Santa’s Little Helper Oak Barrel Aged Ale by Port Brewing

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Rating: 4.75/5

Santa’s Little Helper Oak Barrel Aged Ale by Port Brewing company is a 12%ABV Imperial Stout aged in Oak Bourbon Barrels for about a quarter of the year. Port Brewing’s strongest beer, aside from Lost Abbey brand :P. When the first batch of the regular santa is released around the winter time, the guys at Port brewing put some of it away into Oak Barrels, age it and then bottle it for the summer. Christmas in July :P. I tried the 10%ABV one last year and it was misleading at 10%ABV. I knew they were wrong. Do this time they come clean and just give you the 12% ABV. Take a lot of caution, this one is heavy.

Label:
Everyone knows that Santa delivers toys and gifts to little girls and boys each Christmas Eve. But what does he do with the sleigh the other 364 days a year? Well rumor has it he hitches up the reindeer each July testing driving to ensure it’s still in operating condition. At the North Pole they mark their calendars calling it Christmas in July. 
How do we know that? Well, Virginia, each year Santa stops by Port Brewing to load up his sleigh with beer for his return trip to the North Pole. He’s a big fan of Santa’s Little Helper, and for the last nine months our brewers have been extra naughty aging some in bourbon barrels. Hopefully Santa won’t drink it all by himself, but we wouldn’t blame him if he did.

LOL good thing Santa divides his beers with the reindeer, otherwise we would be see Santa get busted for a FUI (Flying Under the Influence). So I reviewed the beer last year and I definitely had a lot to say about this one. So let me start with the basics before I am consumed by Santa’s other helper, Krampus. The beer has NO CARBONATION. Pure Oil, Dark Gold, Texas Tea. The beer cleary brings out the bourbon fragrance with a flavor straight of pure bourbon that is reminiscent of Angel Share. The flavors to follow are the awesome chocolate, Vanilla, Port Wine and coffee cake served with Cherry, Raisin and plum syrup. Back end finishes with a dry smokey yet lingering whiskey and bourbon sugars. You can tell right away that the flavors are all over the place. Sometimes I like that about beers…unbalanced and always leave you wondering. Keep Drinking it!! Now I understand Port Brewing and Santa’s conspiracy. Knock people out with this beer and then Santa raids your fridge or worse…LOL click on the link below about Santa :P…. Anyways, this beer is supreme!!!! not doubt it is one of the most defining stouts out there. It is not like Ketchup Syrupy Dark Lord Sweet (Althought that beer is supreme above all Stouts)…but it is delicious. Sweetness comes and goes and then you are left with a balanced after taste. Whether you are naughty or nice…it don’t matter, good beer doesn’t discriminate and neither doe Santa’s Oak Bourbon Barrel Aged Little Helper

2011 Review: 
Bourbon aged and delicious Christmas in July Santa’s little helper Barrel Aged Imperial Stout is an amazing beer. Take the original Santa’s Little Helper and age it for 9 months in Bourbon Barrels and you get this magnificent master piece of a Christmas beer. Bottle says 10%…trust me, this is not 10%…LMAO….The guys at Port Brewing took it to the lost abbey sinners level..LOL something Santa
would drop hot coals, which is probably in this beer too. Anyways, on to the taste. Simply remarkable!!!…Taste of strong bourbon but very sweet as it is masked by roasted malts which give it that traditional chocolate and coffee flavor. However, since it is a christmasy kind of beer, there is definitely some cherry, earthy, cinnamony, nutmeg and vanilla flavors as well. Very thick and strong in taste, and surprisingly…no fizz. In alcohol world, no fizz means high alcohol. So yeah the label says 10%…It is not….Port Brewing just being evil. But this is truly a magnificent Christmas present for sure.

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