Port Brewing Santas Little Helper
Port Brewing Santas Little Helper
Rated 3.843 by BeerPals
Brewed by Port Brewing / Lost Abbey
San Marcos, CA, United States
Style: Imperial Stout
10.5% Alcohol by Volume
Availability of this beer is unknown
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Each and every year, the Jolly Old Fatman sits down and compiles a list of who’s been naughty and nice. It’s curious that he never knows which list to put our brewers on as this is one naughty but incredibly nice beer. Originally brewed at the Pizza Port in Solana Beach in November of 1997. As dark as the biggest lump of coal Santa can deliver, this beer has earned a dedicated following and is code named Satan’s Little Hangover by those who have indulged in a holiday like manner from time to time. Originally shipped from London to the Czarist rulers of Russia, Imperial Stouts are stronger, richer and more robust versions of traditional stouts. The increase in alcohol content means that literally, many of these beers are a meal in a glass all on their own. Made from copious amounts of Roasted and Black Barleys, our stout invites you to share a silky black body with hints of freshly pulled espresso from the coffee house, melding with dark bitter sweet chocolate from a Belgian Chocolateer and the ash of a smoldering fire on a dark winters night. Just remember that somewhere out there, the jolly old fat man is making a list and checking it twice. He knows who’s been naughty and nice… Might we suggest that you forgo the Milk with the cookies this year and leave him of bottle of something incredibly nice- Say like Santa’s Little Helper? Mrs. Claus would probably like some as well. That is if Rudolph doesn’t drink it all himself. Bad Reindeer. Malts – Two Row, Wheat, Domestic and English Crystal, Roasted, Black and Chocolate Malts Hops – Phoenix, Challenger and East Kent Goldings Yeast – White Labs California Ale and Proprietary Yeast Strains Original Gravity – 1.092 Terminal Gravity – 1.014 ABV – 10.5 % Availability – Early Winter
ID: 10220 Last updated 2 weeks ago Added to database 20 years agoKey Stats
percentile
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Drunk30
Reviews0
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Most noted beer attributes
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Statistics
| Overall Rank | 414 |
| Overall Percentile | 99.3 |
| Style Rank | 105 of 2646 |
| Style Percentile | 96 |
| Lowest Score | 2.7 |
| Highest Score | 4.5 |
| Average Score | 3.927 |
| Weighted Score | 3.843 |
| Standard Deviation | 0.435 |
Rating Distribution
Beer vs Style
30 Member Reviews
Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 6
Pours next to black w/ a modest head that dies like Clint Eastwood took it down in a Dirty Harry scene. A thin fluffy ring is all that remains. Smells like cold melted chocolate. Full nectar w/ good carbonation. A moderate roast component drives the ship as the fat malty mocha copilot infuses the staff w/ it’s heavy slop. Moderately sweet w/ justified alcohol that tries to balance but fails miserably leaving green tinged grasses to wash away. The finish is long and sturdy leaving a well understood message with the drinker. This beer is decadent, warming, and overdone. There is a defined alcohol presence that disrupts the balance.
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Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8
Pours a deep opaque coffee brown, not much of a head but still appealing. Aroma is more like a barleywine but still has smoky and unsweetened chocolate undertones. Rich flavor is chocolaty with hints of coffee, licorice and molasses and a firm alcohol bite. Texture is thick, smooth and tingly and has a fierce alcohol edge.
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Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9
Amazing. I had no clue it was 10% until I went review it. And frankly, this was a really pleasant surprise. In my mind, an impy stout that tastes like it should. I have nothing bad to say about this fine offering.
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Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9
Beer 12 of my 12 Beers of Christmas on the 12th Day of Christmas. Heavy black pour, frothy sustained tan head, massive drapes of lacing throughout. Dark roasted nearly burnt malts aroma, dark chocolate, a touch of brine, black strap molasses, earthy hops. Flavor is intensely rich, toasty, burnt toast, molasses, dark rich chocolates, a hint of java. Massive stout. Decadent. Best as my last beer of the 12 Beers of Christmas 2012. Will definitely revisit.
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Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 9
Thick, rich pour with a deeply tanned head and aroma of roasted malt, alcohol, chocolate and a kiss of the hops. The alcohol aroma warms the nose pleasantly. Smmoth and decidedly full-bodied and the addition of ripened fruit to the flavor. Take your time with this one.
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Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 9
1 pint 6 oz. capped bottle, as a 10.0 % ABV. Poured in a snifter an unfiltered and absolutly opaque black coloured I S with a one finger tan and creamy foamy head that had an infinite retention and tons of micro bubbles. Soft carbonation. Some lacing. The aroma is intense roasted malts, roasted coffee beans, fruity notes, dark raisins and an undeniable alcoholic presence. The flavor is deep roasted malts, burnt coffee beans, dark chocolate, vanilla and dark fruits, raisins, figs, plums. The mouthfeel is creamy, fulled and thick. This full bodied I S has a lingering roasted malts and hoppy bitter finish. A powerful Imperial Stout with the expected, soft, but real, warming efffect.
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Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7
A red tinted black colored beer with a big frothy textured, tan head rising robustly above. Great hang time on the head. Settles into thick film and cap. Light roasty-licorce nose. Same in the tasting with an alcohol bite. Light-medium bodied
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Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8
1 pt. 6 fl. oz. bottle, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 10.0%. Pitch black colour, modest carbonation, low brown head. Strong aroma of chocolate, liquorice, molasses, coffee and alcohol. The rich flavour has notes of roasted barley, liquorice and strong coffee, medium sweet. Bitter hops in the finish.
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Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8
22oz bottle -
It’d been awhile since I had a new Port Brewing beer, so this was a treat. My local BevMo starting carrying most PB and LA beers so I wanted to try this one asap. Aroma is dark chocolate, definite roasted malts, kinda boozy with some fig newtons. Earthy hops help keep the roasted/chocolate notes balanced, but there was some unwelcomed ashey notes that I really don’t like in my impy’s. Well attenuated and very smooth. Good stuff. -
Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 8
2008 - 1 year old. Very good imperial stout, big, relatively dry, roasty. This beer pours black, opaque with very little head. This beer has a bit of wet cardboard in the aroma, so I really wouldn’t age it much longer. However, the aroma is otherwise great. Raisins, roast, brown sugar, whisky. The flavors come out even more in the flavor. The beer is relatively dry for an impy stout and has aged quite well. The mouthfeel improves as the beer warms. Very good.
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Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9
Another winner from Port. "Everything but the kitchen sink" as they say. This beer pours like motor oil with a thin chocolate colored head atop a massive brew. Aroma is a ton of chocolate, coffee, alcohol, a touch of hops, roasted malts, licorice, etc... Mouthfeel is pretty full, slick - low carbonation, nice sweet prune/fig like finish. Still tons of chocolate, but still manages a decent amount of balance. Definitely a sipper. Right up there with the great impy's. 2009 version-a little hoppier, perhaps, but just as good. Now they've started to age in bourbon barrels!
