As a passionate fan of better beer, only one question needed to be answered when planning for my New Year's Eve: what delicious beer was going to be in hand when the clock struck midnight? I thought long and hard on the matter and eventually settled on a few requirements. I wanted the beer to be really intense and memorable. I wanted the beer to be a new experience from a stellar brewery. I wanted the beer to be rare and exciting. And finally, since this special brew was essentially serving as my New Year's champagne, I wanted an assumption of high quality. In order to satisfy all of those requirements, only one name came to mind: Mikkeller. So I decided to welcome 2012 by indulging in a 2011 version of Mikkeller's Santa's Little Helper, a big bold Belgian from a big bold brewer.

In the glass, this beer is stark black. For a Belgian, this was really intimidating because it looked more like an imperial stout. Dark Belgians are monstrous brews to begin with. Black Belgians are nothing short of frightening. It came with a creamy deep tan head that seemed to stick around forever. I also found a great deal of yeasty floaters. The aroma was also very strong with lots of dark fruits resting on top of a roasted malty backbone. There is also an overarching boozy character that you can't get away from. Not exactly surprising for a 10.9% ABV Belgian beast.

That first sip was one hell of an interesting experience. The best way I can describe it is to think of this beer as a Belgian Quad Imperial Stout. Yeah, let that crazy concoction sink in for a while. It comes across as a reckless blend that actually worked. No one in their right mind would blend a Belgian Quad and an Imperial Stout. But once I tasted this beer, I actually started to think that maybe I should. It works surprisingly well. To my amazement, all those core flavors from each style aren't lost in the equation. You can clearly taste all the warm spices, toasted breads and rich dark fruit flavors common with quality quads. You can also clearly taste the roasted coffees and dark chocolates common with quality imperial stouts. It's unbelievable.

The boozy character serves as a common under layer and never fully asserts itself. Regardless, this beer is an obligate sipper. Those massive flavors are just too strong to power through. Luckily the mouthfeel is surprisingly smooth with very little grittiness, so you really don't mind the lengthy journey. The beer finishes quite clean and leaves behind an interesting balance of sweet malts and a strong hop bitterness. Oddly enough, the hop profile doesn't make a proper appearance until the finish. It is noticeable throughout the flavor train, but it just can't compete with the other core notes. So once they dissipate, you get a strong hop blast on the exit.

Overall, Mikkeller's 2011 Santa's Little Helper is a monstrous delight that is extraordinarily complex. I am very pleased with the experience, but I will be the first to admit that it's not for everyone. This is a finish line brew, i.e. those beers you work up to after a lengthy period of education. This beer is way too complex for novices and even mid-level enthusiasts might have a difficult time with it. I'd recommend it only to seasoned drinkers with a honed imperial palate. If that's you, dive right in and join the party. Santa's Little Helper is a miracle cure for drinker fatigue, so use it wisely. And in typical Mikkeller fashion, it pains me to rate this beer in a single category. Sure, it's a Dark Strong Belgian, but that's just the tip of the iceberg.