Santa's Private Reserve Ale - Rogue Ales

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A hopped up beer, an amber. Not bad, with some complexity like a 1.5X IPA. As they say it, its the Rogue with twice the hops. On the bitter side and a melange of hops that are difficult to distinguish. Bitter despite all the malts, and still a carmel taste, the bitterness from the C hops with a citrus finish and aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2007 04:57:57 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.4/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bright red-orange-copper, a lovely hue that is in keeping with the festive, holiday theme. The head is stupendous and is made up of buttery, orangish beige foam that is hugely rocky and absolutely full of character. When it finally relents, the glass is chock full of tenacious lace in speckled, broken sheets. Very nice.

While the aroma is unquestionably good, it is a bit of a letdown. When I learned that Chinook and Centennial were in use and that this beer was brewed to be a hoppier version of St. Rogue Red, my expectation meter went instantly to 'drool'. The aroma is sweet and hoppy and spicy and everything else that I had hoped for, it just isn't as forceful as it could be since the hops are blunted to some extent by the malt.

The same applies to the flavor... very good but not outstanding and certainly not a hop bomb. I'd have to have them side by side, but Santa's doesn't seem much hoppier than the St. Rogue Red of my memory. It's still wonderful beer however. There's plenty of malt on hand with a toasted, bready flavor that keeps it firmly within the style guidelines. No one should confuse this beer with an IPA however.

Hops are present and accounted for. I especially notice the Chinook (they tend to dominate other varieties in my experience). One of the things that I love about Rogue is that they use plenty of ingredients; this beer is absolutely bursting with bittersweet flavor. Spicy, tangy, pungent, grapefruity, sprucy hops commingle with sweet malt in an increasingly harmonious manner as the beer warms. My impressions of the flavor are becoming much more favorable as I get deeper into the bottle.

The finish is long and hoppysweet, remaining relatively well-balanced (from a hop lover's perspective) until the deliciously bitter end. The mouthfeel is between medium and full with that characteristic Rogue lushness that I know and love. More often than not, these guys hit their marks in all aspects of the brewer's art.

Santa's Private Reserve (aka St. Nick Red) may not have been the 'Christmas in March' that I was expecting, but I got past that quickly enough. It's a big, hoppy, flavorful-as-hell ale that appeals to me in a big way. Although it doesn't do much to distinguish itself from the beer that it was patterned after, it's impossible to go wrong with either one. Highly recommended for Christmas lists everywhere.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2005 23:23:50 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I was very happy to be able to take part in this special cask tasting of this years Santa’s Reserve down at Barleys the other night. Whenever you get to take part in something like this it always makes my day and this was no exception. Arrived early and got to try some goodies downstairs and made my way up around the upstairs and right up in front of the cask for a while. After blowing up to the ceiling, it mellowed down enough to let them pour and what came out was just great. A nice and hazy, thick dark brown poured into the glass leaving a good two inches or so of tan colored head on top. This rested nicely down and laid on top to form a good half inch or so that lasted until the end. Smell was nice and richly spiced with an evident dry hopping to it. Lots of very fresh pine and cinnamon aromas coming off of it. This translated perfectly over to the taste where a nice rich brown ale was welcomed and mixed with a generous amount of hoppiness. A great creamy and smooth feel was nice and full bodied and never let you down on the carbonation. An almost chewy consistency could be detected as well. I wished I could have had more, but this was a one pint per man night so I loved every last sip. Overall this was really fantastic. It was very rich and fresh tasting and just had a tremendously good texture and feel to it. I could have made this one all night, but alas I had to go home. It was great and I am glad I made it. Truly one that I will remember.

Serving type: cask

11-02-2007 00:09:50 | More by mikesgroove

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes.

Pours a moderate amber color with a several finger head and a decent amount of lacing on the way down. The nose brings forward some nice citrus and pine notes, and this is balanced out by some amber malt and bready characteristics. Moderate body and carbonation bring forward some bitterness, although there is a bit of sweetness coming over the edge.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2010 18:00:39 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.4/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. single for $2.49 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Clear, dark amber body with a fairly tall, bubbly, off-white head.

Smell: Hoppy nose with full, fragrant notes of citrus fruits, pine needles, and spruce tips. Some toasty, roasty malty hint in back.

Taste: Pale malts with a bit of toast and a bit of roast to it along with a restrained caramel sweetness. Citrusy hop character, maybe a faint, far off touch of spicy spruce, with a medium bitterness. A mild residual sweetness tries it's best to remain, but the beer still finishes dry with a light, lingering bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: A beer with a bold hoppiness, as is the way with Rogue. So, if you like a punchy, bitter amber, you should also dig this.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2008 03:47:30 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

4.13/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a hazy amber color with a nice beige head that persists well and splashes the glass with lace

Smell: Rich biscuit and caramel undertones with a piney hop element wafting above

Taste: Starts out with a caramel and biscuit flavor that is joined, mid-palate by the piney hops; citrus elements build after the swallow and the long finish is dominated by the hops with just a hint of toffee underneath

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: A very enjoyable amber that is just a bit unbalanced in the hop direction; the early presence of the amber malt elements wind up getting overwhelmed, in the final analysis

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2007 20:30:03 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

3.63/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a murky orange-red with a foamy beige head that settles to a thick cap on top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt and some herbal and grassy hop aromas. Taste is much the same with a medium hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but I think it smells better than it tastes.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 06:32:53 | More by UCLABrewN84

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle: Poured a light brown color ale with a medium light brown foamy head with average retention. Aroma of spices is quite dominant with a nice touch of sweet malt. Taste of spruce(?) and pine is quite dominant with some liquorice. Hops seems to be a bit subdued and body is a bit thinner then expected. Interesting beer but not necessarily something that I would seek out often.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2006 20:55:33 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.2/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed durring the Christmas season and then again yesterday. Christmas in August for me. The beer had matured nicely; much more nutty and toasty than I remembered. The mahogany, amber colors, carbonation, and head criteria are consistent. To the nose, the hops still jump out with spruce-like, floral aromas. Flavors are high in the amber malts, spices (allspice, nutmeg, cinnemon), nuts (almonds and walnuts), and hops (citrus, pine-ey, ginger-ey). Still a full, round mouthfeel; leaving mild drying and alcohol sweetness behind as the beer disipates. I beleive that the hops had subsided a bit leaving the beer more nutty, malty, and smoother. I'm happpy with my choice in cellering.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2005 20:52:03 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This is one annual I look forward to every year I honestly didnt know it changed every year and maybe it doesnt but I did notice some changes this year.Poured a deep rich amber with reddish tinted well formed 1/2 finger head,the big dose of sprucey,piney hop is there along with some caramel and roasted grain as usual.The big diference I noticed in this years batch is really how thin and for that matter prickly the mouthfeel was it just didnt equate with the flavors,the hop profile is there and a decent sweetish malt base but the body really downgraded it this year.Hmm am I just dreaming or has it changed?

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2006 23:09:32 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear, very reddish-copper color with a full, foamy, light tan head that holds quite well and leaves some very nice lace. The aroma is hoppy! Piney/gently citrusy and lightly fruity. The body is medium with a fine & median carbonation. The flavor starts softly fruity and lightly nutty. A nicely sweet caramel maltiness comes through before becoming engulfed in resiny hop flavor and bitterness. And yet, the bitterness never really builds on the palate. Extremely well balanced for such a boldly hopped beer! It finishes quite dry with just some residual maltiness and a bold lingering bitterness. This beer reminded me of their St. Rogue Red but with more hop character. Very nice. An excellent choice for the hop lovers among us!

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2002 19:10:07 | More by NeroFiddled

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served in a Chicago Bears shaker pint glass.

Well, my drinking must've helped, 'cause the Bears pulled off another victory, this time against the Chargers. Boom! Anyway, this stuff pours a lightly hazy amber-crimson topped by a finger of dusty off-white foam. The nose comprises pine, caramel, sharp ruby red grapefruit zest, and a touch of mandarin orange flesh. The taste brings in more of the same, with the pine and grapefruit (this time the rind) really taking center stage, forcing all else to the background. It's not bad, just a bit one-dimensional. The body is a light medium, with a moderate carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, a one-note song, nothing close to exceptional. It's good, but I can't really drink all that much of it at length. Kinda confused as to what this has to do with X-Mas (I mean, it is called Santa's Private Reserve, after all)...

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2011 00:47:50 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Dark garnet/ rich,ruby color, big, creamy head. Aroma: hoppy, spicy, dazzling array of fruits, grapes, cherries. Sits wonderfully in the mouth. Tangy, sour taste. Bitter finish. It's described by Rogue as having a "hoppy, sprucy finish", and I obviously blinked on the spruce. I like it very well, but, although you can call me a hophead, I wasn't expecting quite so much hops in a brew of this style. Although, to be fair, the "winter beer" style is increasingly a broad one. In sum, I thank Santa for sharing!

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2002 21:52:21 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

4.13/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a dark red color with a nice tan head that lasts. The aroma is tremendous. There are elements of pale, crystal, and munich malts here. Also, the aroma hops stand out. The taste is good. It is quite hoppy. This is a red/amber ale with a heavy load of hops in all respects. The mouthfeel is good. This is a medium bodied ale that is well carbonated. This is a great drinking beer. You gotta love seasonal gems such as this.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2003 02:13:16 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

3.63/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I am slowly reviewing all the beers on beeradvocate that have more than 1000 reviews, this is one of them.

Beer served in a Rogue shaker pint glass because I can. Beer is red and mostly clear with a decent off white head of medium bubbles, leaves some lacing on the glass and carbonation is moderate to low.

Beer smells pretty malty, almost dark in the malt bill. Some piny hops rears up in the back and I can smell that horrid pacman yeast they use for everything, I call this aroma the Rogue bite.

Beer is thick and heavy on my palate...oh how I wish this was a 12 ounce bottle. It is not bad, it is a malty red but at this point in the night I'm not feeling such a heavy beer. The hop presence is fine in the back, moderately bitter, some pine on the palate. Overall it's a pretty OK red. I'd have it again but not 22 ounces in one sitting as my fifth beer of the night.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2011 17:29:44 | More by drabmuh

zeff80

Missouri

3.7/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours out a reddish/brown color with a small foamy head.

S - It smelled of malt and citrus. Also, a hint of grass or pine.

T - It tasted malty and a little spicy from the hops.

M - It was crisp and sharp on the tongue. A medium-bodied beer.

D - A very good amber with nice hops. It is another good brew from Rogue.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2006 23:44:38 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

3.85/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is clear amber in color and has a moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high beige head that has good retention properties and never completely faded away.
S: There are aromas of moderate aromas of butter and caramel in the nose.
T: The taste is very similar to the smell and has a light amount of malty sweetness. There are some hints of bitterness in the finish.
M: It feels medium-bodied and very smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The beer isn't that difficult to drink, although there's no way that I could have more than one of these at a time.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 01:48:57 | More by metter98

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A highly carbonated beer that pours with a thick brown head. This beer is a dark brown color that is a clear deep amber color when held up to the light. It has a some what hoppy nose, though it is not too strong.

Definitely a hoppy beer in the taste department as well. It is fairly dry, but does have a caramel malt twang to it. There are interesting pine & citrus notes in this beer. It is fairly bitter in the finish, which is only accentuated by the light body of this brew. Perhaps a hint of buttery richness in the finish as well. As I dig deeper I find roasted malt notes in this beer, just as promised, though at first I missed them because of the hops. The hop notes primarily bring to mind pine & spruce.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2004 22:02:28 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.98/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a light reddish brown color, with a short off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of caramelized malts, floral hops and some citrus.

T: The taste is nicely balanced with flavors of caramel & citrus sweetness and a good floral hops bitterness. The malt character is hearty and the hops presence eventually takes dominance. The after-taste is slightly hoppy and slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, decent kick, this is a good beer with some substance and is worth drinking for a long time.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2008 03:14:46 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.28/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured out with pretty nice looking red color, the head was fizzy and creamy colored. The lacing wasn't really all there. The smell was of some sweet malts and had a bit of spiciness on the nose. The taste has more of the spice than anything else. The finish was bitter and dry. The mouthfeel was medium bodied and has a decent feel to it for a winter brew. Overall I'd never buy a whole case of it. It's not a bad brew but I wouldn't need to have it on hand.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2011 01:24:40 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.4/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours ruby red with a fluffy light brown head. Head retention good, not great. Lacing clings to the side of the .5L glass I'm drinking this from.

Smell: Hops (piney and some floral notes) and fruitiness, a slight earthiness with slight brown sugar notes.

Taste: Hops kicking ass & taking names from the get go, but still complimenting a malty/fruity body.

MF: Chewy & balanced, but straying towards over hopping, detracting drinkabiity...

Tasty effort, reminds me of buffed up brutal bitter..

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2005 07:04:07 | More by russpowell

Halcyondays

California

3.18/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22 oz. bomber, with the man himself on the cover,

A: Pours a dark red, with a thick, full, frothy white head, great retention, leaving medium lacing.

S: Has a sweet smell of caramel malt and some hops.

T: Kind of a letdown in this department. The hop flavour is nice, but it is kind of 1-dimensional, straight pine, backed with a red caramel malt flavour that is not my favourite in the world. Not a bad flavour overall, but I didn't find myself enjoying it as much as I thought I would.

M: Kind of thin, watery, holds up fairly well, but needs more heft, didn't feel it carried the flavour as well as it could have.

D: This is a beer I remember liking last year, but this year it wasn't exactly my cup of tea, tastes change I guess. I still think it tastes good overall, it just didn't excite me that much. I'll drink again, but I don't know if this one will be in my regular winter beer rotation.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2007 23:00:28 | More by Halcyondays

Gavage

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clear amber / copper in color with a nice 2" bubbly tan head. Aroma is malty, piney bitterness, with hints of citrus and spice. The flavor follows what is picked up by the nose, with plenty of maltiness and bitterness, followed by some grapefruit, caramel, and a touch of pepper.

Mouthfeel starts smooth with a touch of crispness, but ends crisply and lightly dry. The maltiness and pine lingers. Medium in body. Minimal carbonation bubbles noticed. As with most Rogue products, very drinkable and quite tasty.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2005 12:09:20 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours reddish-copper with a thin foamy off-white head.

Rogue's signature Pac-man yeast is in the forefront of the smell, backed up by toasty caramel, citrus and earthy notes.

The taste is of the Pac-man yeast, caramel/toffee and bitter citrus with a touch of spruce. Toffeeish malt gives way to a bitter finish. Medium-bodied (not quite as full as many other winter offerings, but a nice body for an amber/red ale.

With the ingedients, I expected to like it even more. Bottom line though - I liked it and certainly found it to be highly drinkable and a good "hop-fix" for a change from the large line-up of malty/spicy winter brews (along with a few other hoppy winter brews that come to mind).

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2008 13:57:16 | More by jwc215

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle. I shared one of these during the hubbub of New Years' Eve, and recall having quite enjoyed it - well, I guess I only recall that it tasted like Rogue...so, another bottle now, on a much quieter evening. The label, with its stein-hoisting Ol' Saint Nick and white snowflakes, glows in the dark, just as the 'Snowflakes Glisten' proclamation indicates. Cool.

This beer pours a slightly hazy dark copper colour, with a few fingers of thick, foamy off-white head, that leaves a fair bit of sticky lacing as it slowly recedes.

It smells of bitter citrus hops - orange and grapefruit, mostly - a little pine resin, and a subdued caramel malt - very nice. The taste starts with rather tart, dry piney hops, some tangy citrus cream, and quickly moves through to a slightly roasted caramel/toffee malt body, some juicy fruitiness, all followed closely by some more bitter grassy hops.

The carbonation is about average - a bit too noticeable at first, but it dissipates quickly enough, the body maintaining a decently weighty medium bearing, with a tentative smoothness. It finishes off-dry, the malt and bitter hops still doing a pleasant tango.

A damned fine Yankee amber ale, hopped up, quite near to the groin. Not much in the way of any actual holiday affectations, beyond the label, of course, but the malt is decently hefty, worthy of those who want something different with their Christmas baking.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2009 00:35:09 | More by biboergosum