$15 Rogue XS Imperial Stout 2008, Buy or Don't?

Title says it all: I have a chance to purchase a 2008 bottle of Rogue XS Imperial Stout for $15. Should I, or should I just find a fresh bottle? Is $15 a good price?

Thanks!

If you have to ask........


ooh a game.

$15 is a fair price for the ceramic 750s. I think I paid a dollar or two less in Oregon, but that seems very close to the going price in the Midwest. The beer handles age well and if you think it was stored in reasonable conditions (not worried about light here, more heat) then I think it is a good buy. The barleywine is also good with age (in fact if you are the kind of person that thinks bigfoot is undrinkable fresh you wouldn't want to go anywhere near one for a few years), the other XS beers are better fresh IMO.

I think I'm going to pass on it for now. I'm in northern West Virginia visiting family and I'd rather take home beers I can't get back in Richmond, like some Great Lakes. I've got enough RIS and barleywines in my fridge that I know are properly stored and don't have to worry about.

Thanks for the input, by the way. It was the line "stored in reasonable conditions" that sealed it for me. The beer is on the top shelf, unrefrigerated. Wasn't sure so I passed. Everything I have in my fridge is kept at about 45-50 in a small fridge. They'll be perfect come winter!

Whenever I'm contemplating splurging for a good beer at 10$ a pop, I remind myself that this amount of money would barely be enough for a cheap teeth stainer such as Monkey Trail or two pints of Bud at the overpriced student pub. But if you already have a fridge full of Barlewyines...

Don't get me wrong, I've been wanting to try the ceramic-bottled XS beers for some time. Unfortunately my beer budget isn't as big as I'd like, and I have a few other beers I'd rather get (Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary Grand Cru). Seeing the beer sitting there in a warm wine shop, unrefrigerated, possibly for the whole two years it's been out...well, I'll pass and get something I can be sure has been well-tended.

That said, if it's still there by Christmas, I may just pull the trigger...

Yeah if it was just sitting there for the longest time, there might be some degradation. I'm always appaled when I see 15-20$ bottles of beer sitting on the shelf (sometimes even in green bottles), unloved and uncared for, while you have the cheap Australian wine and Sapporo in the fridges. Our provincial liquor stores are VERY guilty of this.

Beer doesn't get enough respect in large liquor stores, IMO.

We have a couple shops in KC that are getting a clue and refrigerating in one case all IPAs and in another most of the beer. Some enlightened cities like Minneapolis/St. Paul and Portland have lots of places that refrigerate a lot of beer.

eulipion: you better get on your quest of buying XS beers in ceramic bottles as that packaging was discontinued in the last year, new production is all in 7 oz nips. At this point, don't buy any IIPA or Imperial Pilsner if you see it. Stout and barleywine are fine if the handling was reasonable.

remilard, this was a little wine shop that had a decent selection of wine, but the beer was all on what amounts to a medium-sized bookshelf at room temp. I did know about the phase-out of the ceramic, but I was a bit concerned about the handling. I do wish the XS beers were available in the full 22 oz bombers now instead of just in those 'nips'. I realize that the nips are a more reasonable serving size, but it's always more fun to crack open a bomber and share with friends!

That said, I'm sure the imperial stout is at least a little bulletproof, and probably would have been okay. But I really want that SN 30th Anniversary Grand Cru, the last vestiges of the autumn beers, and the early crop of winters. Besides, I have a two-liter growler of BrewPastor's Dark Night of the Soul and a whole fridge of various vintages of Bigfoot that I need to get through this winter