Skip to main content

Advent Calendar Window Twenty-Four


Now that the Magi have arrived and the decorations have finally been removed, the mince pies have been forced down and the detox has begun, it’s presumably time to get writing again. It’s been an incredibly hectic festive period ever since I wrote about the joys ofwindow 21 and I’ve barely paused for breath to bring any updates.

After all that effort, endurance and exertion, my Advent Calendar limped to a sorry finish. After my last post for Window 21, work finished for the holidays and the festive joviality took over. Windows 22 and 23 never happened due to time restrictions. (They would have been Leffe Christmas and Innis and Gunn’s Winter Treacle Porter) I did, however, manage to sneak in Window 24 on the correct date, just before leaving for another evening of social drinking.

Window 24 was Mikkeller’s Santa’s Little Helper 2012 10.9%. I was rather excited about this, despite wanting to age it slightly. It may have been possible to get hold of a 2009 or 2010 version, but alas I settled for the easier (and cheaper) option available.

(Insert image here - don't know what blogspot are playing at currently.)

In truth, I really expected this to be the ultimate Christmas beer. It’s beautifully packaged, in a 750ml bottle and it's Mikkeller. I was expecting a form of super Danish Jul effort, or a take on the classic Belgian style Noel beers or even a beer so festively spiced it would make a pack of mince pies hang their pastry in shame. I expected something amazing, but Santa’s Little Helper 2012 was not.



It’s good. It’s an Imperial Stout right? I’m not sure what they’ve told you it is, but it’s an Imperial Stout. And a decent one at that. But not an excellent one. It’s also devoid of anything Christmassy. Plenty of chocolate and liquorice dominate a rather wooden, smoky underlay that covers any attempt to spice up this ale in the manner that others who’ve tasted it have suggested. I’m sucking it from the bottle, chewing it, swilling it around my tonsils and I don’t find spice in any area. This all happened a fortnight ago and my tasting notes were limited, so these are more my emotional judgements about a beer I was so looking forward to. It’s rather a flaccid end to this whole exercise. I wish I’d aged this longer and if I can get hold of another bottle I’ll be keeping it to drink at Christmas 2022. It’s just not outstanding yet.


The goal was to find and drink my ideal Christmas beer, whilst educating myself about the different varieties along the way. I’ve relished the experience even if it has been painful at times. Choosing a favourite was never, truly, my intention, but I enjoyed the Brunehart Brewery’s Abbaye de Saint Martin Cuvee de Noel above all others, as it defined my Christmas drink ideal. The Gouden Carolus Christmas and Nogne’s Underlig Jul were also superb. Shepherd Neame win the award for most pathetic effort of the season, but the British breweries in general provided all the more disappointing produce.

That brings my Christmas themed Advent Calendar to an end. And this really is the end. Though it brought me joy and entertainment, the logistics, time and patience needed for this mission are not available in December. Plus, as I found out in the week after this calendar ended, I already drink enough during the festive period that a solid twenty four days without a break prior to the event is certainly not necessary. Come November 30th 2013 my mind may have been changed but, for now, I can say that was that. I have nine Christmas themed beers remaining from this year that I never got chance to experience. I may age them for next year and see what happens. Until then, thanks for reading and Happy New Year.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

WHEN CELEBRITIES DIE - THE INFINITY OF PUBS

    Recently I was stood outside Huddersfield Railway Station waiting for my Replacement Bus Service. I was eating much needed food from a nearby fast food outlet and contemplating my next move. Other match-goers had gone home but I had over 50 minutes to wait for my bus. We’d already been to a few of our post-match regular spots and so I was contemplating somewhere new or different to pass the time now.   I stood in St George’s Square, behind the statue of Harold Wilson, and pondered where I should waste my next hour. And pondered and pondered. After deliberation that ate into much of my allotted time, I walked down to the familiar setting of The Sportsman, realising that there wasn’t anywhere different to go at all.   But whilst I deliberated, I cast my eye over the currently scaffold-covered George hotel opposite the station; a place I had been in once with my Dad. It’s downstairs public bar had stood as a firm and available option to match-goers fo...

The Pubs of Stalybridge Part One: The Stalybridge Seven.

And a touch more ...  Rififi Nightclub - once the town's cinema - has stood empty and unused for four and a half years This is the continuation of my posts of regular pub crawls to try and get myself in more pubs and discover more. Whilst I grew up in an old hamlet that most were quick to distance themselves from, my address clearly stated that we belonged to Stalybridge. However distant the town centre felt I was a Stalybridger, a Stalybridgian, a Stalyian: you know I don’t think I’ve ever heard us given a name before. I’m going with Stalyian. After a few moves around the country and through various relationships, I didn’t expect to find myself still local to the town in 2017. Whilst my address hasn’t stated Stalybridge for 3 years, I still spend plenty of time in the town – not least as it houses my “local.” To many in the north-west, it is famous for its nickname of Staly Vegas , that came about (as far as I’m aware) through its late Nighties-through-to-N...

Advent Calendar Window 14 - La Goudale de Noel

"Keep my distance, but you still catch my eye, Tell me, baby, do you recognise me? Well, it’s been a year, that doesn’t surprise me" La Goudale is an interesting French enigma. I searched for this under the label Brassee a L’Ancienne believing this to be the name of the brewery. After some fruitless searching, I learnt that this is not the name of a brewer, but rather a French saying that, roughly translated, means “Brewed in a Traditional way.” La Goudale is actually from the Brewery Gayant based in Douai, North-east France that aleso houses other well-nown brews such as Amadeus and La Biere Du Demon.  The real reason I find them an enigma though is for the discovery the other day that two of their beers – the Abbey and Wit – are sold in Aldi. They are in 750ml bottles and are £2.49 and £1.99 respectively. Housed here, the repugnant snob in me thinks they look cheap and unappetising on these shelves and managed to slightly put me off my La Goudale...