Ridgeway Santa's Butt Porter
You know, it was bad enough that I got a
Lump of Coal in
my stocking this Christmas. But if that wasn’t bad enough, I also got
Santa’s Butt in my face, too. But before you get any strange ideas, I should
tell you that Santa’s Butt Winter Porter from England’s Ridgeway
brewery is a beer. As if you hadn’t guessed.
Now, you may not mind if Santa parks his butt in your home, as long as he
brings nice presents. And I guess that you could say that a bottle of
Santa’s Butt wouldn’t be all that bad, after all. In 2006, though, the State
of Maine told Santa to get his butt out of town (or state, more accurately).
That’s because they were worried that children might be attracted by the
label.
If I could butt in for a moment, I might add that those kids would have to
first come up with five bucks or so for a bottle of the stuff, then find
somebody willing to sell it to them, and finally decide they like really
roasty beer. Even Santa couldn’t make that happen, methinks. Anyway, Maine
recanted and later allowed the beer to be sold.
Actually, the name Santa’s Butt is not as strange as it sounds and
has some grounding in actual beer history. That’s because centuries ago
English porter was a blend of stout and ale and was called “entire butt”,
hence the reference here.
Santa’s Butt Winter Porter pours to a dark brownish black color with
a very light cream colored head formation. In fact, the beer is very lightly
carbonated. Now, I do something for beer that I can’t believe I’m doing.
I sniff Santa’s Butt.
There are hints of rum and raisin, with a bit of chocolate tossed in for
good measure. OK, I have to admit it.
Santa’s Butt smells really good.
Ewwwwww, you say. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it, I say.
So, the aroma of Santa’s Butt drawing me in for more, I take the next step.
I taste Santa’s Butt.
Santa’s Butt tastes good, too.
Well, pretty good. Right off the bat I get some really roasty notes, more of
espresso than chocolate. This is a robust porter, I would say, more on the
roasty side than the lighter brown porters tend to be. Subtle hints of
vanilla are detectable, and a hint of fruit. The body is a bit thin, and
could use a little more texture. But the roastiness really accents the
finish, which is roasty bitter more than hoppy bitter. There is a touch of
phenolic character there, too.
All in all, Santa’s Butt is pretty nice. I’d give it three and a half stars,
though because of the thin body. A bit better than average, as butts go
anyway.
