Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve
Jul 08 '01 (Updated Jul 21 '01)
The Bottom Line Equally enjoyable in July as in December. This is hop-heaven, a strong citric bite, not too light on malt either. A maltier IPA, and a great brew for hop fans.
Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve, Rogue Ales, Newport Oregon
I picked up 4 bottles of this one all the way back in January, right about the time that epinions shutdown, and a period during which I kind of shutdown too. Still having 2 bottles left, and having read John’s (bruguru) review of a Christmas ale earlier today I decided that maybe I should get around to my Christmas remainders. I’d already written some tasting notes, but rather than rely on those I just had to drink another.
“Dedicated to the Rogue in all of us”
Rogue’s slogan
Founded in 1988, and based in Newport, Oregon, Rogue Ales is probably one of the most impressive microbreweries in the USA. It’s well known among beer lovers for its inventive styles, vast product range (about 30 beers) and its role as brewing industry ‘Rogue’. The name in fact does come from the river that runs through Oregon, but as a campaigner for the little guys in the brewing industry and its overall way of doing things differently, its definitely a case of by name and by nature.
Basics of Rogue beers
Yeast: Pacman top-fermenting
Malts: 2-row Harrington and Klages, with specialty grains usually acquired from small European maltsters.
Hops: Northwest-grown European varieties
Never pasteurized and absolutely no preservatives, additives or chemicals.
Santa's Private Reserve
This is Rogue’s Christmas brew and a variation of Saint Rogue Red. It’s brewed with extra hops, Chinook, Centennial and a mysterious Rudolph. In addition to the brewer’s common malts it also employs Munich, Hugh Baird, Carastan and Crystal. I didn’t get the alcohol content, but it feels like something around 6% ABV, and with an IBU of 60, you know this is going to be a biter.
This beer is available on draft and in 22oz bottles, but is seasonal. It stores pretty well, so you may still see some floating around out of season. We’re only a few months away from a new batch of this one, and with a developing distribution network more people may be able to catch it this time around.
Tasting Notes
The beer pours to a deep reddish brown color. That actually ties in well with the bottle that is brown and imprinted in red. The head is impressive, dense, tan colored and enduring.
There’s a good deep aroma, plenty of malt, a little roasty and a slight caramel. The hops don’t jump right out at you, patiently waiting for you to taste them, but there’s no disguising their presence.
It’s not too heavy on the palate, medium-bodied with a light carbonation, but it really runs pretty easily and smoothly. This is an easy drinker that will quench your thirst.
Once it hits the palate, the hops are instantly noticeable; you kind of feel their presence running all the way from front to back. There’s a sweet malty fruitiness at the front, but the hop bite gets in very quickly, leaving a citric bite in the back half of the mouth. The aftertaste lingers long, the citrus mellows but remains present and slowly cleans out with the malt. It’s a beer that you’ll certainly know you’ve been drinking, and can enjoy with every sip.
Verdict
This beer doesn’t really give me too many new experiences, but from start to finish it was nothing short of impressive. The first thing to note is the heavy hop at the back, it feels very much like an IPA. It also has a pretty heavy malt content that makes for a full flavor and great balance. At the same time this is not too heavy and makes for good satisfying drinking at any time of year. I’m drinking it on a Sunday afternoon in July and thoroughly enjoying it.
This definitely deserves to be in my fridge year round, but then there are so many brews from Rogue that I have to try first. My biggest problem is that I’m constantly on the lookout for new stuff and I don’t have enough storage space for everything else. If anyone wants to come around and help me make some room you’re welcome.
This is not for your average beer drinker, but if you like a heavy hopped beer such as an IPA or if you enjoy the citric bite of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, you’ll enjoy this one.
Serving Suggestions
I started cooking chicken before I tasted this and after tasting decided it probably had a little too much bite for that dish. I actually intended to drink the Dead Guy Ale with it but for some reason Santa just begged to be consumed first. So I poured some of the beer on the chicken and into the noodles to get a better balance. It needs a food that’s slightly more assertive and with a little sweetness, so I recommend roast pork and apple sauce.
I lifted mine out of the fridge about 20 minute before tasting, and it seemed to have plenty of character already as well as a nice refreshing quality. As the beer warmed, there was no significant increase in malt character or a subsidence in the hop bite. Warm or cold, this beer seems to work very well.
Ratings
Pour: 4/5 Aroma: 9/10 Palate: 3/5 Taste: 9/10 Overall 18/20
Score: 4.3, or in epinions speak 5 Stars
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Member: Andrew Smith
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