12 Beers of Christmas: Rogue’s Santa’s Private Reserve Ale

Posted at 8:05 am by Patrick under 12 Beers of Christmas

If you see a screen-printed 22-ounce bottle in your package store, chances are it is a Rogue beer. With Santa hoisting a frothy beer mug, this one jumps right off the shelf at you: Santa’s Private Reserve (SPR).

This is Rogue’s annual holiday beer, and is a variation of their Saint Rogue Red. It is said to have double the hops, including chinook and centennial (which explains the sprucey nose and finish in this beer). Other ingredients include Munich, Hugh Baird, carastan, and crystal malts. The malt backbone for this beer leans to the sweet side (caramel and some toffee flavors) and provides a springboard for the aforementioned evergreen hop presence. Rogue claims this beer has 60 IBUs, and I thought you could taste almost every one of them.

SPR finishes with a lingering hop flavor, and would be great with spicy foods, like General Tso’s chicken or a dry-rubbed pork roast.

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