Rogue Imperial Red

Brewed by Rogue Ales
Style: American Strong Ale
Newport, Oregon USA

Serve in Snifter, Trappist glass

Bottle. Pours thick like syrup, almost impossible for me to stir up a head (requires a really tall pour). Dark red body with a dense khaki head (if you can stir it up). The aroma is slightly hoppy, a bit woody with some delicious doughy malt character. The flavor is resinous upfront, and pretty much throughout. Its a nice bitterness, but it seems to mask most of the malt, so I’m not detecting much else in there. The alcohol is hidden well. It reminds me a bit of arrogant bastard. As it warms I am getting some fruity qualities from the malt and yeast, but the bitterness is still pretty bold and dominating. Full bodied with low carbonation on the palate. Overall: a fine beer, but not really worth these ridiculous Rogue XS prices.

Dinky little 7oz bottle at home- ideal sample size for a 9 percenter, but as hinted at by the previous rater, $4.99 is a piss-take. Pours deep chestnut, almost burgundy, with a creamy beige collar. Tinned peaches and overdone wholemeal toast aroma flecked with OJ, toffee, garam masala and....vomit. Slick, moussey condition oozing oak and that (De Proef) Mikkeller chalkiness, the cherrystone note of alcohol, burnt dessicated strawberry bits, shampoo bitterness. Decent, deeply roasted nut linger. OK, but 7oz is plenty for me.

7 ounce bottle. Pours a dark red with a small biege head. Aroma of sweet malt, hops, caramel and fruit. Tastes of toffee, caramel, dark fruit and hops. Finishes very sweet. Nice, but question the high price.

Appearance: poured thick and painted in deep mahogany, much like cherry wood with an almost solid visage. Coppery head tinged in blood red orange. Fades rocky with a touch of lace. Swirls with no additional lace though the head lingers.

Nose: thick, malty and sugary with maple syrup and caramel. Candied apples heavily coated with the apples inside juicy and sweet. Wood, cinnamon sticks, and a pervasive sense of old earth and dusty wood. Massive clumps of hops hit in the back. Chewy raisin bread.

Palate: thick and full-bodied. Maple coats while spice (cinnamon sticks) linger in the back with wood. Green vegetal hops. Candied apples fill the middle while the lips are sticky with caramel. Warmth weaves her way through the back of my throat. Overall centered in the middle of each quaff. Not overly complex but rich and filling.

Final Thoughts: Rogue uses a dominant yeast that makes all their beers taste relatively the same. While I enjoy their XS series the most followed by some good old standards, the Imperial Red wasn’t overly impressive. Rich and powerful, the flavors are lost amidst the overall heavy stickiness.

Pours a one finger off-white head that fades quickly leaving traces of lace. Cloudy brown color. Medium carbonation and medium bodied. Light hoppy nose. Flavor is piney, resinous hops, hints of caramel, lingering bitter aftertaste. $4.49 for a wussy 7oz bottle from Beverage Warehouse Winooski, VT.

UPDATED: OCT 17, 2010 What a big surprise in such a small bottle! Pours a deep nutty brown, almost rusted orange near top edges. Good medium sized creamy tan head with great lacing down the glass. Smell is dang complex and very wnderful. I can get aromas of gently roared chocolate malt, buttered biscuit, almonds, and citrusy (?) hops. Tase is much the same elements, with the nuttiness being more pronounced, as well as some orange zest. Finish is off-dry with sweet almond nuttiness. In all, it’s suberbly balanced and a pleasant drink. I would totally get more if it wasn’t $5 for 7 oz. But just a masterfully crafted beer!

Pours dark brown with an off white head that builds from the bottom as it sits. This beer’s aroma is both malty and hoppy with a bit of citrus. This beer is a bit sweet with bitter pine. It has a bit of a harsh aftertaste with some alcohol flavor. This isn’t my favorite Rogue beer, but it isn’t bad and is probably worth a try.

7oz. pours with very little head, rusty color, not the sparkling ruby i sought. Body is firm and full, offering every beloved quality of a sweet femine bossom. Aroma is deliciously alcoholic but not quite as wowing as the taste, which features a yummy, buttery toffee the like of which I’ve not seen before in a beer. It’s almost like a werther’s original flavored scotch. Oh, how I love this beer. But fate is cruel and the 7 oz., quickly drained. Need more expensive Red ALE!