Santa's Private Reserve (2021) - Kringle Krusher
Rogue Ales

Really like this beer. It has a slight vanilla taste, and the oak chips and rum barrel aging gives it the sweetness. It is not too sweet and has a nice malt body. Mouthfeel is medium and aroma is vanilla. It pours a dark brownish red with very little head. 33 IBUs Rated 1-1-2022

 

Santa’s Private Reserve 2021 from Rogue, 16 oz can. Purchased from Franklin Beer, Franklin, PA on 20/02/23 for $ 4.00 (Including tax) - $ 0.25/oz. In reefer at store, stored at 34 degrees at home. Reviewed 02/03/23 (Review 3055). Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Can stamped on bottom “CANNED: 09/08/21”. Served at 49.8 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature was 56.8 degrees.
Appearance – 4.5.
First pour – Deep Amber (SRM 15), clear.
Body – Ruby Brown (SRM 24), opaque. Under direct light, same. When rear lite, translucent ruby.
Head – Large (Maximum 4.5 cm, aggressive center pour), bone, high density, receding to an undulating 0.3 – 0.7 cm crown and a thin, rocky cap.
Lacing – Good. Band of tiny bubbles breaks into torn curtain lacing.
Aroma – 3.5 – Toasted malt, no yeast, no hops. Faint tannic acid.
Flavor – 3.5 – Begins with toasted malt, slightly bitter - no hops, no yeast. Slight oakiness. No ethanol (8.3 % ABV as marked on label) aroma or taste. Mild gastric warming. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Rum appears on the exhale.
Palate – 3 – Medium; watery; soft, lively carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.75 Surprising good! The oak adds enough bitterness to cut the sweetness and the post-exhale rum is a delicious finish.

 

Dark brown almost black with three fingers of tan head. Rings of tan lace appear as the levels drop.
Smell is sweet malty.
Taste is sweet molasses vanilla rum maybe some fig.
Mouthfeel is medium plus with good carbonation. The finish is balanced.
Overall a pleasant winter ale. Date 08-19-21.

#1853.

Can from 9/13/22. Aged.

Santa's Private Reserve Ale - Kringle Krusher(2021)

Rogue Ales

Strong Ale - American

Oak and vanilla swirling around the malt, super slick and smooth. Friend found this one from last year's Xmas stash! Still pretty good, maybe better now.

3.80

Can

 

Poured jet-black, smooth mouthfeel, slight cherry in the aftertaste. Delicious, 8.3% well-hidden.

Pours a golden brown, moderate in carbonation with a four finger head that sculpts nicely. Aroma is lightly malty with vanilla overtones. Taste is smooth, nicely vanilla with a perfect blend of malt and hops. Very little rum is present in my sample. The malty roastiness is carefully controlled and balanced by the hops. A beautiful beer.

3/18/22 On tap at Marilyn's of Morgantown.

Nice deep brown color.

According to Leah, it smells of cola and vanilla just as the brewer notes states.

The taste is the same as above. Not nearly as strong as the Hammer of the Shaolin from Clown Shoes we had prior to this ..

A good sweet balance with and added bitterness on the tail end. A decent Rogue offering!

 

 

Poured from a 16 ounce can into a snifter.

Look- Deep brown, light brown and frothy head, average head retention and lacing.

Smell- Very fragrant, vanilla, rum, ginger, oak.

Taste- Overly vanilla, strong ginger, rum, toasted oats.

Feel- Between thin and medium body, average carbonation, astringent finish.

Overall- Extremely fragrant and pleasant smell, but the vanilla flavor was too prevalent for my palate.

 

Appearance - Pours a deep, near black ruby color. Tan, half finger head that dissipates quickly, leaving behind a thin, broken layer of suds with a thin ring around the edge of the glass. Fair lacing, with some broken webbing, lines and a handful of spots.

Smell - Sweet, dark malts. A bit of nuttiness. Light oak and vanilla.

Taste - Follows the nose. Hints of brown sugar, cola, light nuttiness, mild vanilla and a trace of oak. Hint of roast on the finish, otherwise, pretty even flavor profile from start to finish.

Mouthfeel - Medium-bodied with fair carbonation. Slick on the tongue, makes for an easy drinker with a slightly dry finish.

Overall - Tastes like a brown ale w/ added vanilla and oak chips, which never add much depth. It's okay. Is there a hint of rum in here? Yeah. Anything to write home about? Not really.

My first review for 2022.

Poured into a pint glass. Pours a deep brown color with a one finger, mocha colored head.

A boozy, sweet rum aroma.

An interesting taste. It tastes very boozy for a beer that is only 8.3% ABV. A subtle vanilla flavor that plays second fiddle to a oaky and distinct rum and coke taste that I’m not sure is well balanced.

Medium carbonation that leaves a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Overall, I’m glad I got to try this beer but not one that I’d seek out again. The rum taste is just too overbearing in my opinion. Cheers!

Dark brown in color with little penetration to light. There’s a half inch of tightly knit brown foam on top. It dissipated after a few minutes to a fingernail. The aroma is of oak and dark, roasted malt. I’m tasting oak and dark malt. The mouth is dry and dense. If you like malty beers this is for you.

A - Dark brown pour with caramel lacing.

S - Toasted malt, oak, and Rum.

T - Oak, toasted caramel malt, Rum, delicate char bitterness, and ends on the sweeter side with a lingering toasted malt. Light lingering bitterness on the back side.

M - Big medium to full body.

O - A middle of the road easy sipper.

 

2021-12-25
16oz can served in a big snifter. Canned 08/19/21. Gift from a friend.

Pours dark brown with a medium sized head that collapses to a thin, lumpy layer with a fairly tall ring climbing up the side of the glass. Smell is tea, herbs, light toffee and raisins, maybe a little bit of cola.

Taste is sweet, herbal, strong tea flavor, raisins / grape must, maybe some vanilla (I think that explains the vague sweetness).

Mouthfeel is medium to light, slight watery texture. Overall, it's interesting and not bad, but definitely not great.