The Beeronaut

Holiday Beer Preview: Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve 2020

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Hey, there! I’m working through more beers that have been sent to me by the brewers’ people for my comment. And this is a timely holiday brew.

Rogue Ales of Newport, OR has an annual Christmas beer release, Santa’s Private Reserve. Originally the name applied to a double-hopped red ale. But in the past few years, they’ve turned it into a big beer, in any of several styles, with some special holiday additions, like fruits, spices, even mushrooms.

Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve beer

The 2020 version is a “Peppermint Bark Milk Stout.” Made with peppermint, and I presume, some chocolate. I opened and had my first swigs of it in the video above, but below are some further impressions.

It pours a big tan, foamy head into the Rogue branded tulip glass I got for some of their bigger stouts. A deep brown body with a bit of red around the edges. Frankly, the initial impression of the smell brought back memories of the mint Gobble Degook in Mattel’s Incredible Edible gummy baking toy. But there’s also a milk smell of sorts, Not just lactic sugar.

The taste fills in pretty big on peppermint, but there is again a milky sweetness to it. There should seem to be more chocolate to it. Perhaps I can find a light cocoa note, or perhaps a white chocolate, but it’s not quite there. Peppermint is what’s advertised and that’s what it delivers.