Rogue Brewing Company's XS Imperial Red

I seriously hate the little bottle.

Pours a fairly deep, loosely filtered reddish brown with a nice tan head. Big, bready smell.

Pretty good punch to it, about like an imperial pale should be, although it has a pretty harsh bitter aftertaste. I don't know, seems kind of meh overall, although that may be because it's a pretty bland style to take imperial. It should be closer to an IPA, but it just, isn't.

Rogue Brewing Company's Juniper Pale Ale

If you can't tell, I'm dumping a ton of beers I've kept notes on into the blog, so I can track what I've had better. Most Rogue beers would deserve a more detailed post, but unfortunately this one doesn't so I don't feel too bad including it in the dump.

Pours a cloudy yellow, with a fizzy almost white head.

It has a slightly malty sweet smell, with indistinct hops. Tastes about the same, and unfortunately there's not a whole lot to say about a middle of the road pale. Light body, just a tad too sweet.

Rogue Brewing Company's Chocolate Stout

If you have someone you're trying to introduce to good beer, but aren't quite sure which way to go, try this one.

Pours deep, opaque black with a big brown head that stays well with good carbonation.

Obvious chocolate smell. This is not the chocolate you get from roasting the barley a certain way, like Brooklyn's Black Chocolate Stout (which is also a very good beer). It tastes like sweeter chocolate, and has an obvious cocoa taste. It's not over the top though, like Young's Double Chocolate Stout (which is not a good beer), and strikes a good balance between the desire for a chocolate taste but still having some semblance of beer flavor to it. Young's is like drinking a chocolate cake. Brooklyn's is like drinking beer with deep, unsweetened, dark chocolate. This is more like beer with a sweeter chocolate, but still beer. No discernible hops flavor, but the bitterness comes out a bit in the aftertaste. Great, smooth feel to it, because the cocoa gives the feel of lactose, without that cold lactose taste.

It makes a great dessert beer. It was the first of many I had, because I was starting someone off slowly on about a dozen beers that were strong ales or heavier, but I'll have to keep some around just in case I ever get to have more than beer for dessert.

Rogue Brewing Company's Double Dead Guy

I went on a beer sampling bender yesterday, at a friend's impromptu Christmas-Is-Later-This-Month party, and had about ten different beers. Most have been reviewed fairly recently, so I'm limiting this post to one of the two that wasn't.

Pours a hazy, deep amber with strong carbonation and a big (huge if you're not careful) light tan head that never fully fades.

Great hoppy smell. Grassy. But not too crazy, it's also backed up by a solid malt smell so it's very balanced.

Tastes as expected. Smooth, fairly big body to it. Not just higher in alcohol, which seems to be the sole aim of many strong ales, it has a bigger body and great feel to it. It's not overly hoppy or one dimensional, either, although it's not exactly the sexiest beer out there. But, if you want a fairly large beer without going to a stout or barleywine, or the slightly one-dimensional IPA, this is a good pick. Lots of taste in every category, without any one getting out of hand. The 9% ABV is a bonus, and you can't detect it at all in the taste.

Rogue Brewing Company's Yellow Snow IPA

I'm guessing that the TABC doesn't like the Yellow Snow part of this label, which is why we don't have it in Texas. Bastards. I showed them though, I flew all the way to California and found it. It's part of my beer haul that includes 52 beers that I've never had, or haven't had in Texas.

This one pours a hazy amber with a huge pillowy off white head.

Grassy smell. Somewhat malty, but the hops get you more than anything.

Big grassy bitterness that finishes clean and doesn't get off or cardboard-ish in the aftertaste. Malt in the feel, but not really in the taste. Not a whole lot to write about here. Reminds me a lot of Dead Guy Ale in that I love the brewery, and it's within the style guidelines, but it's just not terribly exciting.

Rogue Brewing Company's Somer Oramge Honey Ale

Not sure who Somer is, but I'm guessing the label doesn't do her justice. Looking forward to a wheat from Rogue though, even if it does have the other junk in it. Hopefully it won't be as heavy as the hazelnut in their Hazelnut Brown.

Pours an unfiltered dark yellow with a huge white head. Stays longer than any head on a wheat beer I've seen.

Smells like a wheat, with that musty smell malted wheat can have. Slight citrus zing to it, but it's not identifiable as orange right now, probably because it's muted by the honey.

I like it. Immediately zippy like a wheat should be, probably aided by the orange. Good smoothness to it as well, with a clean finish that isn't as dry as most beers with honey in them. No real bitterness to speak of, but a twang that hits right up front and quickly fades.

Good beer. Another one I hope they keep around, at least on a seasonal basis. They did the additions just right, and you aren't swamped by orange and honey like other breweries might have done.

Rogue Brewing Company's Captain Sig's Northwestern Ale

Alright Captain Sig, save me from my Unibroue horror. Please, please, please be the first good beer I have today, even if you are a shameless marketing ploy. Glad they didn't pick one of the hillbilly captains from the show though.

Pours an unfiltered brown with red edges. Great tan head that develops large cells and stays. Great small as well. Hoppier than a straight pale, and more malty as well. Grassy hops come across as very clean.

This would be an IPA in any other bottle. Big body that matches the bitterness, which is still grassy and clean. Probably a little less malty than the IPA's with this level of hops though.

Like most of the Rogue offerings, this is a very good beer. Glad to see them roll out a new one, and I hope it stays.

Rogue Brewing Company's Hazlenut Brown Nectar

Rogue is one of my favorite breweries, despite the cheesy artwork. Still, they make an impressive variety of beers and give lots of information on the bottles. Their Imperial series are great offerings as well and their Imperial Pilsner is one of my all time favorites. So I do go back to even their more pedestrian offerings from time to time, sometimes just to see what I think about them a second time around.

Like this one. I distinctly remember thinking that I didn't want to really try this again because it was too nutty, but it was given to me as a gift so what the heck.

Pours a clear, deep copper with a light tan head that thins fairly quickly despite pretty strong carbonation. Smells mostly malty. Like they may have toned it down.

Ack. Nope. Tastes like I'm drinking a peanut butter sandwich. Otherwise it's appropriately crisp and malty for a brown, and I bet the next few sips are better because I know what to expect, but I'll have to keep in mind that free or not, it'smy least favorite of the Rogue beers by a damn sight. The taste smooths from peanut butter to a more raw hazlenut taste as it warms, but it's still too much. I wish brewers would make an effort not to over do things like nut, fruit, or other added flavors. Too much of a good thing is just not good.

Rogue Brewing Company's Irish Style Lager

Alright, I like Rogue a great deal, but they shouldn't go just making up style names. What the hell is an Irish style anything unless it's red or stout?

Pours like a typical lager of any country. Deeper yellow than most, but the fizzy white head is the same. Carbonation is lower than most. Same bland smell, except a little more malty. Not as adjunct-y.

You know, I wish it had more rice. I like the bitter twang it gives Budweiser. This is a good beer, and it has a heavier body than American lagers, but I expected it to be a little zippier. If the made-up style of Irish Lager is supposed to be slower, flatter, and less zippy than an American, then it's right on type. As un-sexy as American lagers are, this one is even un-sexy-er.