Thursday, November 22, 2012
New Brew Thursday - Rogue XS Russian Imperial Stout
The other day we thoroughly enjoyed Rogue's 2011 XS Russian Imperial Stout. My hubby picked this one out of our horde . . . er . . . stash of craft beers. And it was a great choice!
First of all, I'd like to comment on the bottle. It is quite impressive and a fitting vessel for this outstanding brew. The bottle is a ceramic bottle painted charcoal black with a swing top stopper. There is no way light is penetrating this bottle to skunk this brew! Awesome!
To add a touch my own personal style, I served this beer in a mason jar . . . I'm nothing if not classy. :/
This extra special stout pours dark as pitch with a creamy mocha head. The aroma is an abundance of coffee and a hint of booziness; at 11% ABV this isn't unexpected.
Not for the faint of heart nor for the meek beer drinker. This is a BIG . . . nay . . . ginormous beer.
The first taste . . . I wasn't sure if I was drinking a beer or a coffee. The big coffee taste is complemented by dark chocolate notes. It has a clean finish complemented by a bitter hoppiness. It had a bubbly mouthfeel and not as creamy as I expect in an imperial stout. That's not a bad thing, just different from what I anticipated.
The flavors intensify as it warms . . . as does the burn that accompanies such a high alcohol beer. It's all good and just gets better.
I am truly impressed. Gotta love Rogue!
This beer is perfect for anyone who is a fan of coffee and/or stouts. Outstanding in it's awesomeness. I give it two thumbs up plus any extras I can find laying around!
Cheers!!
Visit Rogue's website or check them out on Facebook.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment