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Santa's Private Reserve Ale
Rogue Ales
- From:
- Rogue Ales
- Oregon, United States
- Style:
- American Amber / Red Ale
Ranked #117 - ABV:
- 5.3%
- Score:
- 84
Ranked #22,198 - Avg:
- 3.74 | pDev: 13.64%
- Reviews:
- 1,212
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Dec 28, 2023
- Added:
- Nov 29, 2001
- Wants:
- 76
- Gots:
- 305
10 Ingredients:
Carastan 30-37 & 13-17, Crystal 70-80 & Rogue Micro Barley Farm Dare & Risk Malts; Chinook & Rogue Farm Revolution & Freedom Hops; Free Range Coastal Water and Pacman Yeast.
13º PLATO
65 IBU
73.1 AA
26.75º L
Carastan 30-37 & 13-17, Crystal 70-80 & Rogue Micro Barley Farm Dare & Risk Malts; Chinook & Rogue Farm Revolution & Freedom Hops; Free Range Coastal Water and Pacman Yeast.
13º PLATO
65 IBU
73.1 AA
26.75º L
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by BuckeyeNation:
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa
4.38/5 rDev +17.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.38/5 rDev +17.1%
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.
Apr 01, 2005While 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.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Cm55
3.53/5 rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.53/5 rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Can
L-dark with tan creamy head with leaves a few fingers
S-acidic and sharp, with undertones of earth
T-slightly sour with a vegetal component. The toffee attempt seems to have gone sideways here. Finished with hints of cocoa but that is layered on top of bitter and sour flavors
F-smooth and medium
O-a strange beer that would honestly be a pretty good field and vegetable ale where sourness is expected - but didn’t hit the mark for a seasonal stout.
Dec 04, 2023L-dark with tan creamy head with leaves a few fingers
S-acidic and sharp, with undertones of earth
T-slightly sour with a vegetal component. The toffee attempt seems to have gone sideways here. Finished with hints of cocoa but that is layered on top of bitter and sour flavors
F-smooth and medium
O-a strange beer that would honestly be a pretty good field and vegetable ale where sourness is expected - but didn’t hit the mark for a seasonal stout.
Reviewed by johnnnniee from New Hampshire
3.8/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.8/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
2022 Can from the Advent Box.
Dark brown with faint garnet at the edges and a frothy tan head that slowly recedes. Sweet sugary stout with hints of roast and chocolate. Faint citrus light earthy hops. Odd but it works.
Dec 29, 2022Dark brown with faint garnet at the edges and a frothy tan head that slowly recedes. Sweet sugary stout with hints of roast and chocolate. Faint citrus light earthy hops. Odd but it works.
Reviewed by hman43 from North Carolina
3.56/5 rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.56/5 rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Look: It pours very dark brown with a brown head. Head retention is very good.
Smell: It has strong tangerine aroma almost like a liquor with chocolate notes intermixed. The aromas are sweet and candy like.
Taste: The chocolate is more prominent in the flavor with the tangerine being equal. There are some tropical flavors that remind me of tropical skittles.
Feel: It has a medium body with a sweet finish.
Overall, a very candy like and chocolate beer.
Dec 11, 2022Smell: It has strong tangerine aroma almost like a liquor with chocolate notes intermixed. The aromas are sweet and candy like.
Taste: The chocolate is more prominent in the flavor with the tangerine being equal. There are some tropical flavors that remind me of tropical skittles.
Feel: It has a medium body with a sweet finish.
Overall, a very candy like and chocolate beer.
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois
4/5 rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From old, undated notes. Poured from the bottle.
Deep rust color; barely see-through.
Bright white head; nice lacing.
Citrus hop nose with malt undertones. Smells good.
Medium mouthfeel. Hop forward with a nice citrus bite; slight roasted notes underneath. Tastes like a red IPA.
Unique & quite quaffable, but this is for hop lovers only.
Sep 08, 2019Deep rust color; barely see-through.
Bright white head; nice lacing.
Citrus hop nose with malt undertones. Smells good.
Medium mouthfeel. Hop forward with a nice citrus bite; slight roasted notes underneath. Tastes like a red IPA.
Unique & quite quaffable, but this is for hop lovers only.
Reviewed by BeerAndGasMasks from Virginia
3.75/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
From the bottle, it pours a brownish color with a modest light tan head that lasts a bit. Lacing as you enjoy it. In the nose, Scent is light, but the taste is dark fruits and malt predominantly.
Feb 06, 2019Reviewed by dcotom from Iowa
4.51/5 rDev +20.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.51/5 rDev +20.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Here I go off the reservation yet again, but I can't help it. If you like bitter - and I do - this one's for you. Clear, dark amber colored pour, with a dense off-white head that lasts forever leaving tons of pretty lacing. Very well balanced with lots of complexity. Notes of dark bread, caramel, and dark fruit, with a little tart cherry and lots of resiny bitterness that lingers from start to finish. Malty, bitter, and delicious. What more could you ask for?
Dec 18, 2018Reviewed by mothmanscott from Georgia
3.63/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.63/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
From notes 6/17/12: Pours a murky brown producing 2 finger of frothy, short-lived, tan head that leaves only a little thin lacing. Aroma is dark bread, toast, honey, caramel, floral and resinous pine hops. Taste is hop heavy pine/spruce bitterness throughout the sip but especially in the finish and aftertaste. The malt is plentiful with dark bread, fig, prune, molasses,some smoke, alcohol with a vague hint of wood. This review is from old notes and my example was the 2012 version. I understand they change the recipe every so often (not sure it it changes ever year or not). You could be fooled into thinking the 2012 version was a Winter Warmer based on the name and label, its far too hoppy for that (and too hoppy for an American Amber/Red Ale also).
Dec 01, 2018
Santa's Private Reserve Ale from Rogue Ales
Beer rating:
84 out of
100 with
2383 ratings
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