Santa's Butt - Ridgeway Brewing

Spider889

Ohio

1.4/5  rDev -59.1%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Had on tap at Bodega, review from notes.

This is listed as an english porter. Porter? WTF mate?!?

The first line of my review typed into my phone reads:
"Meh. Claims to be a porter? My butt!"

The beer is a shade of red, but muddled to the point that it looks brown in low light. No head or lace.

The smell is that of a slightly spiced holiday ale. Not a porter in the slightest. Very few malt aromas, none are dark like a porter would suggest. Instead, the beer provides that of an old spice rack - powdered stale cinnamon and dry nutmeg.

Taste is of slightly bitter european hops. This gives the beer an almost pilsnery flavor. No spices to speak of in the flavor profile, and certainly no notion that a porter was even attempted by the brewery.

Too little carbonation bordering on flat or old beer.

The last two lines of my notes read:
"Bitter finish."
"No."

Serving type: on-tap

01-13-2011 01:26:12 | More by Spider889

chris19571978

Ohio

1.63/5  rDev -52.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

I've Had this beer for a few months. I finally decided to give it a whirl. What a joke! No Lacing on head. Looked thin and watery. Smelled a tad sweet and chocolately but very diluted. Tasted like water. Was flat. Maybe a bad batch? The finish? There wasn't one. Easily the worst porter I've ever had. What a waste of money because I love porters.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2008 02:43:10 | More by chris19571978

Braudog

Virginia

1.7/5  rDev -50.3%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

Poured a dark chocolate brown with a tan head that was thinner than I’d expected. Not much of an aroma ... just a bit of a wort-like sense. Kicks off with a bit of a roastiness, hint of ash on top. Flavors don’t quite gel. Too thin for the style. Not worth the $5.99 I paid! (#2635, 1/6/2007)

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2007 02:42:45 | More by Braudog

GRG1313

California

1.88/5  rDev -45%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Pours black with a nice khaki head that quickly fades.

Nose is a light sweet coffee with feint purple plum tones. Tones of cocoa and some dark fruit.

Mouthfeel is thin and watery with little character. Thin and out of balance.

Flavors are watery fruity coffee with little appeal.

Finish is watery and extremely short. Not one to try and would never recommend.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2011 06:52:27 | More by GRG1313

BeerManDan

California

2.17/5  rDev -36.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Poured a dark brown with no foam or lace. The smell of roasted malts and just a hint of caramel was the aroma that I picked up upon first sniff. The flavor was of weak roasted malts and weak whatever this porter was made up as. Not a lot of flavor, just drinking flavored malty water. This was a great name for this ale, "Santa's Butt", what a perfect name for this porter!

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2007 23:46:45 | More by BeerManDan

Offa

California

2.23/5  rDev -34.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

This was a big disappointment, especially since I love porters and had already fallen in love with Ridgeway Bitter.

It's almost black red-brown with a small light brown head that soon dissipates to a thin foamy ring and some bubbles.

The aroma is mostly of chocolate but it's not very strongly roasted smelling, with hints of fruit and brown bread.

The taste is much worse: almost nothing but prunes and alcohol, with faint hints of red wine and chocolate. The body isn't too thin but it is not complex at all and is really very bland for a porter, tasting pretty much just of alcohol-soaked prunes. It is far too bland and alcoholic. However, it is drinkable and some enjoyable feel and warmth.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2008 17:09:18 | More by Offa

montageman

Michigan

2.25/5  rDev -34.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Poured into a pint glass.

Another Christmas beer, but one due to labeling rather than typical Christmas spicing. The label is the best thing about this lackluster porter. The beer pours thin and light brown, but ends up moderately dark with a white head that leaves some lacing. Chocolate and coffee on the nose, however both smell watered down or somewhat diminished. The flavor is weak - some milk chocolate and roasted coffee flavor, but there is very little in the way of dominant flavor. Mouthfeel is thin and unremarkable. A disappointing beer at best - I would not drink this again unless it was on draught. Not recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2007 04:24:43 | More by montageman

Mora2000

Texas

2.28/5  rDev -33.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Pours dark brown with a very small head. The aroma is very, very faint with some malty sweetness. The flavor is just simply not very good. I get a strong medicinal flavor and no real roasted malts or anything else you would expect in a porter. Not sure if something is amiss in this beer or if it is just not very good, but I barely finished a 4 oz sample. Low to medium carbonation and medium body.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2009 21:47:13 | More by Mora2000

TheSixthRing

California

2.28/5  rDev -33.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.5

Appearance - Pours a clear, dark reddish brown with a finger width, off-white head. Poor retention, leaves behind no lacing or bubbles.

Smell - Slight metallic aroma. Watery hints of toffee.

Taste - Not much. Ghostly earth tones. Slightly metallic. Really watered down toffee notes.

Mouthfeel - Light to medium in body with low to moderate carbonation. Smooth and drinkable, in the least.

Overall - One of, if not the most disappointing porters I've ever had. I've had BMC Light products with more flavor. I bought this at a severe discount, and I still feel like I got ripped off.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 03:39:34 | More by TheSixthRing

beveritt

Ohio

2.33/5  rDev -31.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Presentation: Poured from a 500 ml brown bottle into a standard pint glass. The label has the now infamous drawing of Santa sitting atop a butt of beer and explains that a butt is 108 Imperial gallons. I lost track of exactly which states were trying to ban this.

Appearance: Pours with a thick, 2 inch head that settle slowly to a thin layer of foam. Decent lacing. The beer itself is nearly opaque, with slight reddish tones.

Smell: Sweet alcohol smell. Hints of toffee and anise.

Taste: A little bit of alcohol sweetness and bite upfront, with not much else. The sweetness has a vanilla and bourbon flavor. Very watery and bland.

Mouthfeel: Lower than average carbonation and very little body.

Drinkability: Very little taste. Watery and thin. Much too sweet. I thought this one had some potential, but it seems like just another gimmick.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2007 03:12:24 | More by beveritt

Squelch

United Kingdom (England)

2.4/5  rDev -29.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Appearance: Dark crimson with an tan head that dissipates fast

Smell: Smells of sweet malt with a slight hop background

Taste: Very acrid bitterness, probably due to the roasted malts. Sweetness is there. Not very flavorful.

Mouthfeel: Moderate to high carbonation tingles in the mouth which doesn't pare well with the roasted harsh bitterness.

Drinkability: Wouldn't buy this one again. Not my style.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2008 01:40:18 | More by Squelch

rohrbachsfan

New York

2.4/5  rDev -29.8%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Appearance: Dark brown but not 100% opaque. No head.No lacing.

Smell: Smells like sweet roasted malt and molasses.

Taste: Slight roasted malt flavor, slightly sweet with very mild bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Thin and watery. Low carbonation.

Drinkability: Just wasn't impressed with this. Smelled better than it tasted. Won't be buying ever again.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2009 01:14:06 | More by rohrbachsfan

Sixpoint

New York

2.45/5  rDev -28.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Yikes. The name was not that good, but you never know. Picture of Santa's Ass on the label.

Tasted like ass too! Hehehehe. My sample was infected. Definitely had a trace of Brett in it... is this intentional?

It kind of stole away from the whole chocolate/burnt/hops thing they had going on in there, which was (otherwise) nice.

Too bad it did taste like ass! Careful of what you name your beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2005 05:07:41 | More by Sixpoint

waldoiverson

Texas

2.45/5  rDev -28.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

bottle into us pint

A: mahogany brown with small head

S: chocolate malt and some spice of indeterminate nature

T: Tasted sweet like a tootsie roll with little floral or spice, slight chocolate aftertaste

M: clean and light

D: Unimpressed with the overall package, the abv is reasonable for warmer-style porter

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2009 00:04:10 | More by waldoiverson

northaustin

Texas

2.48/5  rDev -27.5%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

pours a very dark brown that is pretty thin and has a reddish hue when held to the light. head is very thin and disappears rapidly and leaves no head and no lacing.

the smell is very hidden, some subdued sweet malts. smells very syrupy if anything.

taste: very syrupy, carbony and a bit overpowering.

mouthfeel. initially very dry due to the over carbonation. but ends with sort of an over sticky molasses type feel.

drinkability: wouldnt recommend this one. its too over carbonated and syrupy. no distinct or unique flavors and overall just pretty light.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2009 06:51:18 | More by northaustin

sacfly

Maryland

2.55/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Bottle conditioned, no freshness date.

Pours a very dark brown, but not opaque. Very little carbonation, no head to speak of. Almost zero smell. Very faint notes of burnt grain and crystal malt.

Body is light to medium. Taste is very disappointing, almost nothing up front. Very light malt sweetness. Finish is overly astringent.

500ml is way too much of this gimmick beer. I dumped the last bit so I could move on to something better.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2005 16:20:06 | More by sacfly

FtownThrowDown

Ohio

2.55/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Christmas gift poured into my dogfish head pint glass.
Pours a less than eventful brown with no head. Just a slight ring around the glass.
Smell is slight, but if you try pretty hard you can get something out of it. Just a slight roastiness, coming through. Not much going on here. The taste is average at best. This is more about christmas gimmick more than it is about good beer.
The mouthfeel is highly carbonated and just a tad too thin.
This is a highly sessionable beer. With the flavor and mouthfeel lacking, it's begging to be drank fast and furious.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2007 02:34:44 | More by FtownThrowDown

SurlyDuff

Oregon

2.55/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

How could a label so goofy make me so sad while drinking it.

Pours almost black, with not too much of a head.

Smell is pretty bland, dry coffee and cocoa roast, a tad nutty, and im detecting more than a enough diacetal and dms sogginess.

Taste doesnt live up to the aroma at all. It's thin/watery and im getting some cardboard and cooked veggies in this. It's malt forward obviously, but it's just dry bitter roast without any complexity. Some charred wood/bark in there too.

Body is too thin for the depth of color.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2009 20:32:46 | More by SurlyDuff

Winter

Wisconsin

2.58/5  rDev -24.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Very, very dark brown in color with a thin khaki head. Spicy aroma with hints of fruit. Slightly medicinal. Thin mouthfeel with scrubbing carbonation on the tongue. Chocolate malt flooded with an odd medicinal taste that was apparent in the aroma. Alcohol soaked plums follow. Anise and dry burnt malt in the finish. It leaves you with a dry sour bitterness on your tongue.

I'm not a fan. Too many odd flavors combining here. Doesn't exhibit enough vinous and roasted malt flavors to be an enjoyable porter. Plus, I can't get past the medicinal aroma and flavor.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2005 04:29:32 | More by Winter

CDBeerDisappear

Ohio

2.58/5  rDev -24.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Dark brown with mahogany highlights. One inch creamy tan foam that dissipates fast. Aroma is light and taste is thin. Has kind of a bitter cola flavor. Mouthfeel is thin. Overall this is not terrible by any means but I have had many better beers than this and I won’t be drinking this again despite the cool name.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2008 00:51:33 | More by CDBeerDisappear

ncvbc

North Carolina

2.63/5  rDev -23.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a cola color brown with a big fizzy head that fades quickly. Little carbonation if any at all. Smell is lightly of chocolate and cocoa. A pinch of caramel. Mild hop bitterness. Taste certainly carries on with similar flavors but an English hop bitterness gets to me. It's kind of chalky and dry. There is a sweetness to the beer but it's hard to enjoy with the bitter flavor that lingers. Some nice chocolate, caramel, and even light hints of oat but overshadowed. Mouthfeel is a bit watery and thin without much body. Low on carbonation and overall substance. It's a struggle to finish this bottle. Not one I'll be coming back to, sorry to say.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2008 20:36:19 | More by ncvbc

jrallen34

Illinois

2.63/5  rDev -23.1%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Bottle procured in the middle of bumfu&k no where Maryland...An ugly water pour, light brown with a little carbonation, doesn't look great...The aroma is light stale coffee, alcohol and a little hops...The taste is horrendous, can barely drink half a glass of this. Stale coffee, not roasty at all, lots of alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2010 03:22:49 | More by jrallen34

abedenbaugh

South Carolina

2.75/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours with an average head but falls pretty quickly. Color is a dark brown.

S: The smell is very pleasant with mostly coffee aromas.

T:A small amount of malt flavor with a pronounced amount of chocolate. Slightly bitter.

MF:Light body, but seems a little too thin.

Overall, it's okay but it isn't anything impressive and I wouldn't buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2008 02:34:30 | More by abedenbaugh

frazbri

Ohio

2.8/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Deep brown with ruby accents, short head that dissapates quickly. Chocolate aroma and little else. Chocolate malt and a hint of vanilla in flavor. Thin body with modest carbonation. Easy to drink.

I admit it. I bought Santa's Butt because of the label. That, and I am a fan of porters. If it's worth a giggle, buy one. The beer inside the bottle is mediocre.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2004 22:57:19 | More by frazbri

hopbar

New Jersey

2.8/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Mo's Wines and Spirits, Fairfield, CT
1 pt. 9 oz. bottle
Pint Glass

A: Poured a dark, brownish color with cranberry hues; Thin head did not leave much behind.

S: Sweet but a little metallic smelling.

T: Strong metallic taste; almost like "The Champagne of Beers" - Miller High Life

M: Refreshing but not very thick.

D: Maybe I got a bad one yet many of the reviews I have read do not hype this one up. Probably makes its most sales on the label. Anyone read the WSJ article on this one? One thought came to mind as I drank this: "Make it a High Life."

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2007 04:12:45 | More by hopbar