Santa's Private Reserve Ale - Rogue Ales

ZAP

Minnesota

3.65/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Great looking beer....Mahagony in color with a creamy lace on top...Not as much on the nose as I anticipated with this hopped up red ale...definitely some grapefruit notes on the nose but not real heavy....hops overwhelm the taste....the chinooks really shine through...This could be an incredible beer with a better malt load and roastiness...it's just too unbalanced for me to rate it as a spectacular beer....the hops are wonderfull...now where's the rest...I'll definitely drink one of these each Holiday season, but it's not one I'll seek out for more..

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2002 21:18:26 | More by ZAP

cokes

Wisconsin

3.55/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Deep ruby-chestnut bodied with a puffy, everlasting, beige head.
Sediment-like deposits of lace down the side of the glass.
Piney hops and toasted caramel on the nose. Nothing hugely special, but it works decently.
Quite similar tastewise. Toasted caramel malt body finished with a sizeable piney hop sting. Otherwise, there really is not a whole lot here. Maybe some traces of cinnamon, but that may be stretching things. Grainy underbelly with woody twig notes.
Just shy of medium body. Stays somewhat airy and fluffy throughout. Very draught-tasting from the bomber. I could go for just a bit more malt heft to counteract the hops. And to battle the cold (since it is a winter seasonal).
A good, hoppy red ale. But not all that special for a holiday brew....especially coming from Rogue.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2002 21:24:23 | More by cokes

JahNoth

New York

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

Very impressive, deep rudolph red color, with a frothy head. A sweet and hoppy bouquet greets you as you settledown with this beauty. The flavor has the dryness of a red ale with nice caramel flavor and pleasant hop finish. This is my favorite winter, english strong ale and will look forward to having many more.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2002 14:47:14 | More by JahNoth

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

ADR

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Clear cinnamon brown/red with a nice rocky ochre-colored head. Spicy aroma, some cardamon and some sharp clove blends in with malt sweetness. Interesting, a solid but diminished malt, tinged with maple (but backed by good body) runs hand-in-hand with a decided hop backbone...like a fight between small but aggressive (hops) and big and lazy (malt). Both are there throughout the sip. I liked the approach to balance and throw another thumbs up to Rogue and their good to excellent products.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2002 09:17:27 | More by ADR

Zraly

Virginia

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

Season's Greetings, Hop Heads!

This is one hoppy fixture, albeit a finer one.
This ale pours a beautiful, *reindeer* copper-red. Immediately the nose is assaulted with a NW spruce scent with a bit of a grapefruit rind undertone. The head was a fluffy beige blanket resting upon a hop lover's delight. Mmmm.

I'm usually not crazy about brews that are overly hoppy and bitter without a significant counterbalance of maltiness...but this one works. The malt is slight and subtle and the Chinook and Centennial hops are the main attraction. The malt that is absorbed by the senses is warm, toasty, and flavorful...the perfect canvas for the brilliant hues of the citrusy yet woodsy (with a slight floral hint) presence of the bitterness. If the hops were not pronounced in this brew, it just would not be the same.

I think the folks at Rogue really articulate how important it is for them to use quality ingredients and to make consistently enjoyable brews.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2002 18:55:37 | More by Zraly

Bierman9

New Hampshire

4.1/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The color of this Santa is not quite as red as his suit, but a rich, chestnut color. After a semi-hard pour I found a creamy, tan head, thinning down to about 1/4" and lasting there....with so-so lacing. It had a potent nose, with a bit of malty sweetness but predominantly hops, and more hops. Cool mouthfeel; nothing great, nothing bad. Flavor was again hops,and lots of them. Very much on the citrusy side of things, with a little bit of a bitter finish. Not a bad bier; this won't be sent back on Christmas morn'.

overall: 4.1
appearance: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | mouthfeel: 4 | drinkability: 4

395

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2002 17:49:59 | More by Bierman9

BillyBrew

Maine

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

An interesting offering form rogue, even in July. Hazed redish-brown colour with a sturdy, full, lasting head. The smell is strong of piney tones, different but interesting. A sugary-sweet malt that is thinned and then overtaken by the very striking, piney hops. starts with the sweet malt and quickly slides into sharp hops. The mouth is medium, but scored with sharp, biting carbonation and hops. This brew is not to be taken lightly. This is a solid red Rogue, with double the hops. Drinks almost harsh, but very rewarding. Definately worth the effort of finding it. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2002 17:51:44 | More by BillyBrew

beernut7

Massachusetts

4.47/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Coppery color with creamy lasting head. Deep roasted malt flavor enhanced by Rogue hoppiness and complimented by clean spruce finish. Very nice and warming winter brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2002 18:32:52 | More by beernut7

Todd

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: 750ml brown bomber with a painted label -- Santa with a mug and a raised fist. No freshness date.

Appearance: Brown with red-ish wood stain hues. Nice fluffy off-white head that sticks and stays. This is an unfiltered ale, so allow it to rest before serving.

Smell: Quite malty with mellow notes of prune and raisin, and alcohol.

Taste: Sweet, rich, full-bodied mellow maltiness with a buttery caramel character (diacetly), juicy fruitiness and breadiness. Goes crisp and dry with definite Munich malt characters, then raw, woody andcoarse with Chinook hops. A sugary candy-like sweetness appears towards the finish and rides along a tea-like flavour until the end.

Notes: Rogue's annual holiday offering, Santa's Private Reserve, is a variation of the classic Saint Rogue Red, but with double the hops--including Chinook, and Centennial, and a mystery hop called Rudolph by head brewer John "more hops" Maier! This holiday elixir is brewed with two-row Harrington, Klages and Munich malts, along with Hugh Baird 30-37, Carastan 13-17, and Crystal 70-80 malts, plus free range coastal water and John's proprietary top-fermenting Pacman yeast. Available in both 22-ounce bottles and on draft. Measurements: 13 degrees Plato, IBU 60, Apparent attenuation 73.1, Lovibond 26.75.

A wonderful winter seasonal to warm the brain. Hop character is very Rogue, very Pacific Northwest in its unbalanced hops, however this is still a very tasty brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2002 10:24:07 | More by Todd

Bighuge

Minnesota

3.58/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

This beer pours a nice rocky head. It has a deep amber color and a great whiff of hops on the nose. This is pretty bitter for an amber. I like it, but not as much as another of their winter brews, the Yellow Snow Ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2002 17:02:58 | More by Bighuge

budgood1

Minnesota

4.95/5  rDev +30.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

deep hazy dark ruby appearanace with a head that sticks to the glass as i quickly consume all 22 oz. full bodied and the taste is hops hops hops! the caramel malt tries to peek through but is viciously beaten down by the intense hops that almost burns the back of your throat. it provides a hoppy aftertaste that lingers on your lips and palate (and mind). an intense winter red and a hop lover's delight! santa certainly is a hophead!

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2002 15:03:32 | More by budgood1

John

New York

4.65/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap. Deep ruby color with thick, creamy tan head. True pleasure in a pint glass. Heavy hop aroma and initial flavor. Full, rich body and moderately malty backbone balances the equation nicely as it warms. Outstanding brew, highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2002 13:17:26 | More by John

AaronRed

New York

3.35/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had lofty expectations. It did not seem to pan out for me. Although the hop taste and aroma was good, I just did not think the overall texture or taste was exceptional. Maybe my bottle was old, but I don't think so.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2001 20:55:02 | More by AaronRed

mattmaples

Oregon

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

I love how the malt peaks through for just a bit mid way through the sip, then the hops take over again. Great hoppy winter.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2001 19:07:24 | More by mattmaples

Brent

Kentucky

4.45/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Wonderful beer. Struck me as an IPA variation. Great full body with a kick-butt dose of hops, solid bittering at the finish. Santa is obviously a hop-head.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2001 00:20:25 | More by Brent