Brewery: Port Brewing Company
Location: San Marcos, California, USA
ABV: 10.0%
Version: 22 fl oz (660ml) bottle
Source: Courtesy of Beermerchants.com

As it’s Easter it seems only appropriate to be twisted and review a Christmas beer, that and as Phil from Beermerchants included it in the generous sampling box he sent me it seemed wrong to leave it until the end of the year to try it. Port Brewing has only been operating since May 2006 but the owners have been in the brewing business for longer, having originally run the Solano Beach brewery from 1992 before moving to bigger premises and founding the new company. They currently produce 9 beers, 5 all year round and 4 seasonal.

Weighing in at 10% ABV and a hefty 660ml bottle Santa’s Little Helper shouts from the outset that it means business. I often bemoan the preferred use of small bottles by US breweries so this makes a welcome change. Being an Imperial Stout it’s a thick treacly black colour but with no head. There’s  a lovely chocolatey aroma from the bottle as soon as it’s opened and this continues on to the pouring, with some underlying hoppy fruit notes and a peppery smokiness coming through.

So on to the tasting. Initially I thought it was surprisingly smooth for the strength. Very warming and malty, there are 7 different malts used in the mix, with chocolate, coffee, liquorice, a touch of smoke and some peppery spiciness. Not overly complex in the flavour, but still quite heavy and the alcohol content ensures drinking is taken slowly. As time goes on though, I found that peppery aspect and the alcohol pushing through to the fore, overpowering all else and actually making it a struggle to finish the bottle; but I persevered and nearly 2 hours later it was all gone. It’s not a character of the beer I’ve read in reviews elsewhere so perhaps I didn’t get a perfect bottle, or they were reviewing a different year.

On this occasion I go back on that comment I made earlier about the bigger bottle, I would have much preferred a smaller quantity. A 330ml bottle, or maybe sharing the bigger bottle, would be ideal, ensuring what is at heart a decent enough brew doesn’t outstay its welcome but sometimes you can have too much. Taking into account the price, it’s more expensive in the UK than many wines, I certainly won’t be rushing out to order more, I’d rather get 2 or 3 bottles of something else for the same money.