Santa's Private Reserve (2018)
Rogue Ales

I know it's 4 yrs old, but fairly inexpensive ($7.99?/22 oz) & venturing into the unknown is half the fun, eh?

Hazy deep amber, with slight red tint, and not quite one finger of quickly-dissipating tan head.

Smells of raisin, slight dried cherries, and hints of caramel& toffee.

Taste is moist brown bread {a la fresh gingerbread, minus the spices} , raisin, fig, cooked berries as in blackberry pie, and a hint of dried orange peel. Light bitterness at & after finish , that isn't quite enough to offset the moderate jammy sweetness.

Feel is medium, and somewhat juicy, as in prune juice. Light carbonation tingle comes in late. A lingering dryness persists on the front of the tongue.

Overall, OK. Would have liked to try it younger, but not sure that would be a help or a hindrance. It might be better. A bit drier/less sweet? I'm going to toss a bit of tangerine peel into the glass , in hopes of improvement,....& maybe partially recreating its original state, or how it should have been (guessing).
*shrug* Can't win em all, eh? It's not undrinkable, just have to take it in small doses.
[Edit] Adding about 1/2 a tangerine's peel improved it greatly. Would mean +.5 overall, if that was the beer , unaltered.

 

Tastes as advertised, not my style.

 

Appearance is a hazed and opaque reddish brown with a nice pile of foam in the Stella Artois goblet. Just slightly sweet to start with the usual Belgian yeasty dry finish. The yeast is not obtrusive but gives this a little bitter scratch in the aftertaste.

Very fruity and if you think of the tangerines and boysenberries this is said to be brewed with, the flavors are there. Rich but sudsy mouthfeel. The nose is filled with fresh fruit. Quite sippable and would not be mistaken for Anchor Christmas ale. From the 22 oz bottle purchased at Elizabeth Station.

Seems to be changing every year now. This year was bread with tangerines and boysenberries. Very weak boysenberry fruit character. No tangerines. Probably the worst Santas private reserve to date.

 

2019-03-27
22oz bottle served in a big snifter. I think this came from a gift basket at a company party.

Pours dark, ruby colored, medium to small head, medium carbonation. Smell is malty, dates, raisins, yeast.

Taste is a little roast bitterness, moderate fruity / date flavors, a weird splash of different, brighter fruity flavors (probably the tangerines and boysenberries), Comes across mostly as a strange fruit punch with some bitterness to it. Doesn't sound very flattering, but it's not terrible.

Mouthfeel is surprisingly dry, moderately thick. Overall, it's a decent beer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appearance - Pours a deep blush red (copper red) with three fingers of blush head.

Smell - belgian candi, spicy floral and leafy hops, fruity esters, citrus, tart fruit, raisin, plum, biscuity malts, clove, pepper, and spicy earthy yeast.

Taste - belgian candi and spicy floral and leafy hops then quickly goes into the fruity esters, citrus, tart fruit, raisin, and plum. The biscuity malts, clove, pepper, and spicy earthy yeast round out the brew.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation. Finishes slightly tart with the fruity esters lingering.

Overall - A unique twist to the style. The variation of boysenberry and tangerine into this Belgian brew is done very well as this could easily be very cloying if not done correctly. An enjoyable treat!

a: deep dark purple/ruby red color, with some murky brown notes as well. 1 finger tan head that fades quickly - smaller head than i'm used to for the style

s: caramel malts, strawberry, fig, vanilla, oak, sweet clementines and boysenberries (yes, you really can smell them in here). huge bready note as well, along with cardamom and nutmeg. the finish is a pretty strong hit of boysenberry - it's sweet and a little tangy

t: boysenberry and sweet tangerine up front. sweet caramel and strawberry behind that. an alcohol tinge behind that along with a touch dark chocolate. Candi sugar and a big hit of sweet plums and dark figs as well. big bready malts as well, as well as a pretty nice cardamom hit, along with some yeast spice. fruity sweetness closes this out, something almost like a fruit roll-up

m: lighter side of medium mouthfeel, with low-mid carbonation. a bit lesser on both than is normal for the style

o: first off, the boysenberry is pretty prominent in here. if you're a fan of it, than this will be a nice treat for you. the dark fruits aren't as prominent as some other dark ales, but the boysenberry adds a nice touch (if you're into it). mouthfeel's a little light for the style, but that makes it even easier to drink

Pours a clear dark brown with ruby tints. Head is thick and tan in color, recedes quickly leaving marginal lacing. Aroma is dark fruits and spices. Flavor is very berry forward without much of a hop bite, sweet with out being cloying. Feel is medium bodied with low carbonation. Overall just an okay ale. Wouldn't turn down if offered, but wouldn't seek out.