than that, seriously, it is pretty decent; the bitterness is quite high. The hops don't taste very full of flavor, just bitter with slight notes of lemon rind and poplar.

M - It is well-apportioned in the feel; the soft effervescence matches the medium body.

O - I would not go out of my way to drink this, but that is also the case with 90% of the DIPAs out.

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2011 19:28:02 | More by ktrillionaire

eclaycamp

Kansas

4.2/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 mL Bomber (Rogue has since switched over to 7 ounce bottles - which simply aren't a reasonable sample size, at least in my opinion). Pours very cloudy, making me wonder if the beer is bottle conditioned. Light orange amber with no real head but super-sticky lacing. I've been sitting on this for a while, somewhat by accident, as I picked it up and unintentionally cellared it for about six months. Despite my mistreatment, the beer still has a nice hop aroma. Perhaps we have the super-thick, really awesome ceramic bottle to thank for that. Flavor is really nice. There's a unique, tropical-mango fruit thing going on with the hop profile. There's also a lot of sweet caramel malt character as well. Mouthfeel is somewhat flat, medium to full bodied, and very sticky, almost like drinking hop syrup. The beer itself has aged well, surprisingly so, as the sweet caramel and lingering hop bitterness in the finish helps cover up the high ABV, though you do get hints of that in the finish. Overall a very solid and drinkable IIPA.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2011 23:17:55 | More by eclaycamp

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy orange-ish color with a white head. In the aroma, pine pine hops. In the taste, dry pine hops, sticky-sweet malt, which is somewhat gingerbread like. A small hop bite and medium bodied mouthfeel, with a small gingerbread malt and pine hop in the aftertaste. Big English/ east coat imperial IPA, hides the ABV, but nice.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2011 16:27:59 | More by OWSLEY069

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Alibi Room, Vancouver.

Appearance. Lighter yellow-orange with some haze and a finger of sticky white head that leaves some nice bands of lace.

Smell. Nice citrus, grassy hops and a little light grains and booze. Seems a bit muted.

Taste. Good bitter grassy and floral hop kick. Some bitter yellow grapefruit rind and a little pine sap. Not much malt and a lingering, dry bitterness. Alcohol well hidden.

Mouthfeel. Medium body, lower side of medium in carbonation.

Overall. A good DIPA, but glad I held off buying a fancy ceramic bottle of it. Would order again if I saw it on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

04-02-2011 23:29:42 | More by Rutager

CaptainIPA

Wisconsin

4.03/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Presented in a 7-ounce brown bottle and gently poured into a Hennepin flute.

Pours a deep apricot color with a thin, cream-colored head that quickly fades to lacing. Pungent aromas of juicy pineapple, grapefruit and pine. Tropical fruit goodness abounds.

Wonderfully balanced taste profile with bitterly brutal hops held in check by moderately sweet malts. Suggestions of pineapple and grapefruit upfront with smooth honey tones to follow. Creamy mouthfeel with a scratch of grain on the back of the palate. Abrasively astringent finish. Deceptively easy drinking for such a full-on example of the style. Oh, and one more thing: 7 ounces of this DIPA is not enough. Just saying.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2011 20:30:39 | More by CaptainIPA

inlimbo77

Delaware

4/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

7oz bottle poured into a snifter glass. No bottle date on the pony bottle. Purchased at Capone's in Norristown, PA.

A: Pours a nice deep orange with pinkish/red notes. Cloudy. 1/2 finger head that faded quickly. Nice lacing. Carbonation was mild.

S: Fruity hops, grapefruit etc. Nice and floral. Sweet malts in there too.

T: I got the fruity hops again. Not overly bitter at all w/ lower IBUs than normal I2PAs. Solid malt backbone. Sweet crisp bite at the finish with an aftertaste.

M: Mildly sticky. Some mouth coating. Nice bite.

D: At 7oz per bottle, this was very drinkable. The ABV is hidden nicely, but I assume with more volume would come more hit from that.

Overall, I was very satisfied with this purchase. I wasn't happy about the price in PA at $6 for the 7oz bottle but worth trying once. Would have again, if given!

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2011 14:54:20 | More by inlimbo77

rudzud

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Picked up on a whim to fufill my "mix a 6" at Julio's. Bottled in 2010. Poured into my snifter at cellar temperature.

A - Poured a crystal clear golden colour with just a faint amount of particles suspended in the snifter. An incredibly miniscule head that rapidly faded leaving a white halo around the glass. Nothing out of the ordinary here.

S - Typical IPA aromas here. Nice piney resin and grapefruit bitterness. Not getting any of the other fruit notes people have mentioned. There is some nice malty sweetness on the nose as well.

T - Much like the nose there is some strong hop bitterness. Good pine and grapefruit qualities. There is just a hint of tropical fruits. I try to focus on it, longing for more, only to have it dart away from me.

M - Really, really good mouthfeel on this. Its the best quality for me. Its very crisp considering the ABV and its style. Nice dry finish too.

D - Its a good DIPA, yeah, but there are much much better ones out there. Still, nice to try something different for a change. Don't think I'd buy it again though.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2011 07:42:28 | More by rudzud

DoubleJ

California

4.33/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

It's another 7 ounce bottle from Rogue, this time from its Imperial India Pale Ale. On to the beer:

Spotty lacing sticks to the glass of this amber orange beer. The nose yields a yummy smell of mango, pinneapple, and passionfruit. It certainly is fine as is, but the taste is where things are taken up a notch. Despite having "only" 75 IBU's, there's a bundle of hop flvor in this beer. It's nicely balanced as well. Mango and pineapple galore! Pine is interweaved with the main flavor. The alcohol is buried very well, as only a trace of it is found. Some resin sticks around in the aftertaste. The body is medium with the right amount of carbonation. 7 ounces of beer...done!

The XS in general has been dissapointing, but here's an exception to the trend. I²PA is great tasting nectar worthy of the XS series monikor. Now if Rogue could fix the pricing ($4.99 for 7 ounces), I'd buy more of it.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2011 06:15:56 | More by DoubleJ