Rogue - Imperial Stout

Also in a nifty ceramic bottle, this pricey offering from Rogue is my be well worth it coming in at 750 ml for around $15 or so. This bottle, though I bought it last week, is actually of a 2007 vintage. I'm unsure if there are any releases after that, though I would hope they'd brew this again.

This pours out of the ceramic bottle (which seems perfect for home brewing with its resealable top...) a dark, viscous black. The head lazily rose through the beer as if it were fighting through molasses. The smell was of a sweet maltiness and had a depth and darkness that I haven't found in a while. It reminded me almost of the smell of an oatmeal stout.

The taste was thick, heavy and slightly bitter, with enough of an undertone of sweetness to make me happy. This is a classic imperial stout, and well done at that. This doesn't taste overpoweringly alcoholic either though it does come in at 11% ABV. It is described as tasting better after a year (and in this case two years) of aging, and I would have to agree, though I did not have the privilege to try this straight off the tap.