Rogue Imperial Stout

Deserving the title "Emperor of Ales" (unlike the bourgeois "King of Beers"), Imperial is the strongest and fullest of all stouts. Imperials originally were brewed with large quantities of hops and a high alcohol content to withstand long, unrefrigerated journeys. 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. Unfiltered and unfined, Imperial Stout is best when aged for one year. Imperial Stout is available in a new 12-ounce bottle (replacing the older 7-ounce XS-line package) and on draft.

Measurements: 26 degrees Plato, IBU 87.5, Apparent Attenuation 77, Lovibond 258

3.9

1411 reviews

Newport, United States

Community reviews

3.2 On tap, poured into a snifter. The aroma is smoke and ash with undertones of caramel and coffee. The beer is dark and opaque with a tan, dense head that leaves a moderate ring retention and mild lace. The taste is a medium high / high bitter and a medium sweet. The texture is thick with a light fizz carbonation. The medium body is flavored with smoke, ash, dark chocolate, and wood and finishes with a mostly dark chocolate syrup flavor and a clean wood ash and leather combination . The aftertaste is a dry tobacco smoke that turns to bitter coffee with a mild metallic tinge.

4.5 2014 edition- 10% abv. Appearance is jet black, with a tan, foamy clingy head. Aroma- loads of chocolate, cocoa, vanilla, leather, burnt toast, massive roasty malt, espresso coffee, dark fruit and liquorice hints. Bit of treacle toffee in there as well. Taste- bitter coffee, chocolate fudge cake, roasty toasty malt, coconut and vanilla undertones, molasses, thick chocolate milkshake, dark cooking chocolate. Mouthfeel is full and thick, almost chewy. The finish is almost sweet. Superb stout.

5.0 Perfect beer. Very long taste with chocolate and vanilla. Great balance of ingredients.

4.4 XS Imperial Stout Bottle to goblet. Merry XMas. Look is Dark black, medium tan head. Thick look. Lasting lacing remains. Sudsy legs. Aroma is plum, blueberry raspberry, dark chocolate. Taste is the same except stronger on the fruits, where the aroma is equal fruit and chocolate. Rum, whiskey booze like taste in the finish. Feel is full and and a little chewy.

4.0 Dark oily black, thin head. Aroma of roasted malts and vanilla. Expected better taste, it’s good but nothing amazing: roasted malts, coffee, vanilla, chocolate, balanced by high hoppyness. Good, but, you pay for the ceramic than for the beer.

4.5 Rating #1320 10.11.2014 - Bottle @revolutionyeg - Aroma is earth, cocoa, toffee, espresso. Palate is a sweet mix of alcohol warmth, earth, coffee. Decent bitterness. Extremely well done.

4.2 Another bit of XS craftsmanship from Rogue. Complex and well blended, this XS features cocoa, molasses, roasted malt, some licorice and coffee. The rolled oats help extend the taste and thicken up the body. The 88 IBUs are competing with a lot of taste and alcohol, but they make their presence felt as the taste continues. An expensive rarity north of the border, but nice when you have something to celebrate!

4.0 Tap at Michael Mina, Las Vegas, 12th November 15. As Rogue XS. Black, aroma is chocolate, tar, coffee. Taste is bitter chocolate, slight smoke, long lingering bitter hop kick. My kind of impy, excellent

3.3 7/26/2010 11:02:24 AM Small bottle at Beer Temple. Dark black with thin head. Nose of dark chocolates. Silky, syrupy texture. Taste of molasses, dark chocolate and coffee. Bitter finish. Must say I had expected quite a bit more as Rogue is always spot on. It lacked an overall oomph I felt.

4.3 Poured from fancy bottle. Aroma of coffee and chocolate. Taste is medium bitter. Full bodied, with a a thick texture. Excellent imperial stout, but over priced here in Nova Scotia.

4.2 Bottle; pours nearly black with dark tan head; sweet aroma of dark fruits, roasted malts, chocolate, coffee, and hints of vanilla and molasses; taste is bittersweet with roast malt, chocolate, dark fruits, and coffee with a hint of vanilla; finish is bitter with alcohol warming; another solid beer from Rogue.

3.8 Hazy dark brown colour, tan head. Aroma of coffee, caramel, chocolate and roasted malts. Bitter flavour, chocolate, malts, caramel and loads of coffee. Bitter coffee finish. As Rogue XS Imperial Stout. (from 75cL bottle @ Sunday Bottle Share, CBC Clerkenwell; RBESG 2014, London)

4.3 Pours pitch black with a light brown head, quite creamy and dense. Excellent lacing and moderate retention. Nose of deep dark fruits, black cherries, currants, some raisin, plum. Touch of chocolate, and no alcohol surprisingly. Nice. Taste turns the tables, super bitter and roasty coffee. Deep dark chocolate, and a dry finish. Lengthy roastiness, and some sweet molasses near the end of the sip as well. Slightly sticky, but still quite dry. Pretty heavy body, and low carbonation. Absolutely no alcohol here, which is a feat for the ABV. A very nice roasty and bitter stout, expensive but worth a try.

3.9 Tap at rogue distillery in Portland. Smoky and sweet nose and thick black pour. A bit too sweet for me and the sugar persists. Has the sharp edge of a imperial but the sweetness kills it a bit and lowers the ranking. Maybe nitro would be better.

3.9 Enjoyed and consumed at the Tap Room’s 1st Anniversary party! Great dark mysterious look. Roasty, rich and delicious. A well crafted beer.

3.8 Served on tap at Rogue. Dark black color with a medium tan head. Chocolate toasted aroma. Heavy creamy texture. Toasted chocolate bitter flavor. Bitter flavor lingers.

4.1 Ordered from Hopleaf. Inky brown-black, beige watery head with huge oaty bubbles. Veiny foamy legs. Smells of mineral bitterness, coffee, oat/biscuit, toast, butterscotch, hint of fruit (apricot, plum, banana) and raisin and vanilla bean. Really nice aroma that's bitter, toasty and nutty. Taste starts sharply acidic/burnt, graduates to being bitter, coffee bean, spiced dark malt, then ends on an even more bitter, almost ashy note. Body is very creamy, spicy, sharply fizzy burnt finish. A bit like the Rasputin but with a creamier body and oatier toastier nose. Excellent beer.

4.1 Bottle from Hop Leaf at home. Super cool bottle. Pitch black pour, not a big head, tan in color. Aroma is very chocolatey, roasted malts, vanilla, booze, toast. Inviting. Taste is big rich boozy roasted bitterness, slight apricot sweet/tart, coffee, caramel, vanilla. Bitter boozy finish with lasting warmth. Rich but nicely carbonated palate. Really good imperial stout.

4.4 On tap at Rogue in SF. Rich molasses, chocolate, and coffee aroma. Seriously rich taste, nearing impy stout perfection. Coffee molasses dark fruit caramel bourbon licorice with a long bitter finish. Really good.

3.8 Old rating. Fantastic stout. Syrupy black pour. Giant roasted malt and chocolate syrup. Little bit of vanilla sweetness. Booze well hidden within the fullbodiednrss.

4.8 This beer is almost perfect. The aroma, this taste. It’s just mesmerizing. Awesome!

4.6 Giant brew with tan head and jet black pour. Thick head nitrogen like bubbly. Coffee some bitterness that was exceptionally balanced. Some maple on finish, with mild dark fruity finish.

3.8 750ml ceramic bottle, 2011 vintage, 11%. Black, decent foamy tan head, some sparse lacing. Aroma is pine, chocolate syrup, touch of bread, spice. Body is medium, touch of carbonation, a little foamy. Taste is malt-forward, has a little cardboard which could be oxidation or it could be the oats, some tangy alcohol coming through, ashy towards the finish, long dry salty aftertaste. Very smooth drinking, but quite simple. Pretty good.

3.6 2008 bottle from the rot box. Pours a black appearance with a big foamy dark brown head. The aroma shows some signs of age - a little cardboard and bready notes. A fair amount of roast, dark fruits (figs, plums), port wine, and Belgian chocolates in the nose. The mouth feel is pretty thick and gooey though the flavor isn’t overly sweet. High boost. Lots of roast, pine, dark chocolate, oats, and burnt malts. Drinks pretty good (and I’m sure even better when it’s not seven years old!)

4.0 On tap at Popeye in Tokyo, served in a snifter. Oil black with a nice tan head. Big bold coffee and tobacco taste with coffee aroma. Some sourness present as well. Chocolate comes out as it warms up to room temperature. Alcohol taste is also present. Syrupy, heavy texture...like sorghum. Nice bold stout!

4.0 Draft at Graydons - pours jet black with tan head . Mild dark fruit aroma . Smooth . Hints of cocoa and dark fruit . Solid RIS .

3.8 Bottle from PriorL and Mathieu87. Thanks! Dark brown colour, beige foam. Syrupy texture. Aroma of coffee and roasted malts. Some sour hints. Good.

4.2 Delicious. Dark black pour with a tan head. Very full mouthfeel. Rich roasted malts and chocolates, and you can’t tell it’s high ABV. Deadly!

4.1 Thanks to brunnsbe for the bottle (bottled 2007, BBF October 2009). Coffee and tobacco in aroma. Almost no head. This stout is somewhat hoppy but the taste has at least some vanilla. A very good beer.

4.3 more similar to Rasputin (North Coast) than any other Imperial I’ve had, but it’s been a while. I like it almost as much as Rasputin as it has many of the same attributes...the difference is that I can buy Raspy at $8 a 4-pack and can only get Rogue in a $12 ceramic bottle. What’s up with that? $5-6, like you’re other brews, isn;t enough? I got it in a 12 oz 6 pack when I first tried it, but I won’t dish out $12(now more like $16-18) especially when Stone’s is better and half the price!"