Santa's Little Helper - Oak Barrel Aged
Port Brewing Company
- From:
- Port Brewing Company
- California, United States
- Style:
- American Imperial Stout
Ranked #87 - ABV:
- 12%
- Score:
- 96
Ranked #905 - Avg:
- 4.41 | pDev: 6.12%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 10
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Oct 14, 2025
- Added:
- Dec 24, 2013
- Wants:
- 13
- Gots:
- 11
SCORE
96
World-Class
96
World-Class
Everyone knows 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 test driving the sleigh to ensure it’s still in operating condition. At the North Pole, they make their calendars calling it Christmas in July.
How do we know this? 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 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 try to drunk it all by himself. But we wouldn’t blame him if he did.
How do we know this? 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 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 try to drunk it all by himself. But we wouldn’t blame him if he did.
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Reviewed by Gatch from Massachusetts
4.51/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.51/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
A special discovery while visiting PP San Clemente for the first time in October 2025. See a sign for vintage bottles at the bar for $12, head over to the cooler, and here it is…2013 22oz bombers of this rare brew! And for only $12! Insanity. Pumped that this turned out to be the oak-aged rather than BBA version. Still pours beautifully with a huge brown head due to a purposefully aggressive pour. Nose is a bit strong even with the age but the flavor shines with plenty of oak, earth, wet sweet tobacco, vanilla, molasses, dark roast coffee, super dark chocolate, all the usual suspects (the good stuff). Really let this one warm up and sipped over several hours. A special treat that somehow makes PP even more awesome than they already are.
Made it to PP OB on early Halloween 2025 and saw the same sign for the same price. This time it was 2011 vintage bottles! Same price. Same astonishment at the deal. Suuuuper mellow, big flavor, delicious holiday fun.
Oct 14, 2025Made it to PP OB on early Halloween 2025 and saw the same sign for the same price. This time it was 2011 vintage bottles! Same price. Same astonishment at the deal. Suuuuper mellow, big flavor, delicious holiday fun.
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada
3.99/5 rDev -9.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.99/5 rDev -9.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours black but with a slightly better head than the bourbon barrel aged version, sitting at about 1/5" of tan/light brown head. Aroma of roasted malt, can't really tell if that is oak i'm getting beyond it, its not like Splinter Black which dropped like liquid wood in the nose.
Taste here is much the same. I'm legit wondering if this is the same as the bourbon barrel one, because they taste pretty much the same, only variance I can tell is the slightly better head on this one, something easily attributable to variation/age or whatnot. Its good and thick and probably around the 100ibu level, but the largeness of it all makes it relatively no problem to drink. Hints of leather, charred wood shift around. I'm legit wondering if this is the same beer with two different labels, one says oak, one says bourbon. Either way, they're both as enjoyable as the other basically.
May 21, 2020Taste here is much the same. I'm legit wondering if this is the same as the bourbon barrel one, because they taste pretty much the same, only variance I can tell is the slightly better head on this one, something easily attributable to variation/age or whatnot. Its good and thick and probably around the 100ibu level, but the largeness of it all makes it relatively no problem to drink. Hints of leather, charred wood shift around. I'm legit wondering if this is the same beer with two different labels, one says oak, one says bourbon. Either way, they're both as enjoyable as the other basically.
Reviewed by Radcpa from Washington
4.25/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Very dark appearance with tan head that dissipates quickly. Aroma is a slightly sweet malt and vanilla. Taste is a very good malt with vanilla accent without any alcohol aftertaste.
Apr 19, 2019
Reviewed by Tele from California
4.07/5 rDev -7.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.07/5 rDev -7.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Serving Type: Bottle (2013 vintage)
Consumed: 12.25.15
A: 4.75 Pours pitch black with a dense, dark tan head. Good retention and lacing.
S: 4 Lots of roasted malt, molasses, and alcohol on the nose. A bit of bourbon and vanilla in there as well, but the aromas are dominated by roast and char.
T: 4 Starts off a bit sweet with vanilla and bourbon. Moves quickly to char, roasted malt, coffee, and molasses. Things seem pretty good, but there’s some fairly strong alcohol flavor and astringency that throws everything off a bit. Mild bitterness and berries on the finish.
M: 4.25 Pretty nice and thick body with decent carbonation. Finish is a little too dry for my tastes.
O: 4 I recall this one being better fresh – more integrated and bourbon forward. Still a pretty nice beer, but not up to the standard of some of the other BA stouts out there.
Dec 25, 2015Consumed: 12.25.15
A: 4.75 Pours pitch black with a dense, dark tan head. Good retention and lacing.
S: 4 Lots of roasted malt, molasses, and alcohol on the nose. A bit of bourbon and vanilla in there as well, but the aromas are dominated by roast and char.
T: 4 Starts off a bit sweet with vanilla and bourbon. Moves quickly to char, roasted malt, coffee, and molasses. Things seem pretty good, but there’s some fairly strong alcohol flavor and astringency that throws everything off a bit. Mild bitterness and berries on the finish.
M: 4.25 Pretty nice and thick body with decent carbonation. Finish is a little too dry for my tastes.
O: 4 I recall this one being better fresh – more integrated and bourbon forward. Still a pretty nice beer, but not up to the standard of some of the other BA stouts out there.
Reviewed by Brolo75 from California
4.6/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.6/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
375 ml bottle poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass
A: Pitch black, no light coming in, tan head, lots of lacing, the head stuck around for quite awhile.
A: Big bourbon, chocolate, getting a lot of alcohol burn on the nose, smells great.
T: Big bourbon up front, some toasted coconut, chocolate, definitely picking up the oak from the barrels, big alcohol on the end that lingers, finishes semi-dry on the palate, lots of flavors, really good.
M: Viscous, dry, not much carbonation, very nice mouthfeel.
O: This is a world class barrel aged stout, very complex, lots of flavor, oak, coconut, chocolate, my only complaint is that it's very hot, for 12% I am surprised how much burn lingers, but with some age I bet this mellows out really well.
Feb 09, 2015A: Pitch black, no light coming in, tan head, lots of lacing, the head stuck around for quite awhile.
A: Big bourbon, chocolate, getting a lot of alcohol burn on the nose, smells great.
T: Big bourbon up front, some toasted coconut, chocolate, definitely picking up the oak from the barrels, big alcohol on the end that lingers, finishes semi-dry on the palate, lots of flavors, really good.
M: Viscous, dry, not much carbonation, very nice mouthfeel.
O: This is a world class barrel aged stout, very complex, lots of flavor, oak, coconut, chocolate, my only complaint is that it's very hot, for 12% I am surprised how much burn lingers, but with some age I bet this mellows out really well.
Reviewed by StraightNoChaser from Georgia
4.42/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.42/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
2012 Vintage.
appearance: very dark, nearly opaque. Crimson highlights. almost no head other than some tan bubbles on the pour.
smell: Smooth bourbon, oak, coffee, vanilla and chocolate treat. Decadent and well...oh so good.
taste: More of the same. This is why I loves the new wave of beers over stuffy wines.
overall: Wonderful. Shared with family on Christmas eve and everyone loved it.
Dec 26, 2014appearance: very dark, nearly opaque. Crimson highlights. almost no head other than some tan bubbles on the pour.
smell: Smooth bourbon, oak, coffee, vanilla and chocolate treat. Decadent and well...oh so good.
taste: More of the same. This is why I loves the new wave of beers over stuffy wines.
overall: Wonderful. Shared with family on Christmas eve and everyone loved it.
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