XS Imperial India Pale Ale - Rogue Ales

zac16125

South Carolina

1.45/5  rDev -65.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

Rogue XS Imperial IPA
7oz bottle poured into snifter
bottled in 2010

Picked up for me about a week ago at a Total Wine in South FL, by my girlfriend, who was intrigued by the small bottle.  Not really sure whats up with this one.  Bottled in 2010, it surely hasn't sat on the shelf of a major retail liquor store for over 2 years?  Who knows. Anyways, onto the review.

Pours a very hazy light bronze with under 1/2 a fingers width of light tan colored head, which dissipates down to a thin film almost immediately. Aroma is citrusy, yet astringent.  Like overripe peaches that have gone bad,  or rotting apples.  Some caramel malts and sugary sweetness.   Taste is rather appalling with some caramel, burnt toast, a strange burnt bitterness on the backend.  Carbonation is for the most part killed, rather flat.  

This was off from the get go.  My first ever drain pour.   I will try this again sometime, fresh, as this has to have been affected by age and who knows what else.  

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 23:09:45 | More by zac16125

cvm4

Mississippi

4.1/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cool growler... Will probably throw it away. How about a cheaper made bottle?

A - Pours a cloudy or murky golden amber with an eggshell white head.

S - Grapefruit, pine and floral scents. Has a bit of boozyness to the nose.

T - Orange rind & pine starts in off. Turns malty and sweet then finishes floral with a good hop bite.

M - Medium body along with medium carbonation. Not syrupy or cloying at all.

O - It feels so wrong to say this I've had a lot if crappy Rogue beers but this one is good! A great beer from a rightly so underrated brewery.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 22:48:04 | More by cvm4

UCLABrewN84

California

3.93/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a murky honey orange with a 1/2 inch foamy orange-beige head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Tiny dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of citrus fruit, citrus zest, honey, and malt. Taste is exactly the same with a medium amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 05:18:13 | More by UCLABrewN84

TrappistJohnMD

Mississippi

4.45/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into nonic glass. Beautiful tangerine color with white head that lingers well.

Smell is tangerine and very floral. Very inviting smell

Taste is heavy with grapefruit hoppiness and some sweet malt up front. Toffee, honey and a hint of caramel are present as well. Good bitterness in the finish that is not overpowering at all.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and smooth.

Overall this is an excellent IPA. Cool ceramic bottle too. Will definitely buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 23:39:55 | More by TrappistJohnMD

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml ceramic capped swinging pop top poured into tulip 28/6/12

A hazy golden orange with a few tiny streams of bubbles that feed a solid two finger cream colored head that retains well and leaves some random patches of lace

S pine, grapefruit, pineapple, lime rind, a little booze and some guava and toffee, not exactly what I was expecting from the hops used but it works very well for me, just a little metallic grass but you gotta look for it

T slightly spicy with lots of rind of all sorts, booze is still there but reasonable for 9.5%, everything I smell is still there but toned down a little except for the citric rind that's almost over the top

T fairly full and just enough carbonation to give it some life, a little grit left behind and not much heat all things considered

O pretty solid stuff and I love the hop overkill, there's some caramel and sweetness from the malt but its overwhelmed. pretty easy to drink for the strength and I like the hop harshness in the mouth

I'm glad I tried it but its a very expensive bottle at 20$, I may not drink it again until my next tax return

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 04:45:40 | More by wordemupg

MacQ32

South Carolina

4.48/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - pours a nice soft cloudy golden orange color with a solid finger+ of near white head, very good retention and lacing. Slow but steady carbonation 10 minutes after the pour.

S - Oh man, deliciously citrusy notes, lots of sweeter tropical/pineapple/mango type aromas. Honestly cant get past that, a little caramel sweetness comes through but mostly just magical citric and tropical goodness.

T - Has a pretty fantastical juicy sweet taste, more mango/pineapple/passion fruit than grapefruit/orange although all of those flavors are present. Sounds boring but this is super delicious, kind of reminds me of hopslam.

M - Medium bodied or so, quite drinkable for a 9.5er for sure. Appropriate carbonation, really enjoying this.

O - As you can see, I'm a fan. Kind of kicking myself for not trying this before, although it does come at a hefty price tag (I tihnk I paid ~16 for this) but it does come with a sweet resealable bottle which are expensive on their own and definitely handy for bottling homebrews. Reminds me a lot of hop slam

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2012 01:50:32 | More by MacQ32

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

4.58/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Celebratory brew for writing level 3 of the CFA exam, had to do it up in style!
A - clear golden orange with steady carbonation rising from the bottom, tall head with large bubbles retained very nicely, leaving random blobs of lacing
S - an enticing mix of perfumes, oily resin, mild citrus, and a solid grainy background
T - hop city with florals, perfumes, herbals, and mild grapefruit rind, all big and all fighting for their place in the sun, backed up with crisp pale malt compliments
M - light and crisp with a bitterness that is big yet mild for what it is, finishes clean and dry
O - this beer has everything a hop head could ask for, its huge but goes down like a brew half its size, the hop mix is on point, one of the best DIPA's i've tried to date

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 02:13:58 | More by joemcgrath27

TheSixthRing

California

4.05/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance - Poured from a baby 7 oz. bottle. Cloudy, burnt orange with a white, 1/2 finger head. Retention was poor, but leaves a nice, sticky lace.

Smell - Big tropical aromas, sweet and tangy pineapple and mango, backed by floral notes. Wonderful smelling brew.

Taste - Floral, spicy and tropical hop bitterness, backed behind an odd malt backbone... a woody, earthy, almost wheat like quality with the malts. Shockingly strange at first, but grows on you sip by sip. Not as bitter as one might expect from a 2IPA, but a wonderfully balanced one. A pleasant orange rind bitterness lingers on the palate well into the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - Medium body, slightly syrupy. A touch undercarbonated.

Overall - An interesting 2IPA. Not as hoppy as some the of newer 2IPA's that have hit the market over the last 4-5 years, but it's done well to hold it's own.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 04:01:41 | More by TheSixthRing

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

4.35/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big swingtop poured into a snifter.

A- Super hazy bright orange, a one finger of a massively bubbled head, it looks like large soap bubbles, unlike any other beer I have seen.

S- Smell is extremely sweet and has a monster hop profile. The hops are very citrusy and piney. Flavors like fresh aprcots, pineapple and mangoes. Slight alcohol and breaddy hop profile.

T- A truly impressive hop presence. There is a lot of powerful citrus notes like pineapple and mangoes as well as a bunch of pine needles. This beer has the west coeast IPA taste and feel I was expecting. A brutal bitterness to this one, 74 IBU's is hard to believe. Aftertaste is bitter, dry and citrusy. A slight malt flavor but this one is all about the hops.

M- Bitter and dry are the two words best used here. Slight warming but no alcohol taste. Hoppy burps. Not to hard to throw back.

O- This beer deserves its rating but is a stretch for me considering its over the top price point. Would love to have again but wont likely spend 14$ on another bottle. Regardless, a must have for any IIPA fans.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 02:16:57 | More by TwelveOunces

mdaschaf

Washington

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

Review from notes. Had on tap at Fins.

A: The beer was a rather clear orange color with a nice white head on top, about 1/2 finger in height, rather thick with good retention. Thin lacing.

S: Orange rind, orange, lemon zest, pineapple and some pine dominate the aroma. There is a little bit of grainy and bready malt to balance things slightly.

T: Rather bitter with plenty of pine and citrus fruits, similar to the aroma. The pine is greater on the flavor profile and the fruits take a back seat, compared to the aroma.

M: Medium to full bodied, a little slick. Very bitter finish.

O: A pretty good IIPA, glad I tried it on tap because the bottle price isn't really worth it IMO.

Serving type: on-tap

03-21-2012 21:01:43 | More by mdaschaf

jimmah120

Minnesota

4.15/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

$5 for a little 7oz shorty, bottled in 2010

Pours a hazy brown-gold, small film-like head with poor lacing. Smell is sweet biscuity malt with floral citrus hops, some alcohol also. Well balanced smell. The taste is like any aged DIPA- great. Bitter up front, with sweet malt being the next most prominent, then a series of hops: grapefruit, pine, and a lot of juicy citrus. Great tasting double. Only problem is the alcohol isn't very well hid, showing up in both the nose and the taste.

Great Imperial IPA, different than a lot of the others, but not something I'd seek out again because of the price point.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2012 00:42:07 | More by jimmah120

BelgiumBill

Virginia

3.98/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pouring the 7oz bottle into a narrow Ommegang tulip glass showed off a deeply hazed amber orange brew with a very thin off white head head that quickly faded to a thin ring with some large bubbles about. A swirl brought up some more foam and released piney floral and some tropical fruit butterscotch fragrances which were not overwhelming.

The liquid gave me flavors of piney floral eucalyptus, lavendar, and some ripe citrus like grapefruit following up in the back half.

The mouthfeel was very nice because of the great balance between all the flavors. It was no huge hop bomb to conceal all the floral and herbaceous flavors. Viscous and provided a nice coating in the mouth.

Overall, very good, but not huge which was ok with me. I picked it up on sale at Total Wine for $2.99 for the 7oz bottle.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 17:34:44 | More by BelgiumBill

Mounty4Life

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Big ceramic bottle I got at gateway grill....had dust on top so never usually a good sign with ipa
Odd for dipa, major bubbles and cloudy as my homebrew. Second glass had lots of sediment and yeast on bottom real earthy...small head with decent lacing
Grapefruit pine and big alcohol surge in finish
For high gravity ipa didn't have bite but great hop finish not soon to be forgotten
Goes down smoothly and give huge hop burst in finish Med. Bodied. With a little chewed ending for those willing to devour it all! If not for high price tag would love to enjoy more...

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 03:21:18 | More by Mounty4Life

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.35/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I poured a 7oz. bottle of this stuff into a DFH Alehouse snifter that must have held about 30 ounces of beer. Talk about weird looking....

A: The appearance was an extremely murky, sludgy, gold color, which was obviously unfiltered. The head was almost solid white and stained the glass with stretched, stringy cotton as the brew was siphoned.

S: This smelled VERY much like Dreadnaught: Lots of grapefruit, but with a malt bill to match and almost exceed that. I got a bit of "POM" Lychee green tea scent in there as well.

T: Yep.... once again, this is about as close to Dreadnaught as I've ever tasted (or am I imagining things?). Quite a bit of booze in there, but in this case, I would describe it as candy-coated alcohol. Underneath the citrus, I got a distinct pomegranate flavor as well.

M: Thick, but without being syrupy at all. Because my snifter was so big, I had a lot of fun watching the liquid ooze across the glass like honey. Needless to say, the lacing was fairly substantial.

O: I really enjoyed this one and I'm genuinely conflicted about the serving size. Once one hand, because the bottles are so small, Rogue is able to bottle this world class brew and keep the cost low without putting much of a dent in my sobriety. Additionally, I remember that when this was sold in a ceramic bomber, the price was upwards of $20! On the other hand though, I enjoyed this so much that I wish I had more.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 21:50:33 | More by Chaney

ChBass

Texas

4.05/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Purchased a 7 oz. bottle at Goebel's in Wichita, KS. Was bottled in 2010.

Beer is a beautiful hazy golden, with lots of tiny bubbles swirling throughout. The head quickly dissipates. Good looking beer!

The nose is yeasty and sweet, like a fresh roll, with touches of citrus and bitterness from the hops. Great smell, but age has taken most of the hop aroma.

A 2-year old DIPA relies heavily on the malt and the leftover bitterness from the hops. The two are surprisingly balanced, even after all this time!

The mouthfeel is really good. Small bubbles stay in suspension, keeping the beer light and crisp.

Overall, this is a good beer, for a 2-year old DIPA. Honestly, once you've experienced what time does to hops, there's no need to age IPAs anymore. Follow the instructions from Pliny: http://bit.ly/xXv7OU

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 23:51:01 | More by ChBass

tdm168

North Carolina

3.63/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at World of Beer at North Hills on 2/17/12

Poured into a small snifter. The color is bright orange with a soft white head that has little retention. The nose is very citrusy with notes of grapefruit and mango. The taste is lightly malty but the malt is quickly taken over by the hop character that is big and citrusy up front but finishes piny and very bitter. The bitterness lingers on the palate for a while. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and crisp with just a little too much carbonation.

This was an alright DIPA. The malt was not big enough to balance the robust hop character. The hops were good though a little overly bitter and piny even for a hop head like me. I would like to see a little more balance here.

Serving type: on-tap

02-24-2012 22:46:15 | More by tdm168

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.3/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in 10 oz chalice glass

Appearance- Served an orange -yellow color with a nice retaining head. Upon fading it gave way to a bit of lacing.

Smell – The aroma is piney and citrus hop heavy in the beginning. A bit of maltiness, with a somewhat sweet caramel aroma works its way in toward the middle of the nose. More bitter hop aromas then overwhelm the sweeter malt aroma toward the end and finish off the nose.

Taste – Bitter hops is the predominant and overarching flavor. A nice more piney and earthy heavy hop flavor hit the tongue up front and last throughout the taste experience. Some bready and caramel maltiness are present toward the middle of the taste. These again are shadowed by the overall piney hoppiness as well as some more citrus hoppiness which comes in toward the very end. Bitter; but a very nice flavor.

Mouthfeel – A middle to heavy body seem to coat the tongue with some creaminess. The slight creaminess and a moderate level of carbonation make it easy to drink.

Overall – A very nice example of a double IPA. Its bitter, strong and hoppy yet very easy to drink. A nice brew.

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2012 13:42:07 | More by Darkmagus82

Kromes

Georgia

4.53/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: I like the bottle. A nice heavy ceramic bottle with a stopper top. Beer is a rich gold color with a fluffy white head that leaves circular laces down the glass. The legs on the beer are incredible...drops just stick to the sides of the glass.

S: Sweet malt with a very fragrant citrus, floral and pine hop aroma. There is a lot of depth to the hop aroma.

T: Very tasty. The sweet malt provides a great flavor for the hops to ride upon. The hop flavor in the beer is incredible....lots of citrus and pine flavors. There is also a nice floral and fruity sense to the beer. Not as bitter as I would have anticipated due to the sweet malt. There is a touch of booze flavor in the finish and a big boozy warmth.

M: A medium-heavy feel with a mellow carbonation. Adds to the drinkability of this beer.

O: It's an amazingly delicious and well crafted IPA. I was a little skeptical at first, but this beer went way beyond my expectations. I'm going back and picking up a few more of these. Definitely worth the high $ tag.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 00:34:00 | More by Kromes

Meerkey

Virginia

2.8/5  rDev -32.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: Not quite a finger of bubbly white head. Lots of bubbles. Cloudy orangey straw gold. Kind of like crystallized honey.

S: Really soapy hops. Which is sad.

T: Tons of drying hops. Also a little soapy. Really bitter and not much else. Sadly one dimensional.

M: Thin, semi flat, and honestly just not very good.

O: I love hops. And I like Rogue. But this is one dimensional and boring. It's just hops and nothing else. I'm disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 04:53:23 | More by Meerkey

AgentMunky

California

2.85/5  rDev -31.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 7 ounce bottle into an Albemarle Ciderworks glass. This review will be brief, because I'm just not feeling it.

A: Very little head; great lacing. The beer is dark-yellow and opaque.

S: Soapy hops. Citrus peel and a hint of pine. But seriously, there's nothing else.

T: Completely one-dimensional and not very impressive. I mean, if you love hops -- and nothing but hops -- then fine, you might like it. But, comparatively, subpar. Citrus, pine, touch of malt that gets lost in the bitterness. This beer claims 75 IBU but I think that's lowballing it.

M: So astringent as to be...not unpleasant, but not a good beer. No body, super-light. Unsubstantial. Bah.

O: I don't want to give the wrong impression -- I'm a self-avowed hophead. This, however, is not my thing. (To be fair, I'm not a fan of Saaz or Golding, even though I like Cascade.) I genuinely don't think this is a very good beer. It's too monodimensional, too hoppy to be a "good beer." I love Rogue, but give this one a miss. NOT recommended. Will not have again.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 04:50:50 | More by AgentMunky

argock

Virginia

3.78/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 7oz mini-bottle into a clear glass snifter. No freshness date. Purchaed at Market Street Wineshop (Charlottesville, VA) for $1.96.

A; orange-amber with soft 1/2-1 finger layer of small-bubbled head and scatter lacing.

S: Resin is the predominant smell with some onion and earthy aroms mixing in with light pine character. The maltiness is light caramel.

T: The flavor is intense and resiney with pine and bitter resin hitting slightly before with staunch malt backing, which is mostly pale and a little caramelly.

M: Good body and low carbonation which leaves a slick, coating feeling.

O: A good DIPA but not in the upper 25%. Glad this is only a 7oz bottle.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 04:47:06 | More by argock

zaphodchak

Virginia

3.73/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thin head but then I was making a tiny pour.

Nose is a bit citrusy with some hops, but not super strong-smelling.

Taste is hoppy, and it just gets leafier and more intense as the taste progresses.

Mouthfeel is frothy and big.

A decent IPA, not outstanding in any respect, but quite hoppy, and good for those who like that (I don't, but don't rate down).

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 02:39:52 | More by zaphodchak

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

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

XS Imperial India Pale Ale
Rogue Ales

Pours a light straw yellow, small soapy head recedes to a film covering the top. Aromas of lemon, grapefruit and honey. In the taste, lots of grapefruit, pine and a bit of a bite. Bitterness is substantial and even leaves the palette slightly dry. Mouthfeel is medium bodied. Overall, a real tasty IPA and I'm glad I had it ontap instead of one of those poorly conceived 7 oz bottles.

Serving type: on-tap

01-19-2012 18:08:55 | More by Stinkypuss

superspak

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

7 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled in 2010. Pours hazy and cloudy orange amber color with a small dense khaki head with good retention that reduces to a thin cap. Some spotty lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of big pine, orange zest, grapefruit, floral, herbal, caramel, and honey like sweetness; with a bit of booze. Pretty nice aromas here with good strength. Taste of big orange rind, pine, grapefruit, caramel, spiciness, herbal, and a bit of honey. Good amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of pine, spices, orange, and caramel on the finish for a while. Good balance of flavors; with pretty smooth drinking, but it is still a sipper at 9.5%. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a very creamy and slick mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden with only a warming on the finish present. Overall this is a damn nice DIPA despite not being a fresh bottle. Nice and citrusy flavor profile. I really enjoyed this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 04:22:25 | More by superspak

Jparker37

Wisconsin

2.28/5  rDev -45.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served into a tulip glass, bottled in 2010

A - Pours a bright shade of orangish yellow, very hazy with a thick white head of small bubbles.

S - Bursting with a floral/citrus/pine smell. The citrus can almost be green apple like, maybe some orange peel. Somewhat of an alcoholic nose. Can be a little spicy with some fruity ester.

T - Bready and boozy right up front. Very off centered ipa. Rather unpleasant hop flavors with an alcohol warming throughout the whole taste. Has a bit of bitterness that I perceive to be quite astringent and unpleasant.

M - The beer is light to medium bodied. Carbonation is on the low side.

O - Overall I thought the smell was very complex but the flavor was not very appealing to me. A little on the flat side also. Didn't really enjoy it and was not worth the price.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2011 23:33:18 | More by Jparker37