Santa's Little Helper
Port Brewing Company in San Marcos, California, United States 🇺🇸
Stout - Imperial Winter Out of Production|
Score
7.73
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Santa knows who’s been naughty and who’s been nice. This is one seriously naughty but nice beer.
Santa’s Little Helper, our Imperial Stout, starts with an emphasis on dark cocoa and roasted coffee aromatics. The finish lends hints of sweet crystal malt, warming tones of alcohol and a touch of hops, making a perfect accompaniment to leftover fruit cake and sugar cookies.
Hops
MAGNUM AND CENTENNIAL
Original Gravity
1.092
ABV
10%
Santa’s Little Helper, our Imperial Stout, starts with an emphasis on dark cocoa and roasted coffee aromatics. The finish lends hints of sweet crystal malt, warming tones of alcohol and a touch of hops, making a perfect accompaniment to leftover fruit cake and sugar cookies.
Hops
MAGNUM AND CENTENNIAL
Original Gravity
1.092
ABV
10%
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7.5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 9
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8
Around Xmas 2009 I had 2 issues on draught: 2009 issue was extremely roasted and bitter, but the 2008 issue was much milder/softer, still hard roasted, but not as bitter and with some sweetness to it. Not sure whether this was due to aging or that the recipe had changed, but I liked the 2008 better. Now (Dec. 2012) I’m having a 2008 bottle. Color is black. Not much head, mocha colored. Great aroma’s: sticky toffee cake, mocha/coffee, sweet chocolate, even some hints of vanilla. Retronasal the age comes out a bit more: raisin, hard roasted malts, sweetish. Flavor is medium sweet, heavy roast, coffee. Alcohol feel is quite strong. body is medium, soft carbonation. Finishes roasted and medium bitter.
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 Dec 2012
at 05:22
10/10
Tried
on 06 Dec 2012
at 23:03
7.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
En flaska från 2009 inhandlad på Kihoskh. Närmast kolsvart med ganska lågt beige skum. Har ådlrats lite och fått lite plommon och madeiradrag plus choklad, mörk bitter sådan. Ändå fortfarande kärv, torr och besk och kanske inte riktigt vad jag brukar gilla. LIte för svår för mig och en liten besvikelse utan att alls vara dålig.
Tried
on 03 Dec 2012
at 14:40
7.2/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
65cl bottle. 2009. Black, brown head. Licorice, roasted malt.flavor has licorice, salt, brown sugar. Quite sweet is. Soy, sticky.
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Dec 2012
at 04:16
7.9/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Tap. Pours opaque black with a small brown head that leaves beautiful lacing. Aroma is coffee, dark roasted malts and cocoa powder. Flavor is the same, lightly sweet and medium bitter with citric and woody, smoky notes. Lightly astringent, medium bitter finish. Full bodied and creamy.
Tried
from Draft
on 21 Nov 2012
at 17:30
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Thx. to Vincent for the bomber sample @ RBBSG 2012. Black with a small mocha head. Lots of mocha in the nose, light roast, mellow, chocolate, caramel, vanilla. Taste is lightly smoked, touch bitter coffee, toffee, sweet chocolate, vanilla, tad bitter in the finish, still touch of hops in here. Medium malty body. Nice but not height of the style.
Tried
on 23 Sep 2012
at 07:56
8.5/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 8
Fra flaske på Cardinals juleøltreff nov-12, skummet minner om sjokolademousse. Masse og intens aroma og smak, preget av lakris, kaffe og god bitterhet. Et superb (jule)øl/imperial stout man med god samvittighet kan drikke året rundt. Flaske hjemme i romjulen: o hildrande du så godt! Og samvittigheten er upåklagelig.
Tried
on 31 Aug 2012
at 14:03
7.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 7
Texture 4
Overall 6.5
Brown black colour, tan head. Aroma of coffee, malts, roasted malts, chocolate, mocha, vanilla and caramel. Bitter flavour, roasted malts, roasted coffee bitter. Relatively light body. Finish coffee and chocolate.
(From 66cL bottle @ RBBSG II, Wilrijk. Courtesy of BelgBeerGeek. Thanks Vincent!)
(From 66cL bottle @ RBBSG II, Wilrijk. Courtesy of BelgBeerGeek. Thanks Vincent!)
Tried
from Bottle
on 30 Aug 2012
at 03:53
7.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle sample @ 2nd RBBSG, August 11th 2012. Courtesy of BelgBeerGeek. Brune foncée, col léger beige/café au lait. Malté et bien grillé, note de caramel, profile malté est bien profond, chocolaté avec un alcool réchauffant. Pointe de fumé ou tourbe? qcq note de sucre résiduel candi belge ainsi que qcq fruits rouges avec une faible mais quand même notable amertume houblonnée.
Tried
from Bottle
on 12 Aug 2012
at 14:22
8.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
650 ml bottle. Black body with a moderate tan head. Pleasant aroma of dark, roasted malt, coffee, chocolate, dry fruit, warming alcohol and traces of spices and vanilla. Flavor is sweet, smooth dark, light roasted malt, coffee, chocolate, dry fruit, spices and warming alcohol. Fine body and long aftertaste. A very nice and smooth beer for sipping.
Tried
from Bottle
on 30 Jun 2012
at 01:17