Mikkeller Santas Little Helper 2007

Mikkeller
Formerly brewed at De Proefbrouwerij
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Copenhagen V, Denmark

A solid dark brown, with a pretty milk chocolate colored tan foam. Cookie spice aroma with some roastiness, berries, fruity, dark chocolate. Taste is sweet, chocolates, dark fruitiness like high % cacao dark chocolate, plums, berries, then a light spiciness, roasty. A really nice beer.

750mL Bottle -- Pours black with a tan head. coffee, dark chocolate, and a good amount of spice are the first flavors to hit me. Dark fruits like plum and dates are there in the background. Thick and oily but silky on the palate.

Funny what 2 years can do to a beer, good things - Very dark brown body with a red shine and a big creamy light brown head; Extremely settled and balanced aromas, lots of nice spices fits perfectly with the darker malts; Pleasant light soft body, very light fruity that fits the sweetness perfectly; Long balanced finish, perfect aromas, perfect texture.

750ml bottle pulled from the cellar. When I cracked the cork on the bottle, there wasn’t any re-assuring snap/crackle/pop. I poured slowly but there wasn’t any head. A bit more vertical and got a bit of head. Aroma is roasted malt and sugar. Taste is a bit hard to pinpoint. Definitely a Belgian ale. Caramel and malty with some nutmeg and clove undertones. Really light for the alcohol.

From the cellar. Dark brown with a dense greyish-brown head. Potent malty aroma, full of spices, caramel, syrup and chocolate. Creamy, almost oily texture. Very pleasant sweet palate. This is christmas in a bottle.

750mL bottle. Poured a highly-viscous, murky deep brown with very little carbonation evident. The aroma picked up a base of molasses, dark chocolate, and black patent maltage surrounded by spicy, fruity, Belgian-inspired yeast and darker spices.. a bit of soy impression on the back.. a touch brash at first, but it came together when given a chance to breathe. The flavor found soy and licorice at the core with dried cocoa and sticky black patent sweetness around.. warm spices and tart fruity character around.. a touch of oxidation hit on the back. Medium-plus bodied with very low carbonation.. tart and spicy notes accented decently, but it wasn’t all that enjoyable.

Bottle from the Beer Stein in Eugene. This aged brew poured an oily pitch black with limited carbonation and head. The nose was filled with sweet chocolate and cherry notes, while the flavor was defintely dark fruit and chocolate candy. This was a sweet one for sure, but I had much of the bottle with chocolate torte which paired perfectly. Outstanding beer!

750ml bottle. Pours a deep brown color with a quickly disappearing tan head. Boozy aroma, full of citrusy fruits and sweet chocolate, with a roasted nuttiness. Silky smooth body reveals a very sweet, malty beer. Hints of chocolate and coffee with a hint of sourness in the sticky sweet finish. Good, but not outstanding.