Port Brewing Company Santa's Little Helper with Coffee & Cacao

Santa's Little Helper with Coffee & Cacao

 

Port Brewing Company in San Marcos, California, United States 🇺🇸

  Stout - Pastry / Flavoured - Imperial Winter Out of Production
Score
7.48
ABV: 9.9% IBU: - Ticks: 23
Santa knows this is one seriously naughty, but nice beer. Brewed only once a year since it was first released in 1997. Santa's Little Helper has been our annual insurance policy against lumps of cola in our stockings. This Imperial Stout is as black as Christmas Eve with a decidedly smooth finish. We know you'll find it the perfect companion to chestnuts roasting by an open fire, paired with that lump of coal you'll be receiving. We look forward to the release of this beer which signals the impending arrival of the jolly old fat man and his merry band of elves. This year with coffee and cacao. Cheers!
 

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8.1/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8.5

Bottle 12fl.oz. @ home.

[ As Port Brewing Santa's Little Helper with Coffee & Cacao ].
ABV: 9.9%. Clear dark black brown colour with a large, frothy - creamy, good lacing, mostly to fully lasting, beige head. Aroma is moderate to heavy malty, roasted, dark malt, cocoa, coffee, light spicy, moderate chocolate. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet and bitter with a long duration, coffee, cocoa, dark malt, alcohol, rich, moderate chocolate, moderate roasted. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft, finish feel is warming and light alcoholic. [20191119]
8-4-8-4-17
Tried from Bottle on 17 Jun 2019 at 14:10

7.8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Pours a pitch black colour. Rocky brown head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma's from the glass are not very strong: light sweet (molasses), light roasted, some red fruit. Retronasal there's already a bit more to it: more roast, tar, pipe tobacco, ground coffee, light chocolatey sweetness. Flavour is light moderate bitter with firm roast and (very) dark chocolate. Medium bodied. Long finish with hard roasted bitterness. The flavour was not what I expected from the aroma, but it was a pleasant surprise. Overall this is pretty good.
Tried from Bottle on 17 Apr 2019 at 14:58

8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Bottled 355ml (Beer Republic)
Dark brown colour, small brownish head. Toasted, coffee, some caramel, even like hints of chilli. Medium-bodied, smooth palate. Toasted and roasted with coffee and cocoa and light spiceyness with some backing alcohol. Excellent balance. Very tasty.
Tried from Bottle on 09 Apr 2019 at 18:45

8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Bottle from Boxbeers. Black with a brown head. Aroma is sweet, roasted malt, coffee, licorice and light cacao. Flavor is quite sweet and rather bitter. Dry and rather bitter finish with a little warming alcohol. Oily. 060419
Tried from Bottle on 06 Apr 2019 at 18:28

7/10
Weer erg droppig, maar met iets meer koffie
Tried from Bottle on 27 Mar 2019 at 22:20

8/10 Appearance 10 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Bottle @ Jacobs. Pours black with a small brown head, light lacings. Aroma of roasted malt, caramel, rich coffee, coffee grounds, expresso, dried fruit, chocolate. Flavor is sweet, light bitter, roast malt, rich coffee, expresso, licorice, dark chocolate, little dried fruit, cocoa, light alcohol. Medium body, soft to average carbonation, sweet and rather bitter finish, light warming. 170319
Tried from Bottle on 17 Mar 2019 at 15:28

8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Bottle at home. Pours black, nose is chocolate, caramel, roasted, cacao, vanilla, taste is similar, sweet, chewy, treacle..
Tried from Bottle on 04 Mar 2019 at 08:21

7.6/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Bottle, 9.9%. Very dark brown with small head. Aroma is roasted malt, chocolate, coffee and caramel. Flavour is roasted malt, chocolate, caramel, sweet, liquorice, hop, warming and medium bitter.
Tried from Bottle on 02 Mar 2019 at 22:59

7/10
Tried from Bottle on 16 Feb 2019 at 21:40