Santa's Private Reserve Ale
Clear cinnamon brown/red with a nice rocky ochre-colored head. Spicy aroma, some cardamon and some sharp clove blends in with malt sweetness. Interesting, a solid but diminished malt, tinged with maple (but backed by good body) runs hand-in-hand with a decided hop backbone...like a fight between small but aggressive (hops) and big and lazy (malt). Both are there throughout the sip. I liked the approach to balance and throw another thumbs up to Rogue and their good to excellent products.