Mikkeller Santas Little Helper 2008

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

Intense aroma accompanied by a nice cascade of flavours that hit you one by one as you drink. Well balanced beer considering the amount of alcohol. Definitely not an everyday beer.

2008 Bottle - Wow that was a huge bitch to get the cork out...pours thick and dk brown with a small creme head...aroma is sweet cocoa and roast, plum and mint?...flavour is quite a mash up, orange, spice, wood, more mint, herb, cocoa, alcohol...opens a bit as it comes up in temp, just as much shit going on, quite an interesting brew, not sure if interesting translates into "good", but definitely confusing and something new...

Dark brown with a small beige head. Malty somewhat artificial and yeasty candy like aroma. Mouthfeel is medium with lively carbonation. Flavour is candy yeasty with dark fruity malt flavours. Somewhat phenolic with too much alcohol in the finish.

Bottle. Moderate aromas of toasted and molasses from the malt, resin from the hops, earth from the yeast, with background notes of dark dried fruit, bourbon and alcohol. Head is small, frothy, light brown with speckle-y lacing and is mostly diminishing. Flavor starts moderately sweet and acidic, then finishes moderately acidic and bitter. Palate is medium to full, creamy, with a soft carbonation and is very alcoholic in the finish. A nice toasty, warming beer to be drinking around Thanksgiving time.

750mL bottle. Great beer. Pours black with tan head. Aroma of vanilla, port and spice, Mouthfeel a bit thin, but taste is huge, mallty roasted loveliness, licorice, spice, dark chocolate, and finish has nice burst of bittness.

THOUGHTS: Delicious. Not as sweet as last years version, but similar. This one also didn’t hid the alcohol as well, but still very nice. This was also way more hoppy. This was just as rich in flavor, but a little lighter in body. It is in a unique class of beers. I’d lump it with Gouden Carolus Blue, Samichlaus and Sam Adams Triple Bock in their unique, almost hybrid or style crossing profiles. This was not overwhelmingly Christmasy, but it did hint at it. As it warmed it reminded me a little of Belgian take on Pum King aroma wise. This goes back to a time before Christmas. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a dark brown with orangey red highlights and a small, tan head that mostly diminished and left fair lacing. The aroma was moderate and when warmer, heavy cocoa powder, chocolate syrup and slight cereal that came across as Cap’n Crunch; light hoppiness that was mostly hidden by spices; moderate yeast; soy sauce, chocolate liquor, dark fruit, spices, more and more chocolate as it warmed, fruit skins and dark berries. The initial flavor was sweet and a little acidic; while the finish was sweeter, acidic, moderately bitter with a hint of sour and an average duration. There was dark fruit, cocoa powder, spices, yeast, citrus hops, oranges, a hint of coffee. It was like a spices orange hot cocoa or mocha coffee liquor. The medium body was slightly syrupy, sort of oily and then a little dry, but sticky on the lips with fairly soft carbonation and a very lightly astringent, moderately alcoholic and dry finish.

Mahogany with a nice tan head. Spicy, cocoa, and herbal aroma. A bit sweet but not cloying, with a lovely finishing bitterness.

Very dark brown, large long lasting tan head, excellent lacing. Aroma is spicy, lots of dark fruits, light alcohol, yeast, some orange citrus. Flavour is of lots of oranges, spices, cherries, some alcohol, moderate sweetness. Warming in the mouth, medium body, moderate carbonation. Finished long, warm, citrusy.

Some pine at the very end, a rather warm beer. Some age will round out the corners of this one.

750ml bottle obtained through Roland and Russell Imports.
Opened on January 30, 2009.
Best before September 1, 2012.