On January 13th of 1998 I wrote this about Rogue Imperial Stout:
This is a BIG beer in a LITTLE bottle. While visiting my father in New Jersey for Thanksgiving, I picked up several bottles of this potent brew. It was bottled in 1996, but that's not a problem since Rogue recommends aging the stuff for a year anyway.
Rogue's Imperial Stout is thick and syrupy. It isn't
heavily carbonated, but it does have a huge nose bursting with licorice
notes. The palate is extremely intense, strong licorice notes combine with
chocolate, coffee, peach, and a _lot_ of alcohol. The finish has a lot of
hops for an aged beer, I'd love to sample it young to see just how hoppy it
is initially (87.5 IBU's according to the bottle). A truly wonderful beer
indeed.
Rogue’s Imperial Stout is an over-the-top beer loaded with flavor. This is a
true enthusiasts’ beer, and it certainly ranks right up there with the very
best of the Imperials being brewed in America today. Ingredients are as
follows, according to Rogue:
Rogue Imperial Stout, considered the high end of stouts, is made of 2-row
Great Western Harrington & Klages, Hugh Baird XLT-80, Black, Munich and
Chocolate Malts; Willamette, Cascade and Chinook hops; rolled oats; and two
secret ingredients.
The original gravity is in the vicinity of an amazing 1.1, and bitterness is
listed as 87.5 IBUs. This is, to be sure, a big beer.
Rogue suggests that you age the beer for at least a year before drinking. I
took notes on some aged Rogue Imperial several yeas back:
Rogue's Imperial Stout is thick and syrupy. It isn't heavily
carbonated, but it does have a huge nose bursting with licorice notes. The
palate is extremely intense, strong licorice notes combine with chocolate,
coffee, peach, and a lot_ of alcohol. The finish has a lot of hops for an
aged beer, I'd love to sample it young to see just how hoppy it is initially
(87.5 IBU's according to the bottle). A truly wonderful beer indeed.
As big as Rogue Imperial Stout is, for a long time it was sold in itty bitty
seven ounce bottles for about $2.99 each. Today, though, Rogue is selling it
in twelve-ounce bottles. My most recent sample the other night was on draft,
though, and it was absolutely incredible.
Fresh on tap, Rogue Imperial Stout pours to a jet-black color with a
light creamy tan head and a very intense mocha and licorice nose. The palate
is huge, very smooth and full in mouthfeel with an almost oily texture to
it. Flavors of bittersweet cocoa, very roasty espresso, and licorice all
compete with a permeating bitterness. In the finish, a formidable roasted
barley bitterness combines with the huge minty-grassy hop bitterness to
leave a lasting impression upon the palate. An impressive alcohol warmth is
definitely present in the finish too.
More malt, more hops, and more alcohol than your average stout: Rogue
Imperial has it all. Definitely not for the timid.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft