Santa's Little Helper Ale
The Caledonian Brewing Company

Hand pulled pint in my local Wetherspoon's pub: 19th Dec 2011.

The beer poured a mahogany brown colour with a good off-white head on top.

The smells were weak, some malty molasses and caramels with hints of Christmas type spices.

The taste was as the aromas but bland and boring, the beer being a poor, soft bitter with no life or umph. Almost didn't finish it: but at £2.35 a pint I felt duty bound to neck it.

Not be having another.

Tasted by half pint at my local Wetherspoon pub, The Capitol, in Forest Hill, SE London. This is a X'mas Seasonal guest ale at the JDW chain, served by a handpump w/o a sparkler.

A: it comes in a low carbonated, clear, dark reddish-amber body, with a thin layer of off-white foam sitting on top with good retention.
S: refreshing hoppyness akin to Fuggles and hints of hop resins as well, surrounded by a touch of spiciness; the second layer sees mild caramel notes, sour-sweet apples and dried berry-fruits, plus faint yeastiness. Pleasant~~
T: upfront are quality malts with a rich and lingering biscuity flavour and aroma, followed by dried-leafy hops; the mid-palate turns slightly sour-fruity, wrapped up quickly by an herbal hoppyness and soothingly dryish palate towards the finish.
M&D: a very light-bodied and rather thin-ish malty brew; the body falls a bit off-balance b/w hops and malts, but the lingering and delicious malt aroma+aftertaste are a big plus.

A- Deep cppper amber, with a 1 1/2 finger creamy head that has very good retention throughout the pint.

S- Not much here, some malt sweetness, maybe some nuttiness.

T- a little bland, some nice nutty notes as in the smell come through in the finish well. faint hints of toffee aswell

M- Creamy with low carbonation, a solid mouthfeel

D- very high for this low abv ale, would maybe look for something with a little more taste character, but this was nice enough

Sampled cask conditioned at The Old Thameside Inn, Southwark, London, Christmas 2004. This pint has a dark brown colour and a moderate head. Aroma is malty and sherry-like . Flavour is nutty with caramel and treacle. Decent beer, despite the low ABV for a Christmas ale. Finish is a bit watery though.

Had this on cask in my favorite non-Young's London "free house" pub. Dark amber with a thin tan head that left solid sheets of lace. very malty, smooth, and creamy which is typical of Scottish ale. I liked this beer better with each sip and it was very food friendly. Another solid cask ale.