Santa's Little Helper - Bourbon Barrel Aged
Port Brewing

Santa's Little Helper - Bourbon Barrel AgedSanta's Little Helper - Bourbon Barrel Aged
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From:
Port Brewing
 
California, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
ABV:
12%
Score:
89
Avg:
3.98 | pDev: 12.81%
Reviews:
203
Ratings:
653
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 17, 2021
Added:
Jul 25, 2009
Wants:
  55
Gots:
  192
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by FARGO619:
Photo of FARGO619
Reviewed by FARGO619 from California

5/5  rDev +25.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
BOTTLE 22oz into tulip. 55 degrees. Glass room temp.

A - Pours a deep black with some murkiness...so thick with a nice mocha head.

S - Strong vanilla and caramel aromas followed by some dark roasty smells. Bourbon is very noticeable, but not in an overpowering way...smells very good.

T - Smooth and creamy tasting with some spice and vanilla, caramel, brown sugar and molasses flavors. Lightly roasty and a well balanced bourbon flavor mixed with slightly hot alcohol.

M - Full bodied with a lowish carbonation level.

D - Excellent barrel aged beer...smooth and creamy, lots of barrel character, mild bourbon heat...enjoyed this very much.
Jun 24, 2011
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.75 by mpenske from California

Feb 17, 2021
 
Rated: 4.26 by Tcsox from Massachusetts

Jan 17, 2021
 
Rated: 4.21 by Bogdawg from Massachusetts

Jan 17, 2021
Photo of RyanK252
Reviewed by RyanK252 from California

4.31/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Bottle poured into a snifter

A: Pours dark brown with a frothy tan head that settles to a light layer and leaves a little nice lacing.

S: Big brown sugar, toffee, and smooth bourbon, peppery spice, coffee, dark chocolate, vanilla, a little earthiness, and light of herbal pepper minty notes.

T: Roasty, smooth bourbon, brown sugar, vanilla, chocolate, a touch of peppermint, earthy slightly herbal notes, and a little coffee.

M: Full body, mild carbonation, creamy smooth, with just a touch of warmth.

O: This bottle has some years on it. I'm not sure exactly how many, at least 3+, and it's aged well. I'm drinking it side by side with the standard and the bourbon barrels bring so much more to the table. Perfect on a cold December night.
Dec 31, 2020
 
Rated: 4.4 by hopley from Massachusetts

Dec 29, 2020
 
Rated: 4.31 by bigpoppa67 from Wisconsin

Feb 29, 2020
 
Rated: 4.12 by stage_master from New York

Jan 31, 2020
 
Rated: 3.75 by dafla67 from Pennsylvania

May 01, 2019
Photo of REVZEB
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

3.88/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Somehow missed this one from the past. Tons of bourbon all the way through the taste and smell. Molasses, coffee, dark chocolate, slight vanilla and licorice all present. Not the heaviest, in fact pretty dry and thin for an imperial stout. Booze is so powerful, begins to burn as you go down the glass. Like the regular version better
Jan 15, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by Patches826 from Massachusetts

Dec 31, 2018
Photo of patre_tim
Reviewed by patre_tim from Thailand

3.79/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Dark brown to black with a quarter finger of beige head.

Smells of black liquorice, molasses, soy sauce, umami, brown sugar and a hint of vanilla.

Tastes of umami, soy sauce, and black liquorice. I get a bit of the bourbon barrel but its really faint.

Thick, syrupy, oily body with moderate to low carbonation. Burn in the throat.

Got this at Liquor Barn this evening, drinking in Redding, Dec 1st, 2018. Same same, I don't know why I keep trying some of these imperial stouts, but there it is.
Dec 02, 2018
 
Rated: 3.93 by deereless from Colorado

Dec 01, 2018
 
Rated: 4.5 by bdiiorio from Connecticut

May 07, 2018
Photo of monkist
Reviewed by monkist from Hungary

5/5  rDev +25.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Now this is something amazing!
Port Brewing makes outstanding beers and make wonder out of imperial stouts and porters, just like Old Viscosity (that is one of the best imperial stouts I have ever had).
Here we are again with the Bourbon Barrel aged Imperial Stout and it is just stunning. Pitch black, thick like tar, smells boozy at 12% ABV. The taste is very intense full of sweet caramellized malts - not sure about hops though but there is quite a distinct taste to it, which is perhaps to the combination of the malts and no hops, as we are talking about a truly imperial stout.
I mean, here we are in SoCal where you would look for (imperial pale) ales but Port can make a heavy stout that suits the all-year-long-summers and not just winters.
An instant classic, from the moment you pull the cork.
Mar 31, 2018
 
Rated: 4.5 by 1971bernat from Virginia

Jan 02, 2018
 
Rated: 4.52 by stephenlee from England

Dec 27, 2017
Photo of bret717
Reviewed by bret717 from Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured into a snifter after being out of the fridge for 15 minutes. I think this is a vintage 2014, but the date is smudged so I'm not sure.

Look- Pours pitch black with a thin tan head and minimal lacing. Some tan sediment settled on the bottom of the glass

Aroma- mostly chocolate with some black licorice and bourbon

Taste- follows the nose in that it's predominantly chocolate with bourbon and some roast, black licorice and vanilla rounding things out. Bourbon and and very mild bitterness from the roast linger in the aftertaste

Feel- medium bodied and creamy. Moderate carbonation

Overall- this was very pleasant to drink with full, smooth and balanced flavors.
Dec 25, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by jgunther71 from Illinois

Dec 22, 2017
Photo of PBRmeasap1980
Reviewed by PBRmeasap1980 from Indiana

4.22/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A- Black
S- Chocolate and bourbon. Smells great
T- Bourbon and cola, kind of overly sweet like cola
F- Medium thin
O- Good but not great. I don't think I would seek it out again.
Nov 16, 2017
Santa's Little Helper - Bourbon Barrel Aged from Port Brewing
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 653 ratings