Santa's Butt - Ridgeway Brewing

taigor

New York

3.33/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into regular pint glass.

A - Poured dark brown non-transparent color with thin head that dissipated quickly leaving almost no lacing around the glass.

S - Very faint scents of malt, chocolate and coffee but not much there - disappointing.

T - Slightly sour with slight coffee taste and malts coming through. Has a slightly bitter hoppy finish but not too strong.

M - Light bodied with almost no carbonation present.

O - Disappointing porter but not too bad. Overall I would not recommend it. No complexity at all.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2011 19:07:33 | More by taigor

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

Mebuzzard

Colorado

3.18/5  rDev -7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Vine St Pub had this on tap, so pour it up!
Well, not very impressed with this one. Sure, it's a solid beer, nothing bad about it, but it wasn't an eye-opener or something worth the price. Looks great! Dark ruby brown, nice fluffy, semi-dense head.
Aroma was lacking and weak. Again, nothing bad, just not sure about it. I detected some cocoa and roasted malt. maybe some nuttiness. No hops whatsoever.

Flavors were pedestrian; some coffee, some cocoa. For an EP I expected some bite, hops..something. Then again, the category on here could be wrong. Either way, it's average. Which makes it easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2010 21:17:18 | More by Mebuzzard

scottoale

California

3.23/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had this on tap this past week served in a pint glass. It was a dark brown with no head, no visable carbonation or lace...it looks like thin dirty motor oil after about 10,000 miles.

Very slight malt smell, much like balsamic vinegar and a hint of chocolate. Very strange smelling Porter, for sure.

The taste was sour and astringent, amplified flavor of the aroma. Very puckery balsamic vinegar taste that was very unusual to my tastebuds, but after a few more sips it kinda grows on you. Still, I keep forgetting this is some rendition of an English Porter...from England, no less.

This is different from any other Porter I've ever tasted, and a medium body at best with the alcohol being fairly undetectable. Worth a try for something way out of the ordinary...as the name implies!

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2006 10:22:38 | More by scottoale

stoner420

California

3.9/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap.

appearance: medium dark brown, no head, light carbonation

smell: doesn't smell much at all, a little choclate, a little tart

taste: it has a tartness to it like a sour ale, faint chocolate taste, subtle hops, also a little watery.

mouthfeel: fizzy, the tartness is noticable.

drinkability: goes down fairly easy, but is not a light beer.

overall: really suprised me, I was expecting a heavy dark beer, but this was part sour ale, part chocolate stout, part english ale. An interesting beer and enjoyable, but a little lacking in aroma. Changed my idea of what a porter can be.

Serving type: on-tap

07-28-2006 04:20:12 | More by stoner420

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.69/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

I'm not going to lie. I purchased this exclusively for the name and for the picture on the label. I guess that's what they're betting on. 500ml bottle purchased from BevMo in Menlo Park, CA.

Pours a pleasant ruby-brown colour, with a lightness to the body and good clarity. Head is a disappointing film of off-white, not really creating itself to begin with, and then fizzling out to a minor ring. Carbonation is fine. Some streaks of lacing. It's ok, without looking magnificent.

Nose is sweet and toasty, with a slightly nutty, slightly buttery character coming through above a solid, standard grainy English malt character. It's really quite sweet and quite potent—even if it's something of a one-character aroma, it at least has conviction on its side.

Taste is light, but pleasant. Again, toasty grain notes drive it forward, with a smoothness in the flavour, if not in the feel. Mild watery coffee tones, a suggestion of red cherry, and a rather dry finish, again with some weak roasted tones. It's pleasant enough, but the strength on the nose isn't really present here.

Feel is a little weak and watery: if it were fuller I think it would really help the beer.

Overall, this is decent stuff. It's not really exciting, but there's a little interest there, and it's structured in very much the way it should be. In the end, there's a little class hiding behind the gimmicky label, at least.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 02:31:24 | More by lacqueredmouse

dacrza1

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +17%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

date reviewed: 25 January 2013...
glassware: Victory Hopdevil nonick...
occasion: research paper grading, round one...
appearance: jet black body that intimidates as only Santa can; off-white rim more like a dirty Santa...
aroma: punchy peat malts--with some grassy, oaty--a bit of cornbread(?); this shouldn't diminish the effect....
palate: smooth, weighty, active strength--drinkable but stern...
taste: a scotch-like experience, with a dialed-down peat and ping--delightfully agreeable...
overall: I recall this beer catching flak for its name and label; Santa's nothing if not humorous, so the State needs to take some soma and drink this; juvenile packaging aside, the beer is a medium-strength winter warmer that has me in a giving mood long after the holiday season...

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 04:25:21 | More by dacrza1

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

CommanderOfAwesome

California

3.4/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

bottle poured into Snifter.

Pours dark brown with finger khaki head. Decent amount of lacing on the glass.

A: Sweetness, stale coffee smell or coffee that's been out a bit and gone cold, hint of molasses, and some toffee. Almost reminds me of a baltic porter smell.

T: Sweetness is first thing I notice, followed by a bit of cold stale-ish coffee. Very mild bitter taste to finish. Really reminds me of baltic porters I've had.

M: Thin which is to be expected for a porter. Dry finish and mild carbonation.

O: Fairly sweet porter, thin and leave me wanting more. Sickly sweet feeling but not a bad beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 06:16:22 | More by CommanderOfAwesome

GPHarris

Alabama

3.53/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

a - poured a one finger thick light tan head into a tulip glass which left good lacing that disappeared halfway through. the body was black with brown edges.
s - coffee and burnt chocolate.
t - burnt chocolate with a hint of dark fruits.
m - medium and slick.
o - a solid porter but not one i would seek out yearly.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 16:50:27 | More by GPHarris

KajII

North Carolina

3.33/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

[Suggested Glassware: Nonic Pint]

The pour was a clear medium to dark brown with an average (1-2 finger) off white creamy head that reduced down to a small cap and had good streaky lacing.

The aroma was of a roasted dark malt and a leathery yeast with notes of dark chocolate, coffee and a hint of molasses.

The taste was lightly sweet with a roasty malt feel, a note of chocolate and a touch of molasses from the start, progressing slightly into a mildly bitter taste with a nice roasted coffee finish. The flavor lasted a decently long time after the swallow, with a roasted coffee taste left lying on the taste buds for a short while longer.

Mouthfeel was medium in body and dry in texture with a mild carbonation.

Overall this was a brew that possessed a nice bitter sweet roasty flavor, a smooth and easy drinkability and only a moderate ABV. Although it is nothing over the top, it is still quite good and I could see my self having a few of these...

http://www.facebook.com/KAJIIsBeerReviews

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 18:37:26 | More by KajII

BeerTwigs

New York

3.08/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle on Christmas Eve into my Dogfish Tulip.

A - Very dark brown, very little lacing and about a one finger head on the pour

S - Light aroma that includes caramel malt, hints of vanilla and chocolate.

T - Taste is spot on with the aroma, light vanilla and chocolate hints. Very light and a basic English style porter. Nothing really jumping off on this one.

M - Thin with decent carbonation.

O - I bought this beer to drink for Christmas, Thankfully I wasn't aging or waiting to drink this beer. it was a impulse buy and it will probably sells more because of its name. The beer is decent, not terrible. I wouldn't seek it out again, but I'd drink it if it was around. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 01:26:48 | More by BeerTwigs

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Santa's butt has an copper amber color which does't resemble a porter really.
No head but good carbonation. No retention ability what so ever.
Aroma is sutle roasted malts.
Taste is sweet smooth and cloying. Just hints of roasted malts or malts in general.
Drinks thin and flat and is really unappealling in every catagory.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 13:39:52 | More by micromaniac129

beergoot

Colorado

3.28/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A decent reddish-brown body with a rather disappointing thin head. Nice malt aroma; nutty with coffee undertones; hints of mocha. Semi-sweet chocolate taste; vanilla; coffee grounds; nice low-key bitterness throughout the taste. Thin, watery body.

The good news is that the flavor emphasizes the malts and grains, but, on the whole, everything is way too subdued weak. Great name but a near sub-par beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 02:27:04 | More by beergoot

nickfl

Florida

3.55/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours with a small head of off white foam that recedes rapidly and leaves light lace. The body is an opaque black color.

S - Light caramel malt with some very distant coffee.

T - Watery mocha notes up front with some brown sugar. A bit of herbal hop character in the middle and a finish of dry cocoa, caramel, and dark bread.

M - Medium body, moderately low carbonation, and a slightly sweet finish.

D - Not bad, it is a bit on the sweet side, but not unpleasant. Nothing complex, but enjoyable enough.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 02:53:41 | More by nickfl

kylehay2004

Florida

3.53/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: very thin head on a deep dark brown body. no lacing really.

S: roasted malt, vanilla and some chocolate but overall light aroma.

T: semi sweet with chocolate and vanilla. the roasted malts are there but mild and provide little bitterness. a very simple porter. But, is on par for an English porter.

M: this one is really really thin. moderate carbonation.

Overall: the lightness makes this one very drinkable. Its jwhat you expect for the style. Good name though, I guess.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 02:52:53 | More by kylehay2004

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.58/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes.

Pours out a very dark brown with two fingers of tan head that lasts for several minutes and leaves behind fairly decent amounts of lacing on the glass. Medium body and carbonation levels. Creamy and soft texture but only when allowed to warm up somewhat.

Smells and tastes of fresh baking chocolate with some lighter soft fruitiness from yeast and a light mineral chalkiness that accentuates a sort of raisin tone combined with a subtle tangy sour accent that brings to mind "ye olde" definition of the English Porter genre. Too bad the roasted character is somewhat lackluster and muddy, and the hopping content is murky and indistinguishable. In the end, this is merely a slightly better than average beer with funny label art.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 02:29:59 | More by WastingFreetime

metter98

New York

3.4/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is near black in color, with dark red visible near the edges of the glass when it is held up to a light source. It poured with a thin layer of large white bubbles covering the surface that quickly died down, leaving a thick collar around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light to moderate aromas of dark fruits in the nose along with some hints of chocolate.
T: The taste seems rather complex and has flavors of dark fruits, cola and nuts along with some notes of chocolate. There are some hints of sweetness and no bitterness is detectable.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and somewhat thin and watery on the palate with a low amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is easy to drink and has some interesting flavors but seems like it could use some bitterness and more carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 01:43:02 | More by metter98

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.25/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Review from 1/2010 notes. Poured into a Caracole small snifter. Pours a dark red brown, thin tan head and little lacing. Aroma of faint dark malt and dark fruit. Taste follows with light malt and dark fruits. A modest dark ale, light body, mild corn aftertaste. These Ridgeway beers have a nice presentation and generally taste good, but have really muted and bland flavor levels.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2012 23:51:41 | More by LiquidAmber

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

3.73/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 16.9 oz bottle into a Newport Storm snifter.

A: Nearly black in color with a mild, frothy head of tan foam which left a little soapy resin.

S: Nutty and herbal with a hint of bready sweetness, some chocolate and a musty, earthy aroma.

T: A deep initial sip reveals some black and pale English malts with a building bittersweetness towards mid-palate where a full, dark chocolate and herbal hop palate is revealed. Becomes a bit weak through the finish, with just a slightly malty and bitter finish.

M: Though not as robust as I was hoping for, this porter had a palatable feel and was medium-full bodied with fine drinkability.

O: Not the rich, wintery treat I was hoping for, but still pretty good. This 6% ABV English porter has enough character to keep your palate interested and searching, though the malt base at times seemed pedestrian. A slightly richer flavor would improve upon an already decent porter.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 01:39:53 | More by Gambrinus1184

StJamesGate

New York

3.55/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Garnet brown with a loose tan head that recalls cola, setting in a thin film. Milk chocolate, root beer and vanilla bark nose.
Maltesers, vanilla and some earth, and vague tea leaf and dried orange rind hops.
A hint of rye spice at the end and a dry finish. Thin, round, slight cling.

I drank this one Christmas day before I was into beer so I'm glad to finally catch up with it again. Unfortunately, I'm not sure the wait was worth it.

This would be a thin porter at 4.5%; at 6% it's watery and definitely not wintery. The rye addition does add a bit of a twist, and it cleans up after itself, but it's overly sweet and I practically had to gargle with it to get the hops.

Just not enough here to hold my interest.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 20:51:39 | More by StJamesGate

shrek806

New York

3.2/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a chalice.

The pour revealed a dark brown color with a thin, lazy 1/8 inch head. Little to no lacing.

The smell was sweet with caramel and slight hints of cocoa and vanilla.

The taste was all sweet malt. It tasted like i was drinking a liquid "Sugar Daddy".

The mouthfeel was much like the pour; Lazy. Not a lot going on. It came and went with little to no fanfare.

The over drinkability for me is low. Not really my kind of beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 18:55:29 | More by shrek806

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.98/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a tumbler pint, the beer is almost jet black, with chestnut brown highlights around the edges, and only the slimmest ring of bubbling around the edge of the glass. Aromas are mild, with a solid coffee tone throughout. Some lighter malt and hops scents come off on the nose, also. Flavors are dry and crisp, which is a great representation of the style. Good blending of dry roasted coffee and mild chocolate malts, with a smooth character and light, smooth body. The aftertaste is rich and slightly roasted, with a dry feel to it. Slow, dry finish, leaving a good linger of flavors behind. Good brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 02:55:13 | More by GarthDanielson

AgentMunky

Alabama

3.8/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 33cL bottle into a cervoise glass. Stamped F13 266.

A: Two fingers of creamy head. The beer is dark brown in the shade and a clear, brilliant red in the light. Some bubbles within. Looks great!

S: It smells...like a pilsner? Sweet and grainy. Maybe a hint of darker fruit like plum.

T: Yummy! Sweet fruits, banana foremost amongst them. Malty, perhaps lightly spiced (clove? anise?). Distant bitterness on the aftertaste. More like a winter warmer than a porter in my book, but I'll roll with it. Touch of chocolate.

M: Sweet-wet then (barely)bitter-dry. Interesting...

O: Overall, I quite enjoyed this beer; it seems underrated. I received it for Christmas in a mysterious beer of the month box that a stranger signed me up for. I look forward to drinking the rest of these beers and would recommend it others.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 22:52:13 | More by AgentMunky

chimaylvr

Rhode Island

2.98/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

appearance is typical for a porter, very dark, but a notch below average because of the lack of a frothy head as with Anchor's exeptional variety.

smell is good but nothing of note. subtle rosted malts, coffee, mocha-like, not overwhelming

taste: not strong, mild, subtle coffee, "drinkability" as they say. not too bitter or sweet, kinda pale. drinks like a stout

mouthfeel: low carbonation, not syrupy and as with the taste, low on bitterness and acidity.

I think I'm being generous with this rating but since there's worse out there average is appropriate. It's marketing and naming are far better than the beer but you didn't waste your money. Kissing your sister!

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 03:42:53 | More by chimaylvr