Santa's Little Helper
Pizza Port Solana Beach
- From:
- Pizza Port Solana Beach
- California, United States
- Style:
- American Imperial Stout
Ranked #983 - ABV:
- 10%
- Score:
- 90
Ranked #12,117 - Avg:
- 4.17 | pDev: 5.04%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 6
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jan 02, 2026
- Added:
- Dec 01, 2023
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
SCORE
90
Outstanding
90
Outstanding
Port Brewing original rereleased by Pizza Port in November 2023.
"Santa's Little Helper is a classic Imperial Stout brewed with crisp chocolate, roasted barley, and honey malt with an abc landing at 10%. Aromas of dark cocoa, roasted coffee, toffee, and a slight taste of vanilla. The finish lends hints of sweet crystal malt, warming tones of alcohol, and a touch of hoppy flavor from the Centennial and Cascade hops."
"Santa's Little Helper is a classic Imperial Stout brewed with crisp chocolate, roasted barley, and honey malt with an abc landing at 10%. Aromas of dark cocoa, roasted coffee, toffee, and a slight taste of vanilla. The finish lends hints of sweet crystal malt, warming tones of alcohol, and a touch of hoppy flavor from the Centennial and Cascade hops."
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by NeilSilber1 from California
4.53/5 rDev +8.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.53/5 rDev +8.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours deep coffee brown with fluffy fading and lacing khaki crown that sticks to side of tulip pint on draught at Pizza Port Carlsbad. Sweet and boozy with notes of coffee, dark chocolate, toffee and toasted honey malt with slightly hoppy bite. Excellent imperial stout at 10% ABV.
Jan 02, 2026
Reviewed by Bitterbill from Wyoming
4.23/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.23/5 rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
From Good Times Oakland, canned October 23rd 2025.
It pours almost pitch black with a finger of tan foam, lacing and retention are very good.
The smell is roasted malt, dark chocolate, coffee, some toffee, some vanilla.
The taste is roasted malt number 1, sweet and dark chocolate number 2, coffee number 3. Bitter over sweet by a margin. Vanilla seems to not be there to my palate.
Medium bodied(high end), good carbonation, I would drink this again.
Dec 26, 2025It pours almost pitch black with a finger of tan foam, lacing and retention are very good.
The smell is roasted malt, dark chocolate, coffee, some toffee, some vanilla.
The taste is roasted malt number 1, sweet and dark chocolate number 2, coffee number 3. Bitter over sweet by a margin. Vanilla seems to not be there to my palate.
Medium bodied(high end), good carbonation, I would drink this again.
Reviewed by Luscious_Malfoy from Illinois
4.26/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.26/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a 16oz can into a CW snifter. Pours a shiny black with over two fingers of mocha brown foam head. Chocolate with light roasted coffee and subtle pine on the nose. Taste follows with a medium-full and velvety smooth mouthfeel. Tasty as hell. Not crazy hoppy but that pine is there with even a hint of citrus as it warms. But there’s more than enough chocolate and malt to make it a true imperial stout.
Mar 26, 2025
Reviewed by Gatch from Massachusetts
4.34/5 rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.34/5 rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Picked up a single 16oz tall can for a very reasonable $3 at a local Trader Joe’s. Canned on 10/29/24. Let it warm for quite a long time and poured aggressively. Not sure why I haven’t reviewed this previously as I’ve enjoyed this many times in the past. A consistently delicious “base” imperial stout that lets the style shine without the usual barrel aging and flavor additions. Just properly roasted and well-selected malts balanced by a heavily hopped (for the style) finish. If you allow this to come to room temp, you realize how stellar it is.
Another tall can from TJs in early Nov 2025., just about two weeks old. This could be double the price and it’s still a deal with how good this is. When it’s fresh it’s fairly boozy but the flavor is massive. Relatively hoppy for an imperial stout but that’s classic PP. Love this seasonal!
Nov 24, 2024Another tall can from TJs in early Nov 2025., just about two weeks old. This could be double the price and it’s still a deal with how good this is. When it’s fresh it’s fairly boozy but the flavor is massive. Relatively hoppy for an imperial stout but that’s classic PP. Love this seasonal!
Reviewed by augustgarage from California
3.81/5 rDev -8.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.81/5 rDev -8.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Packaged on October 29, 2024 - enjoyed on November 15th, 2024. Poured from a pint can into a snifter.
Opaque bole body with a small stand of desert sand receding slowly to a popped collar and lasting surface slick. Fine sticky lacing; good retention; thin legs.
Gentle aroma with a fine balance between roast and sweetness - hints of toffee, coffee, walnuts, brown bread, and chocolate. Pleasant but a little vague.
Greater depth of flavor but the overall profile is muddled. Bittersweet with hints of cocoa nibs and pour-over. Faint char at times giving way to a sweeter note suggesting treacle, black licorice, raisins and glögg. Somehow gives the impression of winter spice without the flavor? Medium-dry finish. Low earthy hops throughout.
ABV is well concealed, but the body is a little thin for the style.
Not bad, though I think I prefer the original (by Port).
Nov 16, 2024Opaque bole body with a small stand of desert sand receding slowly to a popped collar and lasting surface slick. Fine sticky lacing; good retention; thin legs.
Gentle aroma with a fine balance between roast and sweetness - hints of toffee, coffee, walnuts, brown bread, and chocolate. Pleasant but a little vague.
Greater depth of flavor but the overall profile is muddled. Bittersweet with hints of cocoa nibs and pour-over. Faint char at times giving way to a sweeter note suggesting treacle, black licorice, raisins and glögg. Somehow gives the impression of winter spice without the flavor? Medium-dry finish. Low earthy hops throughout.
ABV is well concealed, but the body is a little thin for the style.
Not bad, though I think I prefer the original (by Port).
Reviewed by DefenCorps from Oregon
4.25/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Can from Function. I enjoyed the Port version, but the Pizza Port version is stellar!
Jet black with a dark brown head with good retention and lacing. The nose is great old-school imperial stout. Roasty, bitter, with coffee, bitter dark chocolate but balanced without any acrid notes. Light licorice. The palate opens both bitter and smooth, creamy and roasty, lovely conditioning. Coffee, chicory, licorice, dried berries and little dark fruit. Roasty, fruity finish. Lovely.
Dec 14, 2023Jet black with a dark brown head with good retention and lacing. The nose is great old-school imperial stout. Roasty, bitter, with coffee, bitter dark chocolate but balanced without any acrid notes. Light licorice. The palate opens both bitter and smooth, creamy and roasty, lovely conditioning. Coffee, chicory, licorice, dried berries and little dark fruit. Roasty, fruity finish. Lovely.
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