Welcome to Everything Brewed. This is to be the first in a 4 part series on Red Ales to kick of the official Everything Brewed "Brew Review".
Some basics to know about Red Ales are that they tend to have a malty taste with a very pronounced caramel note. They can be light to full bodied generally, and have a hop profile that ranges from medium to full. They will usually be about 4-6% alcohol by volume.
In the case of Rogue XS Imperial Red, it is a full hop flavor right away - balanced with an ample helping of malts. It's as if an IPA and a normal Amber had a beer baby and named it XS. I am sure that it has something to do with the fact that it is dry hopped (a process that adds much more hops flavor to a brew as they are added during fermentation as opposed to being cooked). This also gives it a thicker appearance as opposed to a clear filtered beer that you might be accustomed to. The flavor, while balanced, is long. It is not a beer that you will sip and forget about. Instead it is one that will linger and give you time to ponder its complexity. It would pair nicely with a beef or sausage dish, especially if the dish is spicy. The brewery also recommends that it will go well with a dessert, but I would take that one step further and say that it could actually BE the dessert.
So I rate this beer a 4 out of 5 pints, and strongly recommend that if you are feeling adventurous, head to your local craft beer retailer, get a couple of these little 7oz bottles ($4 ea), and enjoy - responsibly of course!
Cheers,
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Check out Rouge's website for more information on the brewery. There will be other Rogue Ales featured in the Brew Review in the future I am sure.
