Santa's Little Helper 2009 - Mikkeller ApS

ShogoKawada

Rhode Island

4.47/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

2009, thanks to whoever sent this. Dug out the cellar, into a Grand Targhee mug.

Pours a dark brown, tan creamy head and there's some frosty lacing. Smell is dark fruit and a bit of cocoa and cinnamon. Taste follows... Very nice and mellow. Cocoa follows and compliments the dark fruit. Really nice finish. Damn, this is a spectacular beer. I am swooning. Really could not ask for a better beer this evening. Toasty graham cracker with semisweet chocolate. Oh yeah. I might have opened this at the exact right time.. Fantastic beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 02:38:23 | More by ShogoKawada

GRUUMSH

Belgium

4.25/5  rDev +7.1%

01-27-2013 14:46:38 | More by GRUUMSH

mjtiernan

New York

3.5/5  rDev -11.8%

01-11-2013 05:12:27 | More by mjtiernan

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured fom a 750 ml bottle into a Pipeworks snifter.

A- pours brown with a half finger light tan head. Big trails and blotches speckle the glass.

S- honey, dark fruits, brown sugar, Belgian yeast.

T- sweet amber malts, honey, dark fruits (raisin, black cherry, prunes), some faint spices, and Belgian yeast.

M- medium body and carbonation. Drinks 3-4% lower than the abv.

O- this beer was better than I expected, especially with 3 years on it. Fairly sweet and spices are faint, and no cocoa that I noticed, but a very tasty beer none the less.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 05:13:38 | More by kawilliams81

MatthewWilde

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +0.8%

12-04-2012 05:57:16 | More by MatthewWilde

t0rin0

California

4/5  rDev +0.8%

10-29-2012 01:45:14 | More by t0rin0

brez8791

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +0.8%

04-20-2012 02:01:32 | More by brez8791

schlimenhaumer

New York

3.55/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a nonic pint glass at altitude in Denver. Drinking this in a vertical tasting with Santa’s Little Helper 2011 after a great experience with the 2010 version. Probably not aged in ideal conditions, as I picked this up at a local bottle shop without air conditioning or central heating.

A: Pours a hazy brown caramel color with a substantial off-white head and heavy lacing.

S: Cocoa, nutmeg and Belgian yeast notes that bring out coriander. Appealing and fits the bill for Christmastime.

T: Chocolate up front followed by peppery winter spices and a malty finish. There’s plenty of yeasty complexity here, but I felt that the balance tended too much toward the malty end of the spectrum.

M: Full-bodied and wet without much carbonation at all. Not exceptional, but I expect this may have been a result of the circumstances of its aging.

D: The alcohol is concealed very well in this one, perhaps partly as a result of the aging. It’s smooth and enjoyable, and while it’s not quite as good as the 2010 vintage in my opinion, I would be happy to drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 17:16:42 | More by schlimenhaumer

blakelive784

Colorado

3.63/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

1 pt 9.4 fl oz bottle serve in a nonic pint glass, reviewed from notes:

A - Pours a murky, dark brown color with one finger of fairly creamy head. Retention is average, but understandable considering the ABV.

S - Toasty caramel, spice (clove?), sweet fruit, heavy yeast, and some cream. Nice aroma all together. Medium strength.

T - Chocolate and toasted malt are more prominent on the tongue. Sweet malt and fruit are countered nicely by pepper and bitter chocolate. The ABV hardly comes through at all. It's got a full array of spices: coriander, clove, and pepper. It's awesomely complex.

M - Medium bodied, smooth, wet, and no appreciable carbonation. It works, but I think it's probably past its prime in this regard.

D - Incredibly well balanced, flavorful, complex and its ABV is hardly detectable. If I have the chance I'll have this one again.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 01:32:36 | More by blakelive784

kojevergas

California

3.65/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

1 pint 9.4 fl oz brown glass bottle with hod and wire cap over a cork served into a nonic pint glass in high altitude Castle Rock, Colorado. Reviewed live.

A: Pours a two finger head of fair cream, decent thickness, and great retention for the ABV. Colour is a caramel-brown.

Sm: Highly yeasty, with cream, spice, and light chocolate. Musty. Coriander is prominent. Some candied sugar. A moderate strength aroma.

T: Chocolate/cocoa as undertone, with nice cream throughout and pleasant spices atop. Complex and well-bodied. Quite nicely balanced. The yeast is less prominent, but still pleasant and well-suited to the flavours. Caramel. I like the coriander and maybe light cayenne.

Mf: Smooth and wet, with some nice cream. A bit too thin.

Dr: Very drinkable. A lovely little winter ale. I'd definitely have it again. I think it might be best at two years age.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 04:20:55 | More by kojevergas

PeerlessMark

Ontario (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this at Bar Volo for $35 a bottle New Years Day 2011.

Even an aggressive pour can't coax any carbonation out of this rarish brew. Quite a lot of delicious sediment containing most of the flavour at the bottom makes this an uneven pour, and much more enjoyable after it warms up a bit and you get about half way through the bottle. Would recommend putting this on its side and rolling it a bit before serving.

Visually it is very dark, almost a dark coal colour with only a few rays of light barely making its way through the glass. No discernible legs on the oversized wine glass I drank it from but it does leave a thin coating on the inside of the glass.

It smells a lot boozier than it tastes. Hard to describe the taste actually, as it warmed up I started getting a better appreciation for its subtle flavours. It was much smoother to drink than I expected. I got a bit of smoke and dark chocolate and the rest blended in too neatly for me to identify individual flavours.

Overall very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 23:50:01 | More by PeerlessMark

CuriousMonk

Virginia

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured vintage 2009 750ml bottle into snifter glass. Pours murky deep brown, with a thin beige head. The nose is meat, gravy, spice, dried fruit, caramel and brown sugar. The taste is brown sugar, roasted malt, caramel, toffee, cola, chocolate, spice, light alcohol warmth, molasses and toasted brown bread. Medium to full body, fine carbonation and slightly sticky mouth-feel. Much better than the 2011 vintage IMO.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 19:09:15 | More by CuriousMonk

Beerontwowheels

Maryland

4/5  rDev +0.8%

12-25-2011 22:21:44 | More by Beerontwowheels

Cstromberg57

New Hampshire

3.55/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a Duvel tulip glass.

A - Dark brown with a light tan head that quickly dissipates.

S - Heavy spice, heavy hops

T - The taste of the spice and hops are very strong. I didn't really detect any chocolate

M - Very light, moderate carbonation

O - A good beer, but not anything that I would go out of my way to have again.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 01:06:20 | More by Cstromberg57

Durb777

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +13.4%

12-19-2011 15:21:24 | More by Durb777

DoctorB2B

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -24.4%

12-11-2011 07:46:03 | More by DoctorB2B

brandoman63

Illinois

4/5  rDev +0.8%

11-22-2011 03:34:15 | More by brandoman63

HopStoopid120

Connecticut

3/5  rDev -24.4%

11-16-2011 05:09:21 | More by HopStoopid120

kkrez

Colorado

5/5  rDev +25.9%

11-15-2011 18:28:36 | More by kkrez

sbricker

Illinois

4/5  rDev +0.8%

11-14-2011 18:30:42 | More by sbricker

LambicKing

Virginia

3.95/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed at Moeder Lambic on 8 Oct...reviewed from notes. Poured into a ML snifter.

A: Hazy, dark brown body with very little toffee-colored head (reduces w/in 5 min to only surfacing)

S: Some cocoa, classic Belgian yeasty/earthiness, some dark fruits...little to no booze. Some light caramel and toffee too in the background. Sweet malts as well.

T: Very rich...all the smells listed above come through in the taste. For a beer this strong, I'm surprised to taste these flavors/aromas at a slightly muted level. Maybe age affected the beer a bit?

M: Creamy, dreamy. Thick and coating on the palate. Very little carb.

O: Apparently, 2 years of lounging around has mellowed this beer. Still very enjoyable and I'd buy it again if I saw it in a bottle shop. Although, I probably wouldn't go out of my way to buy it.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 10:08:06 | More by LambicKing

steve8robin

Massachusetts

3.4/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Got this beer a while back. Decided to crack it tonight. I wasn't crazy about the '07 version, but we'll see. 750ml bottle...

A: A deep dark murky brown with a 1 inch tan head that fades quickly. Good.

S: I get some booze and spices upfront with some hop quickly followed in the middle. A nice vanilla on the backend. Decent.

T: A watery brew with a spiced vanilla and almost mild lactose taste in the middle. Some mild alcohol on the backend. Ok.

M: Medium body with a great carbonation. A nice spiced sweet malt finish.

O: All in all, this is an ok beer. Not anything phenomenal. Try if you're a fan of Mikkeller, but otherwise, don't bother. Many better winter brews.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2011 02:41:10 | More by steve8robin

Radome

Spain

4.1/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750 ml bottle into a snifter.

A - Clear, dark brown. Head is low but persistent.

S - Aroma is a huge hit of hops and spice. There is no alcohol or chocolate evident.

T - Flavor is mostly hop but balanced by some malt and chocolate and some alcohol.

M - Body is moderate; hop bitterness supports the aroma, but is not over the top.

D - Very in-your-face, but still drinkable and yummy.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2011 06:03:14 | More by Radome

Rickythejeweler

Maryland

4.45/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750 ml. Caged and corked vintage 2009 drank on 3/6/11.

A - Murky brown, root beer color, thin tan head, decent lacing.

S - Figs and raisons upfront, big hop presence as well.

T - Figs, raison, after taste of grapes, light hops, light caramel, light cocoa on aftertaste.

M - Smooth, perfect carbonation (which was suprising for it being over a year aged), long and heavy after taste on tongue.

D - It is deceptive for 10.9% abv, it will hit you all at once half way though the bottle, the alcohol is hidden with perfection, but the beer is still strong and delicious just as I like belgian strong dark ales to be! My favorite Mikkeller beer so far!

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2011 03:03:47 | More by Rickythejeweler

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a cloudy deep brown color ale with a large foamy head with good retention And some good lacing. Aroma of deep caramelized malt with notes of light toffee and light cacao notes are also noticeable. Taste is also a mix of heavily caramelized malt with well balanced sugar and notes of cacao with light traces of alcohol. Body is quite full with good carbonation and light apparent alcohol. Very nice beer with good amount of complexity and good drinkability factor.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2011 03:22:22 | More by Phyl21ca