Port Brewing Santa's Little Helper
Founded in 2006, Port Brewing crafts a diverse selection of craft beers at its brewery located in San Marcos, California. One of their seasonal offerings, Santa's Little Helper, is released in anticipation of the holiday season, typically available from late October through November. This Christmas-inspired brew is an imperial stout, promising a full-bodied experience with a rich mouthfeel and bold flavors. With an ABV of 10%, it delivers a warming sensation on the finish.
Upon opening a bottle of Santa's Little Helper, you'll likely be greeted by enticing aromas of coffee, cocoa, and hazelnut. The carbonation is gentle, and the mouthfeel is smooth and creamy. The flavor profile mirrors the aroma, featuring notes of chocolate, nuts, and a hint of coconut. While it starts off sweet, the alcohol gradually balances the sweetness, resulting in a dry, slightly bitter finish. Overall, this is an excellent sipping beer that distinguishes itself from many other holiday-themed brews. As one reviewer on Beer Advocate noted, "This isn't your typical 'ginger, cinnamon, honey' beer. It's unique, well-crafted, and delicious."
Hardywood Gingerbread Stout
If you're in search of a dessert beer to enjoy alongside your sugar cookies or fruitcake, Hardywood Gingerbread Stout is an excellent choice. This imperial milk stout boasts festive flavors derived from vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and wildflower honey. A fun tidbit: the wildflower honey is sourced from local farms in Central Virginia, where Hardywood is located. The stout is rich and creamy, infused with holiday spices. With an ABV of 9.2%, it also provides a gentle warmth perfect for chilly winter days.
Hardywood's Gingerbread Stout has garnered high praise from tasters, earning a "world-class" rating of 95 on Beer Advocate. Fans appreciate that the beer truly embodies its name, delivering aromas and flavors reminiscent of gingerbread cookies. While it may seem like it would be overly sweet, many tasters find it to be well-balanced, featuring a delightful mix of sweetness, spice, and a hint of sharpness from the ginger and hops. As one reviewer noted, "I love how the sugary aromas don’t carry over into the taste... The overall harmony and balance in the beer is outstanding." Another enthusiast remarked, "It's nearly the perfect beer for holiday occasions."
Stone Brewing Xocoveza Imperial Stout
Since its inception in 1996, Stone Brewing has captivated beer enthusiasts with its unique creations. The company began in San Marcos, California, and has since expanded to a larger facility in Escondido, along with several taprooms and retail locations. Its beers are distributed nationwide. Stone Brewing is particularly renowned for its inventive India pale ales, but it also produces intriguing dark beers, including a dark lager, smoked porter, and various stouts. If you're in search of a holiday brew, the Xocoveza Imperial Stout is a must-try.
This distinctive imperial stout draws inspiration from Mexican hot chocolate, featuring a delightful blend of chocolate, coffee, pasilla peppers, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Initially launched as a limited-edition beer in 2014, it quickly gained popularity, leading to its status as an annual seasonal release. Rich and malty, it boasts harmonious flavors of cocoa and spice. As noted by Tap Takeover, "Xocoveza is an exceptional, robust stout that is ideal for the colder months, thanks to the spices infused in the brew." With an ABV of 8.1%, it further enhances the beer's warming qualities.
Prairie Artisan Ales Christmas Bomb! Imperial Stout
Prairie Artisan Ales is a brand under Krebs Brewing Company, the oldest brewery in Oklahoma. Launched in 2012 with its signature Prairie Ale, the brand quickly followed up with Bomb!, its renowned imperial stout. The Christmas Bomb! Imperial Stout elevates the original Bomb! with a festive blend of cacao nibs, vanilla beans, coffee, chilies, and holiday spices, boasting a robust 13% ABV.
Describing the flavor profile of Christmas Bomb! as intense would be an understatement. Tasters have detected notes ranging from chocolate and cinnamon to roasted malts, licorice, and nutmeg. One reviewer on Beer Advocate remarked, "It's challenging to identify a specific Christmas essence, but there’s definitely a character reminiscent of baked desserts. Perhaps hints of gingerbread, a rum-soaked fruitcake, or even cinnamon or chocolate babka, with an abundance of chocolate." The stout features a medium body and a smooth, velvety texture. If you're in search of a stout brimming with festive flavors, this one is an excellent choice.
Great Divide Peppermint Bark Yeti
Great Divide, a brewery located in Denver, has been crafting distinctive beers since 1994. Their motto, "Bold character," perfectly encapsulates the essence of their Yeti stout series. You can choose the classic Yeti Imperial Stout or explore its specialty variations infused with espresso, Mexican chocolate, and pumpkin spice. While all of these options make for excellent holiday brews, the Peppermint Bark Yeti truly embodies the festive spirit of Christmas.
Peppermint-flavored stouts are a rarity, which is part of the appeal of the Peppermint Bark Yeti. It retains the roasted malt characteristics of the original Yeti but adds delightful notes of peppermint chunks, chocolate, and vanilla. The result is a smooth, creamy beer reminiscent of mint chocolate chip ice cream. It has a hint of sweetness, a dry finish with a touch of mint, and a warming sensation from its 9.5% ABV. As of this writing, it wasn't listed on Great Divide's website, but we spotted cans available at Total Wine and various other retailers.
Goose Island Bourbon County Macaroon Stout
If you're a fan of barrel-aged beers, you can credit Goose Island for pioneering this distinctive brewing method. The Chicago-based brewery began its experiments with barrel-aged beers in 1992, and today, its selection of barrel-aged stouts has garnered a dedicated following. Each year on Black Friday, the brewery unveils a new lineup of Goose Island Bourbon County Stout, showcasing innovative brews with a variety of flavors. A highlight from the 2024 release is the Bourbon County Macaroon Stout.
For those who enjoy dessert beers reminiscent of baked treats, the Bourbon County Macaroon Stout is sure to please. This imperial ale is aged for a full year in bourbon barrels and infused with cocoa nibs, toasted coconut, and candied ginger. Initially, you'll experience sweet flavors that evoke coconut cookies and chocolate shortbread. This sweetness is beautifully balanced by the tannins from the oak barrels and the coffee-like notes of the stout. The beer's complexity is further enhanced by its 14.6% ABV, which helps to offset its richness.
Brewery Ommegang Everything Naughty
Ommegang is not your typical craft brewery. Located on a 140-acre farm in Cooperstown, New York, it operates as a farmstead brewery that once cultivated hops. The brewery specializes in Belgian-style beers, offering distinctive selections that are hard to find in many American craft breweries. One standout is Everything Naughty, a Christmas-themed beer that presents a unique blond imperial stout infused with white chocolate.
At first glance, Everything Naughty may not seem to deliver the robust flavors typically associated with stouts. Its golden hue contrasts sharply with the dark, coffee-like shades of most stouts. However, a sip reveals a delightful blend of coffee, nutmeg, and chocolate. The beer has a medium body, balanced carbonation, and a warming sensation from its 9.5% ABV. One Untappd reviewer praised it as "the best blonde stout I've had—smooth with just a hint of stout bitterness at the finish." If you're searching for a distinctive beverage to bring to a holiday gathering, this one is guaranteed to spark conversation.
Great Notion Brewing Holiday Double Stack Imperial Breakfast Stout
Great Notion Brewing, hailing from Portland, consistently offers intriguing brews, ranging from experimental fruit beers to tart ales and non-alcoholic hop waters. The brewery also crafts a selection of distinctive stouts, including barrel-aged varieties and breakfast stouts infused with coffee. Their Holiday Double Stack Imperial Breakfast Stout evokes cozy feelings with flavors reminiscent of pancakes, French toast, and coffee, thanks to its aging process with whole-bean coffee and a touch of maple syrup. This stout seems like an ideal choice for a festive holiday brunch.
When you pop open a can of the Holiday Double Stack Imperial Breakfast Stout, you'll immediately be greeted by enticing aromas of coffee and maple. As one reviewer on Beer Advocate noted, it gives you that delightful anticipation of "ooh this is going to be good" deep down inside. The mouthfeel is rich and creamy, complemented by medium carbonation. In terms of flavor, you'll experience notes of coffee, roasted barley, chocolate, caramel, and sweet maple syrup. With an ABV of 11%, the flavors are so intense and bold that you might not even register the alcohol's presence in the finish.
The Bruery Black Tuesday
Located in Placentia, California, The Bruery specializes in crafting unique beers with intricate flavor profiles that often diverge from traditional beer styles. A prime example is the Black Tuesday imperial stout, which is aged in bourbon barrels for an entire year, imparting notes of creamy desserts and fruit. This limited-release beer is available to the public just once a year (typically in October) and tends to sell out quickly. If you manage to find some of these 750-milliliter bottles, it's wise to grab them immediately, or you may have to wait until next year's release.
Rich and indulgent, Black Tuesday is a robust imperial stout that features flavors of dark chocolate, oak, vanilla, and fruit, yet it avoids being overly sweet. As one reviewer on Beer Advocate noted, "Surprisingly, it doesn't heavily rely on the sweetness of dark chocolate, caramel, or vanilla, although those notes are present. It actually leans more towards fruity flavors like candied plum, black cherry, and fig." Additionally, some people find it less thick and syrupy than many stouts. However, be cautious—this beer packs a punch. The 2024 edition boasts an impressive 19.7% ABV, so you might want to consider sharing it rather than attempting to finish the entire bottle on your own.
WeldWerks Brewing Co. Little Man Salted Oreo Stout
Since its inception in 2015, WeldWerks Brewing Co. has captivated beer enthusiasts in Greeley, Colorado, and beyond. The brewery's guiding principle, "dialed-in beer," reflects the meticulous standards it upholds for every batch produced. Over the last decade, WeldWerks has crafted more than 700 unique beers, many of which have garnered accolades at various beer festivals and competitions. A standout among them is the Little Man Salted Oreo Stout, which consistently receives rave reviews.
For fans of dessert beers, this milk stout is sure to satisfy. It incorporates Little Man ice cream, Oreos, vanilla, milk sugar, and a hint of sea salt. The result is a sweet and creamy brew that also features roasted malt, providing a touch of bitterness to balance the sweetness. As one reviewer on Beer Advocate noted, it is "rich and decadent, but not overly so." With an ABV of 6.5%, this smooth-drinking beer is ideal for capping off a holiday meal, yet it can also be enjoyed on its own as a delightful indulgence.
Bell's Brewery Special Double Cream Stout
Bell's Brewery is named after its founder, Larry Bell, who started brewing beer in a soup pot in his kitchen in Kalamazoo, Michigan, during the 1980s. Fast forward nearly 40 years, and the brewery now distributes thousands of barrels of its award-winning beers nationwide each year. With a wide variety of Bell's beers available, the Special Double Cream Stout stands out as a perfect choice for capturing the holiday spirit.
Despite its name, you might assume that the Special Double Cream Stout is a milk stout. In reality, it is a sweet stout that is completely dairy-free. Its rich flavor profile comes from a blend of 10 different roasted malts, which contribute notes of chocolate, vanilla, espresso, and toast. With an ABV of just 6.1%, it is lighter than many other stouts on the market. One reviewer on Beer Advocate noted, "The mouthfeel was a bit thin for a stout, especially a double, but the lower ABV allows for more than one to be enjoyed without feeling overwhelmed, making the thinness a positive aspect."
Perennial Artisan Ales Abraxus
Few beers achieve a nearly flawless rating of 99 out of 100 on Beer Advocate, but Abraxus is certainly one of them. Crafted by Perennial Artisan Ales, a small-batch brewery located in St. Louis, Missouri, this beer stands out among imperial stouts due to its distinctive blend of ingredients. It derives its richness and complexity from cacao nibs, vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks, and ancho chili peppers, all while boasting a notable 11.5% ABV.
Reviewers consistently praise this exceptional stout, noting that the flavors harmonize beautifully to create a beer that is sweet, spicy, rich, and earthy simultaneously. Many tasters highlight the cinnamon, which is present enough to be recognized without overwhelming the overall profile, unlike in some other beer styles, such as pumpkin ales. In summary, it’s a luxuriously smooth stout that delights with every sip. One Beer Advocate reviewer even referred to it as a "truly incredible stout—like a Xocoveza on steroids."
Evil Twin Brewing Christmas Eve at a New York City Hotel Room
Founded in 2016, Evil Twin Brewing is a boutique microbrewery located in the Ridgewood area of Queens, New York. Known for their innovative approach, Evil Twin crafts a diverse selection of unique beers, each with captivating names. One standout is Christmas Eve at a New York City Hotel Room, a festive imperial stout that combines toasted coconut, marshmallows, cocoa nibs, and vanilla. This brew strikes a balance between sweetness, smoothness, and roastiness, boasting a notable ABV of 10%.
This full-bodied beer delivers all the flavors you'd anticipate from a dessert stout and more. The aroma presents enticing notes of vanilla, chocolate, and caramel. Its creamy mouthfeel complements a taste profile layered with the same aromatic elements, along with hints of dark fruit, hazelnut, coffee, and toasted coconut. Despite its sweetness, it finishes dry, thanks to its robust ABV. Reviewers praise it as an outstanding dessert beer and a perfect late-night indulgence. Many also suggest it pairs beautifully with a fine cigar, making it an ideal nightcap for Christmas Eve.
Crux Fermentation Project Tough Love Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout
With a name like Crux Fermentation Project, it's clear that experimentation is at the heart of this pioneering brewery in Bend, Oregon. Here, you'll discover a range of intriguing brews, from Japanese rice lagers to saison ales and barrel-aged stouts. Founder and brewmaster Larry Sidor crafted Tough Love just four months after the brewery's inception, and it has been a favorite ever since. This robust Russian-style imperial stout is aged in bourbon barrels and is released only once a year in November.
Producing Tough Love requires significant effort, and the quality is evident in the final product. This imperial stout is brewed with roasted malts, rye, and smoked wheat, then aged in single-use bourbon barrels made from charred American oak. It matures for six months to a year and is infused with Madagascar vanilla and dried cherries. The result is a rich, creamy stout that presents earthy and fruity flavors, complemented by a warming finish from its 14% ABV. It pairs wonderfully with holiday meals such as roasted or smoked turkey, charcuterie boards, and dark chocolate.
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