Saint Arnold Santo

Saint Arnold Santo

Santo is a black Kölsch, which technically doesn’t exist as a style, but this is as close as we can come to describing it. Essentially it is brewed using a Kölsch recipe with the addition of Munich and black malt. It is light bodied and floral yet with a distinct dark malt flavor. Our goal was to create a dark yet refreshing beer that would pair perfectly with a plate of enchiladas.

The label artwork is by Houston artist Carlos Hernandez who is known for his Day of the Dead Rock Star series of paintings and prints.
3.1
187 reviews
Houston, United States

Community reviews

3.2 On tap at airport in Dallas Clear dark brown with a small beige head, light lacing. Aroma of toasted malts, caramel and nutty. Flavors of caramel, nutty, dark malts and herbal Decent
3.2 Draft in Houston. Dark brown in color. Medium head. Aroma is light with some caramel and roast malts. Taste is slight roast malt with some caramel malt notes. Medium light body. Fairly easy to drink. Somewhat creamy texture. Not bad.
3.3 12oz Flasche. Dunkelbraunes Bier mit beigem Schaum. Röstmalz und Hopfennoten. Süffiger Geschmack leicht rauchig. Die Brauerei nennt es ein dunkles Kölsch. Irgendwie passend!
3.0 Pours dark brown with a thin head that diminishes fast. Sweet aroma of toffee and dark malt. Thin body and easy to drink. Nice hop to malt balance with this one. Easy to drink with food and not very feeling. Makes a good session brew.
2.4 Nothing special but well brewed. Watery and not too special. Easy to drink too in a gathering.
3.1 Bottle at Skinny Rita’s, Houston. Dark reddish body with large head. Nose is smoky, fruity. Taste is also malty, with caramel and toasty notes. Enjoyable. Went well with my taco’s.
3.8 Poured from a bottle into a pint glass a very dark coffee like beer. I got a slight hint of chicory toffee coffee and caramel candy....exciting can’t wait to taste it....poured a descent head which dissipated almost immediately....yep...the flavors are exactly what I smelled...very bold very sweet effervescent and curiously a little refreshing for a full bodied beer finishes well...no adjunct funk just smooth bold organic straight ahead BEER....if you like that style grab one...I would imagine it would be a great cold winter day kinda beer....CHEERS...
3.6 6 pack drunk from bottles whilst arguin’ politics. Went down fast and smooth, as good as the conversation. Solid easy to drink taste. Some sweetness. Would buy again
3.2 Rated based on notes taken 4 Jan 2013 -- A solid black lager, although I have had better. Easy to drink.
3.1 Being from Houston I do love trying all of our Houston craft beers. Of course everyone's opinion is different. This beer is not watery to me at all, it's more refreshing like you can take some big swigs while your eating and wash it down nicely. I enjoy the malty flavor. There is another brewery here called 8th wonder but they have not started canning their beers, but this in my opinion is similar to their alternate universe beer. It's a dark beer but not intimidating like a Guinness that is pretty much black and foamy at the top. The packaging is awesome because of the artist who did it, I think the packaging is more appreciated by the people who are familiar with the Houston artist Carlos. Anyway give it a try, everyone has different preferences so I hope you like it too.
3.2 Brown in color with clear foam head... Aroma of light malts, nuts... Mouthfeel is light and slightly watery, dark malts and nuts, malty finish... Kinda boring
3.2 12 oz bottle shared three ways. Pours a clear brown color with a medium sized off white head. The aroma and flavor have mild roasted malt, bread, light bitterness, very light smoke, overall, not offensive, but not anything memorable.
3.3 Bottle pour mahogany brown with thin white head. Nose some smoky roast, light spice. Taste sweet malt, light nutty. Some bitter late palate.
2.8 12 oz. bottled 04-13-2015. Clear dark brown with a film of bubbles. Aroma is low quality coffee bean, toasted pecan with the shell and a bit of caramel cola. Flavors of soured milk chocolate, caramel popcorn and dry grass. Finish has some toasted walnut and dry cocoa. Light-medium body is to the sweet side, but has an astringency that provides a semblance of balance. Medium carbonation is too fizzy and explodes in the mouth at times. Still, the Munich and black malt improves the horrible Kolsch that’s underneath so much that it’s actually a drinkable brew.
2.6 Very thin and mild. Getting a cola flavor with a touch of bread. Slight fizzy with little body or character. Just for a quick drink
2.7 Appearance: pours with a large tan head, the beer is a clear maroon color, pretty dark though Aroma: smoky, faint, Taste: coffee hints, smokey, light malty caramel flavor Palate: light mouthfeel, lively carbonation, very very faint coffee aftertaste Overall: a tough beer to describe, very light and subtle body with hints of coffee is the best way I can describe it, decent but not too special
2.8 Tap at the shack in Cypress TX. Dark brown pour, fluffy head with good retention. Aroma is malts, toast, a bit of char and grain. Mildly sweet aroma. Taste is roasted malts, light cocoa, grain. Thin mouthfeel. Ehh.
3.0 Malt heavy flavor with hints of coffee. Every drink is almost the same followed with a dry finish. It starts out good. However to flavor gets old really quick. This was good for one session at least to try. This is not necessarily a bad brew. Just not the type I would enjoy.
3.5 Draft: Poured a dark brown with a beige color head. Aroma is sweet malts. Taste is a toasty, roasty mix of malts, nice sweetness, but also a light bitter balance.
2.9 Draft at IAH. Pours hazy but brown with a fizzy off white head. Tastes like nutty malt, dry toast, light earth, fizzy. Light body and medium carbonation. Smells toasted, nutty, and earthy.
3.9 brown pour with a small white light brown head. Reminds me of a brown ale with out the nutty Finnish.
3.6 On draught at Houston Airport - IAH Gate B21.. Pours a deep brown with lasting tan head. Medium body, dry dark malts flavir. Full mouthfeel. Clean. Dry finish. Drier than Newcastle Brown. oK
2.9 Pours a dark brown with a medium off white head. The aroma was mostly bready malts and somewhat grassy. The taste is rather dull with this beer. There is no bitterness and is watery with a light mouth feel. The taste is mostly brown bread and some sweetness (caramel) on the end.
3.0 On tap at the brewery. Let’s improve a mexican lager with black malts. It works like air guitar.some lemon.
3.6 Though a bit smokey... This one is an enjoyable beer. Good looking and kind of reminds me of a sweet, smokey, octoberfest beer.
3.9 Bottle. Chocolate, straw, and barley malt aroma. Dark brown with giant light tan head. Lightly sweet chocolate, barley malt, and lightly bitter hay flavor. Nice body. Very tasty.
2.9 Dark brown with medium off-white head. Aroma is sweet, mostly malt. Flavor is similar, very easy drinking, but nothing special.
3.7 Bottle: Clear, deep chestnut with a frothy beige head. Caramel, cola, nut aroma. Taste is slightly spicy caramel malt, roast, nuts....bark. Pretty nice tasting beer...sort of a Kolsch/Brown Ale combo.... Rather mild and tasty.
2.9 Rated on 02-18-2013 at Saint Arnold B.C. This draft beer pours a small beige head that is mostly lasting, semi-transparent reddish brown body, no carbonation observed, and a good amount of lacing. The aroma is roasted, toasted, caramel malt, nutty, and a hint of earthy hops. The flavor is toasted malt, earthy hops, semi-sweet, and light earthy hops. The mouthfeel is smooth and thin. This beer is light bodied. This beer is quaffable and semi-refreshing.
3.1 Average beer. Not much flavor, aroma. Tastes like a kolsch but pours black in color. Malty with little aftertaste. Garbage