Santa's Private Reserve Ale - Rogue Ales

hustlesworth

Ohio

4.53/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

it's august, it's hot and sticky, and when i went to the bier depot i saw a shiny brown 22oz bottle with santa cheersing me on the label. so a jingle and a jangle, lets drink some xmas beer. ho ho ho.

A- poured a warm reddish copper amber from the side, but if you look down into the glass (after the head recedes) it's a copperish brown. the brew was only slightly hazy but mostly transparent beneath 2in of fluffy spongy beige foam that held its ground for awhile before settling to 1/4in eaving sticky wispy lace that almost spelled out the word "america"

S- citrusy hops and caramelized malts first, followed by gingerbread, tobacco, sun dried tomatoes, raisins, yeasty bread crust, and wild mushrooms

T- barely noticeable metallic and mild coffee, then burnt caramel, butterry praline, and pine needles! pine cones! pine sap! this is seriously tasting like a spiced up xmas tree and a joyous noel to me. more complexity follows with woodsy dried flowers, passionfruit, roasted malt, dried figs and dates, cranberries, toasted sourdough bread, and a nice bitter citrus almost "angostura (aromatic bitters)" hop aftertaste.

MF- resinous and slick but not quite oily, SPR goes right down even in the summer. medium carbonation level, finishes crisp and dry with pine sap on the roof of my mouth.

D- i wouldn't have known this was a holiday ale if it wasn't labeled as one. all the same, this is a tasty red ale that i WOULD drink in session, but realistically couldn't due to its limited availability. the bottle i snagged was left over from xmas 06 was stored properly. we'll see if the 07 is just as good.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2007 16:48:34 | More by hustlesworth

MadWolf

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +18.7%

05-24-2013 20:08:44 | More by MadWolf

jkane101

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%

05-18-2013 22:19:01 | More by jkane101

Zimm

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +5.5%

05-15-2013 17:20:49 | More by Zimm

twenty5

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%

05-15-2013 17:18:41 | More by twenty5

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%

05-15-2013 11:23:43 | More by Slatetank

Artjsantos

Ohio

3/5  rDev -20.8%

05-10-2013 17:38:28 | More by Artjsantos

ajtorres311

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%

05-10-2013 16:49:51 | More by ajtorres311

tommyguz

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%

05-09-2013 02:15:40 | More by tommyguz

TheBeerAlmanac

Kentucky

3.25/5  rDev -14.2%

04-28-2013 23:42:41 | More by TheBeerAlmanac

DaPan

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +5.5%

04-13-2013 21:20:11 | More by DaPan

orangesol

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -14.2%

04-11-2013 03:19:23 | More by orangesol

vidguy17

Iowa

3.25/5  rDev -14.2%

03-30-2013 14:57:12 | More by vidguy17

zestd

Idaho

4.5/5  rDev +18.7%

03-29-2013 20:47:48 | More by zestd

Jamison85

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +18.7%

03-27-2013 05:53:14 | More by Jamison85

alelover

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%

03-26-2013 04:09:33 | More by alelover

brheuer

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +5.5%

03-25-2013 00:09:17 | More by brheuer

spycow

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%

03-08-2013 01:06:45 | More by spycow

hannaho

Washington

4/5  rDev +5.5%

03-07-2013 19:59:44 | More by hannaho

screamking

Ohio

3.86/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

22 oz bomber poured into wine glass.

Appearance-pours red-brown with 1 finger light khaki head. Decent lacing around the edges. 4

Aroma-Very sweet smelling beer. Strong brown sugar with hints of citrus throughout, orange, grapefruit, and apricot. Vanilla is very prevalent as well. Aroma on this is delightful 4.25

Taste-The sweetness from the aroma continues in the mouth. A lot of brown sugar up front, also vanilla and maple syrup. Im also getting some black pepper towards the middle. After the sweetness fades the bitterness comes in strong and lasts. 3.75

Feel-medium body, coats palate well, abv is only 6% but it feels stronger. 3.25

Overall-I'm actually surprised how much I like this. I've never been to big of a Rogue fan, but this beer is by far the best that I've had from them. It is perfect for cold winter nights. The bitterness in this one is a little too much at the end but the sweetness up front makes up for it. 4

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 03:35:33 | More by screamking

ChiefHopHead

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%

03-05-2013 02:20:27 | More by ChiefHopHead

RumHam

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%

03-05-2013 01:15:59 | More by RumHam

pottergator

New York

4/5  rDev +5.5%

03-03-2013 21:20:31 | More by pottergator

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.25/5  rDev -14.2%

03-03-2013 07:26:40 | More by Kelp

shick1

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +12.1%

03-03-2013 06:36:06 | More by shick1