I don’t know, maybe this just isn’t a good year to be drinking beers with “elf” in the name. Not that any were super bad, just that none of them really connected with me. I had high hopes for this one, as I’ve heard many good things, but I found myself disappointed:
Tröegs Mad Elf – Pours a light, clear, reddish color, with a relatively small head that dissipates pretty quickly. Smell is a bit fruity and musty. Taste is sweet, with some of that cherry taste, and very boozy. The strong alcohol taste isn’t nearly as well balanced with other flavors as this weekend’s other big holiday brew, Three French Hens, but it’s not out of control (like the Insanely Bad Elf I had on Thursday) either. Carbonation is low, which makes it a relatively smooth drink, but drinking a whole bomber of this gets a bit cloying towards the end. It’s not bad, but I just didn’t connect with it at all. B-
Beer Nerd Details: 11% ABV bottled (22 oz bomber). Drank from a tulip glass.
I’m getting close to the end of my Holiday brews, but I think I’ve got enough to tide me over until Christmas. So far, so good, even if there’ve been a few missteps.
It’s a shame this one wasn’t that good, but I love Troegs. All I can usually find is their pale ale or the Dreamweaver wheat, but I love that pale ale!
I like their pale ale too (and Dreamweaver, for that matter). I wouldn’t say that this one is “bad”, just that it didn’t live up to expectations and perhaps a 22 oz bomber was a bit too much. It’s just a bit too boozy for me. I have a friend who loves this beer (and at Beer club, he loved the Insanely Bad Elf as well, which probably says something) and I’ve heard good things from lots of folks about this, so it’s probably still worth a try (if it matters, my rating seems a bit low).
I’m still greatly looking forward to Troegs Nugget Nectar though(which, as I understand it, comes out in early 2011).