XS Imperial Red
Equal parts brick red and ferric oxide orange with bright tangerine borders. What a lovely (and appropriate) hue given the style. The pale butter toffee colored cap is richly creamy and is sticky enough to leave impressive looking sheets of lace on the upper part of the glass. Subsequent pours look even better. The aroma is a mixture of caramel (crystal malt) and an earthy nuttiness (Munich malt), in addition to a nonspecific fruitiness from the Palisade and Crystal hops. The chocolate malt isn't appreciated per se, but it's undoubtedly adding 'oomph' on the bottom end. A more impressive hoppiness on the top end might have led to a higher score. I'll say one thing for Rogue, they Nine Inch Nailed the style. It can't be easy to brew a beer that tastes like an Imperial red ale and nothing else. Whether it's good beer or not is an entirely different matter. Hmmm... the jury is still out. It is growing on me, however. The beer earns points and respect by having an impressive amount of boldness, not all of which is due to a considerable (although fairly well-buried) alcohol presence. The sneakily complex flavor profile includes well-toasted brown bread, steely caramel, orange peel, peanuts and tobacco. The hops make more of an impression as the beer gains a few degrees, especially with respect to bitterness. The mouthfeel oozes quality, which is typical for these guys. It has the smoothness (due to malt) and the firmness (due to alcohol) of tempered glass. Big beer lovers should be right in their comfort zone. Did I mention the perfect carbonation? Rogue Ales has taken their fair share of shots for their business practices, but they almost always come through where it matters most. Even though I have no interest in purchasing another bottle of Imperial Red anytime soon, I have no regrets about plunking down the cash for this one.