Santa Was Here
Wolf's Ridge Brewing

Look: Pours your typical black stout color, and forms a nice tan head
Smell: Chocolate at the start, with hints of vanilla and cinnamon
Taste: Refreshing chocolate and some coffee finish with vanilla and spices.. Post swallow cinnamon lingers and some maybe nutmeg/clove
Feel: Creamy and buttery smooth
Great holiday beer

 

 

A pour from a pint can produced a 1 inch cream/beige head atop a beautiful ebony brown stout. Decent retention, nice lacing. Exactly what you want to see in a stout.

The smell is lovely. Lots of chocolate up front. Some vanilla, and, yes - peanut butter fudge. Simply put, it smells indulgent.

The taste has a lot going for it. It follows the nose, but it's bolder and more complex. Milk chocolate up front with a hint of accompanying dark chocolate. Some toast. A touch of coffee. Peanut butter fudge is hiding in the background. You can tell that the lactose is there, but it's only powerful enough to balance out the bitterness. Lots of malty layers. There's a touch of spice but it's faint - just enough that you can tell it's there. Did I mention indulgent? Damn.

Mouthfeel is medium to full. Very smooth, very creamy.

Overall: Wolf's Ridge has taken a fantastic stout and morphed it into an outstanding holiday beer. Did they spice the hell out of it? No. And that's what makes it great. This has just enough of a buckeye profile and utilizes holiday spice just enough that it evokes an Ohio Christmas. Seasonal regional perfection in a bottle.

 

Pint can, poured into a stout glass at ~60 degrees F.

L: Pours your typical opaque black stout color, and forms a couple fingers of dense tan head with great retention and sheet lacing.

S: Chocolate hits right up front, with a melange of vanilla, cream, and holiday spice in the backdrop - hints of ginger and cinnamon, perhaps a touch of clove.

T: Smooth from sip to swallow, this more or less follows the nose. Dark chocolate, mild coffee, and charred bread notes open, and are quickly supplanted by a cascade of vanilla and spices. Lactose is present, but as a muting factor to any bitterness that would otherwise be present, as opposed to an actual sweetness. The aftertaste lingers as cinnamon, clove, spent coffee grounds, and a tinge of black licorice.

F: Full and creamy.

O: For something labeled as a "snickerdoodle stout" on the can, this is less pastry and more spiced stout. I enjoyed it.

Canned on 11/10/21. 16oz can poured into a tulip.

Pours almost black; fluffy khaki head that falls leaving nice retention and sticky lacing.

The aromas are malt forward along with some roasted characteristics. Some chocolate. Mild spice in the aroma department. The aromas open up a bit as it warms.

The flavors are much bolder than the nose. Cinnamon, ginger and peppermint blends with a decent amount of milk chocolate. Some dark chocolate in the mix. Nice cinnamon flavors in the finish. Some vanilla. The lactose definitely comes through. Some raw honey. It's bittersweet. There's a sweetness fighting with a decent bitterness. There's also a subtle spiciness. Strong malt backbone. Mild warmth, but it's not hot or boozy at all.

Mouthfeel is very nice. It's full-bodied with moderate to low carbonation. It's velvety, fluffy, creamy and smooth.

This is a pretty solid brew. Solid spice profile. Nice flavors. The craftsmanship is on point and takes this one to the next level. Not bad at all. It's enjoyable and fun to drink. It's also obviously fitting for the holiday season.