Santa's Cookies
Champion Brewing Company

 

 

I don't see a date printed on the label or can.

Appearance: It has a black body with a khaki heat that is a bit foamy and creamy, which slowly pops and fades out to a thin ring. No lacing.

Aroma: It smells like burnt wood, roasted walnuts, and burnt caramel.

Taste: There is a fruity plum-like semi-tart flavor at the tip of the tongue with a good deal of carbon and a hint of pine bough. The middle of the tongue has a strong, freshly cut ginger root flavor with some pine in the middle. There is a bit of a juniper character. The ginger root flavor is overpowering and very strong. It tastes a lot like thickly cut ginger in a stir-fry. Bold flavors but not well balanced.

Mouthfeel: It has a pretty full body with a strong bitterness coming from both the ginger and the roasted grains.

Overall: The label calls this "Santa's Cookies IMPERIAL OATMEAL STOUT." There is a ton of fresh ginger flavor in this beer, which is very bold, but it doesn't taste like a cookie. That being said, it is actually a really interesting beer and rather than a traditional spicy ginger flavor it has a strong "wet" ginger flavor which mixes with both the charred and pine flavors. It's worth trying if you like eating freshly sliced ginger with your sushi or thick chunks in your stir-fry. I probably wouldn't buy it again but it's interesting enough to enjoy.

I'm drinking this at my favorite tap room in Greenville NC, Tapped.
Poured from a tap into a pint glass.
Looks very dark brown with a foamy tan head that dropped quickly to a thin ring and nice lacing.
Smells, a little boozy, malty, coffee, cardamom, ginger, and chocolate.
Taste follows the nose nicely.
Mouth feel is medium thick for the style and one of the factors that I like about this beer.
Overall, typically I'm not a huge fan of Imperials, but this is pretty damn good and I would definitely order again.

 

A very decent oatmeal stout...

...much more maltier than most oatmeal stouts I have had to date. I really liked the creamy head and I really like the lightly creamy mouthfeel. Overall this was a decent beer and one that I would be happy to share.

1 PINT can
Served in a snifter

This beer pours black and is topped with a fleeting tan head that leaves no lacing.

The spices are present in the aroma. I also get coffee and dark chocolate.

Cardamom and ginger in the taste. I get coffee, cocoa, and dark chocolate.

Full bodied with a smooth mouthfeel

I wouldn't eat a Christmas cookie with ginger and cardamom in it. This beer was okay, but I did not care for the spices in this stout.

Poured thickly into a pint glass, resulting in a good 1" of head and excellent retention.

Mild aroma, but the oatmeal, roasted malt, and cardamom are quite noticeable.

Definitely a bittersweet flavor with lots of roasted malts. The cardamom is more noticeable than the ginger. Doesn't particularly scream "Christmas beer" to me, but its enjoyable enough.

Mouthfeel is very nice. I was expecting it to feel more full bodied based on the pour, but this is still on the upper end of medium. Very smooth.

Overall, a very good beer, though I would have enjoyed a little less cardamom and a little more in the way of spice variety.

16oz CANNED ON 10/09/2020 poured into a tulip pint glass at fridge temp 8% ABV 45 IBU per can. The beer pours dense very dark brown with minimal medium brown head. The head recedes to a pencil thin ring and a few tiny bubbles. The aroma is mild with roasted malt and ginger. The taste is bittersweet roasted malt with typical oatmeal flavor before the very mild ginger and cardamom come through. Mild to moderate bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium plus bodied with average carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, good.

 

 

L- Super dark, thicc to pour, very little to no foam upon pour.
S- Oatmeal is very present, cardamom and coffee.
T- Sweet Imperial Stout, warm feeling, very dark and barley heavy. Notes of cinnamon, and lots of spices.
M- A nice coat across your mouth and tongue, has some weight to it.
O- Really great, would definitely recommend to anyone that thinks they would like a beer like this:)

Canned on 10/09/20.Pours a deep cola color with a thinner deep beige head atop.no lacing.A decent shot of cardamom in the nose with underlying chocolate,and a hint of roast/char.Ginger really stands out on the palate giving it a decent sharpness,cardamom and vanilla lay underneath,milk chocolate intertwined with some sweet alcohol in the finish.I'am not a huge ginger fan and this has a big shot of ginger in it,still a dencent big milk stout.

This is the second brew I've had from Champion, and both were unique. This one is a different kind of holiday brew, and I'm all for that.

It pours stout black with minor fizz. The aroma is an interesting, mildly weird smell, like a peppermint flavored one I had recently, but not - it is something else, and I'm not sure what. I like that. The weird spice goes into the taste too, and I can see how some people might not like it, but I think it is appropriate for a Christmas brew, and there is plenty of malt and hops from the stout to create a balance.

Recommended. It's a unique stout and it works for me.

 

Canned on 9/18/19. 12oz can poured into a tulip. Pours almost black with a small khaki head that fades leaving decent retention and lacing. The aromas have a nice amount of spices. Some cinnamon and peppermint. Subtle hints of chocolate. Malts are there. The flavors basically follow the nose. More spices. More cinnamon and peppermint. Some black pepper in the mix. More chocolate, especially in the finish. Some hops. Solid bitterness. It's not really sweet. Malts do their thing. Finishes dry. Alcohol basically goes unnoticed. Mouthfeel is on the lighter side of full-bodied with active carbonation. It's sharp, crisp and spritzy.

This is a solid brew. It might be a little rough around the edges due to the heavy spice characteristics, but that's what it's supposed to be with this one. It's definitely fitting for the holiday season. Not bad. I do ultimately like it and appreciate it.

 

 

Poured from a can into a snifter glass, resulting in almost no head, just a bit of tan foam that faded quickly. Deep brown, almost black, color. Smells of barley malt primarily. Taste is similar, but with some spices on the tail end. Medium bodied with light carbonation. Not much like the name (cookies) but a solid stout, with spices making it feel more holiday appropriate.