If Mom would brew Christmas beer alongside the girth of Christmas cookies that come out of my parent’s kitchen, it would undoubtedly come close to BreDog’s Santa Paws. If you’ve had BrewDog’s “There is no Santa”, then this one will certainly seem somewhat familiar, albeit far better. In terms of the subtlety of the spices, this brew is certainly among the best Christmas beers of the season. And it has to be one of the most underrated beers of the season.
Its post-bottle life begins with a dark brown color with a slightly reddish hue, which I found totally befitting for a holiday brew. The beige head is somewhat reserved, yet resilient and sticky. The aroma is – for me at least – magnificent. On the first whiff, one can immediately detect ginger, and on the second whiff comes caramel, cinnamon, and clove: It smells like BrewDog batched this with Mom’s Christmas cookies. Admittedly, the taste is a bit less of a show piece when compared to the aroma. The spicy ginger taste is sort of a strange when blended with the rather generous amount of hops. Still, after a few sips, the strangeness becomes more familiar and the holiday mood resumes. Given the 8.2 percent ABV, I was pleasantly surprised to find no hints of alcohol.
I will certainly crack one of these open on Christmas day, and I suggest you do the same. Be sure to share one with Mom. Who knows, maybe sharing will plant the seed for her own Christmas brew next year.
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