December is one of the best months for beer drinkers; you have a wide variety of options and styles, malty and earthy winter warmers are ready to be consumed, stouts and porters are available, and bitter IPAs and DIPAs are on draft; so what to drink? If you are confused, you are in luck because all month I am offering beer reviews of different styles of perfect craft beers to enjoy. This weekend I am drinking an awesome high gravity and ABV brew that compliments the season nicely! This weekend Port Brewing’s Santa’s Little Helper is What’s on Tap!
Moving into the winter months the beers get darker and many have a heartier flavor to them and Santa’s Little Helper is one of my go to stouts to kick-off both the Christmas and the stout / porter season. Even before the first sip, this brew’s aroma is dominated by an awesome cocoa and roasted malt smell.
Looking at the beer one would expect it to be over-the-top heavy in both mouth feel and taste; however the mouth feel is somewhat “light” and the taste is full of well paired and balance flavors. With each sip I get everything from coffee, malts (huge notes here), and both are combined with a sweetness, toffee / caramel, and a slightly hoppy-bittering finish! At the end there is a slight hint of “booze” – guessing that is the “little helper” quality.
In Santa’s Little Helper, Port Brewing has a great imperial stout. It is smooth and provides all of the qualities one would expect from an imperial stout. Because of the flavor impact and the high ABV you want to pair this brew with a hearty and very flavorful meal. For me, stouts and porters are almost comfort brews and make great matches to comfort dishes. This weekend I am making homemade mac and cheese with an extra sharp aged, cheddar. The cheese should balance the beer’s pallet impact nicely!
Cheers!
Beer Stats
Style: Imperial Stout
Alcohol by Volume (ABV): 10%
Original Gravity: 1.092
Color: Dark Black
Hops: Magnum and Centennial
Beer Review Stats
Beer Advocate: 90
Rate Beer: 99
