Santa's Little Helper 2015
Mikkeller ApS

Brewed in Belgium. Opened in 2020. Still a decent beer and quite drinkable. Light tan head lasts and leaves lacing. Scents of dark fruit (plums in particular), cinnamon and spices. In the mouth, it is the same, dark fruits and it is of course, quite warming.

 

 

Cloudy dark brown, beige head.

Syrup, vanilla.

Vanilla and coriander blend well with Belgian yeast. Sugary trappist character's there, it's watery, though. Just a tinge of a bitter finish.

Too thin.

 

 

 

 

I am reviewing this off expiration date so, not sure how accurately. Very dark and opaque brown beer with long lasting and creamy cappuccino froth. The smell is a mixture between a roasted and a sweet backbone. Dark fruits, plums, dates but also roasted malts as well as spices. The taste is particularly lively in the aftertaste, where the spiciness cleanly opens to notes of licorice and even fennel. There is a kind of a refreshing character to this beer, coming from this spiciness, which strangely pairs with being a winter warmer. Medium mouthfeel. Very well made beer, but not sure if would be attracted by future versions.

 

 

330ml bottle. Best before 2016-08-11.

A: Dark brown, almost opaque. 2 fingers high of head with medium retention.
S: Roasted nuts. Caramel.
T: Roasted coffee. Chocolate. Medium caramel flavor. Medium low sweetness. Moderate bitterness. Some herbal spicy.
M: Full body. High carbonation.
O: Good. Combined the Belgian Dark and Porter characters.

 

 

 

 

 

Had on tap at the black sheep, mineola. Impressive head retention on this, thick and creamy feel, taste if chocolate, christmas spices, tobacco and leather, taste was pretty comparable to Christmas Bomb, very good festive beer although in small doses as its pretty heavy.

 

a delightful brew, not much different than other vintages i have had. i always think this is going to be darker than it is, just medium brown in color, more red in the light, not the porter it always is in my head for whatever reason. nice tall belgian looking head on it, and a nose of a strong belgian yeast with a lot of other things going on. brown sugar for sure, caramelized sugars maybe, and cherry and date fruitiness as well, maybe a hint of allspice from the yeast on the back end too. pretty complex and inviting, just a faint hint at the alcohol strength. the flavor is a little less dynamic than the nose, or rather more well integrated so that each element stands out a little less. dark fruit really stands out, and there is a lot of residual sugar here slowing me down too. the yeast is somewhat less flavorful than it smells, and the beer seems almost thin on the palate, highly carbonated. alcohol is well enough hidden though, and the spices linger in the sweet long finish. quite similar to other editions i have had, always fun this time of year, and nice to have along side of the cognac barrel aged one!