Santa's Private Reserve 2022 Stout with Natural Tahini, Tangerine, & Chocolate Flavors

Review Date 12/18/2023  By John Staradumsky

  Style: Spiced   Brewery: Rogue   Country: USA   State: Oregon   $ Per OZ: $.23 (B)   ABV: 6.5%

Time was, you could pick up Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve Ale and know what you could expect: a delicious, malty, hoppy red ale. Problem was, Rouge had a lot of delicious, malty, hoppy red ales, all pretty much the same. Of course, this was not a problem for me, as I love red ales, but for some it was, and apparently Rogue thought better of it. Hence, when I picked up some Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve 2017 edition, it was much to my surprise no longer a red ale, but instead a Belgian Strong Ale with Cherries and Raspberries and, I must say, it was magnificent.

Now, 2015 was the last year I enjoyed Santa’s Private Reserve as a red ale, so I can’t be sure that Rogue did not brew up some new concoction for Christmas of 2016. I missed out on the beer that year, you see. I do know that in 2018 I enjoyed Santa’s Private Reserve as a Belgian Dark Ale with Boysenberries and Raspberries and in 2019 as a dark ale brewed with candy cap mushrooms.

Just as Rogue was hitting its stride with its reimagined vision for Santa’s Private Reserve, along came 2020, and with it the Covid 19 pandemic. That threw a wrench in the entire supply chain globally, and one of its effects was that I never saw Santa’s Private Reserve for sale here in Georgia again. Far be it from me to let that stop me, though. Half Time Beverage started shipping to Georgia in 2022, and with an assortment of Christmas beers I bought from them was a can of Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve 2022 Stout with Natural Tahini, Tangerine & Chocolate Flavors.

As I type, it is mid-December of 2023, and I am late to getting this review written and posted. I drank this beer on New Year’s Day pf 20-23, though, and am only now fleshing out my tasting notes, as I have just enjoyed a can of the 2023 Santa’s Private Reserve. In any event, here is what Rogue has to say about the 2022 Santa’s Private Reserve.

Santa has always been convinced that all great confections come from the North Pole, so we reached out to our friends at Honey Mama’s to help us show him otherwise. The Honey Mama’s crew whipped up some of their favorite tasty treats and we sent them up to Santa in a care package. It’s safe to say he feels a bit differently now, for mere minutes after receiving the delivery Santa was on the phone with us gushing about the delicious goodies, begging us to recreate this in his annual Private Reserve. Per his request, we teamed up with Honey Mama’s to create this tahini, tangerine and chocolate flavored stout. Santa is sure to love it, and so are you.

Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve 2022 Stout with Natural Tahini, Tangerine & Chocolate Flavors has an alcohol content of 6.5% with 19 IBUs. I paid $5.99 for my pint can from Half Time; Total Wine sells four-packs for $14.99. My can is stamped WANNA CHAT? TEXT US! 541-819-0449 CANNED ON 08/26/22.

Rogue Santa’s Private Reserve 2022 Stout with Natural Tahini, Tangerine & Chocolate Flavors pours to a jet-black color with a thick creamy tan head and a nose akin to a Tobbler Chocolate Orange. Taking a sip, the beer is medium in body, very chocolaty, laced with notes of bright tangerine and a hint of toasted sesame. Finishes with dark chocolate sandwiched over bright tangerine. The toasted sesame really works with the chocolate and the orange I might have found in my Christmas stocking.