beer_name: Santa's Little Helper - Bourbon Barrel Aged
text: A: Opened the bottle to absolutely no sound...poured into the glass hoping for at least some hint of carbonation, and was sadly disappointed. Pitch black with absolutely no head, quite a different look than what I recall from having it on tap at the Christmas in July event. I really have a hard time buying into the "this is how it's supposed to be" line that we've been fed. S: Bourbon up front, followed up by more bourbon. I love bourbon, both on its own and integrated with imperial stouts, but this is really over the top. Hints of chocolate and roasted malts are lurking but this really lost a lot of the complexity of the normal SLH. Again, perhaps my memory is playing tricks on me, but I remember a more balanced aroma on tap. T: Bourbon heavy up front but it really balances out on the backend into a blend of bourbon, chocolate, coffee, vanilla, and a general roastiness. I like the general flavor profile but it's definitely not as well integrated as it should be. M: A bit more drinkable than I was expecting based upon the lack of carbonation, but it's definitely not what it should be. Fairly smooth but even a few bubbles would've made a huge difference here. D: A tasty brew but between the lack of carbonation and the bourbon not having mellowed, making it through a bomber wasn't easy. On tap, it went down way too easy. Overall, this is a tremendous disappointment, as the memory of its quality on-tap is still fresh enough to remind of what this really should be. I've still got several bottles and I'm hoping the bourbon at least mellows a bit to yield the exceptional taste I know is possible.