Rogue Santas Private Reserve

Brewed by Rogue Ales
Style: Amber Ale
Newport, Oregon USA

22-oz bottle Marcello’s Lafayette, La - Aroma: spicy, floral, grapefruit, citrus (hop), ; Appearance: very reddish-amber color, clear, frothy off-white head, plenty of laces; Flavor: nutty, toasted, caramel, slight sweetness (toffee), malty, salty (malt), bitter (hop); Mouthfeel: light to medium bodied, medium to high carbonation, dry finish; Overall: awesome hop aroma and bitterness with beautiful color that is balanced with a malty beer. Goes nicely with turkey, gravy, and cranberries sauce.

65 cl bottle, Fargo, ND, USA. Pours a light walnut colour with a frothy head that clings to the glass. Floral, spruce, and maybe gingerbread aroma (perhaps santa on the bottle tricking me). Sweet with faint cookie flavors, dry and bitter with a long sweet finish.

12oz 2009 bottle, for the price might as well get the whole sixer. Pours a murky dull brown slightly red with a tan frothy head, poured a bit cold so is probably more of a 4... but I will update when served properly. Aroma of malt flour, dusty cocoa, dry piney, some citrus, quite resinous, caramel, aroma is faint... but again probably because it’s too cold. Wow this tastes a lot like St. Rogue Red except not as good =p, malt profile at first is nice sweet caramel but that gives way to the very bitter green pine, weirdly oxidized for something that is supposedly fresh, some light citrus, quite resinous, a bit vacant after a while. Medium bodied, a hint sticky but a big somewhat vacant mouth-feel, sharp fluffy carbonation. Oh... I didn’t see until later that this is actually a variation of the St. Rogue Red... duh... =p

pours dark amber with little head even when poured aggressively. smells very good of earthy sweet hops. taste is rather plain with a slightly bitter aftertaste.

A highly hopped amber ale that could use a little more balance. Poured with a nice off white foamy head that lasts and some lace. Color is a good clear. Aroma is massively hoppy along with some malt and yeast. Flavor is interesting - some parts I like others, not so much. The enormous hops are hard to get around, but there is a little black pepper too. Body is good and so is carbonation. Finish is ok.

Location: 12 oz bottle from Gilly’s, 11/15/09

Aroma: Aroma is earthy hops, pine, caramel, a bit of citrus, and some spice as well
Appearance: Pours a nice, mostly clear, dark red color with a frothy beige head and spotty lace
Flavor: The taste has a nice earthy hop flavor with just enough caramel and spice malts for balance
Palate: A meduim body and a nice, smooth mouthfeel makes this a particularly easy drinking brew
Overall Impression: This is a nice smooth, hoppy amber with enough malts to give it balance. It is fairly simple, but the simplicity is well executed and enjoyable. A nicely made beer that fits this season pretty well.

Red brown clear pour. Thin white head. Slightly sweet malty aroma with hoppy pine. Slightly sweet flavor with bitter malts. Bitter pine finish with some cream notes.

Pours clear, reddish copper from the 22oz. bottle: A nice brew for hopheads like myself. Nose is of spruce and pine, flavors are similar with added plum fruits. Drinkability: Pretty smooth overall with a nice, lingering finish. For a Christmas ale, I slightly wish there was more of a "punch" to it. Rebuy: Sure. #197 on 14112009, DG.