2.9 AROMA 4/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20I always keep Mad Elf around for at least a year before I drink it. Fresh, I find the beer a bit "hot" from the high ABV and overly sweet. I am not a fan of fruit in beer and I find Mad Elf to be cloyingly fruity sweet when first released. However, I discovered years back that aging the bottles for at least a year mellows it out. I’ve got some 5 year old bottles still in the cellar. The bottle I reviewed was from the 2009 release and was quite enjoyable.
The beer is an attractive deep red color with a thin beige head. The aroma is sweet with dark fruit and a mild earthiness. The flavor of this aged beer is still a bit tart from the cherries, but a hint of sweetness balances that out. The high alcohol content is well-masked. The mouthfeel is thick, leaving behind a sticky coating on the lips.
3.1 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 4/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
Nice aroma and look. The taste is very boozy in my opinion. Taste the cherries, but no so much the honey.
---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone
3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
Deep and dark ruby brown with a heavy flavor of fruit and spice over a nice malty base. Improves as it warms.
3.6 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
bottle aged much longer than intended...darn those 12 ozbottles amongst the trees. anyway...a slight whoosh upon opening...almost no head on top of a brown/ruby body. aroma is candied sugar, malt, caramel, cherry and a bit of booze. pretty nice for how old this bottle is! flavor is also pretty damn good for what I expected...brown sugar, sweet and tart cherry, spice, booze meld together nicely. palate is a bit thin on the finish, and its not hard to tell this one has some ABV working for it. surprisingly good for, well, a good 6 years of age
2.3 AROMA 4/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 4/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 10/20
12oz bottle. Pours a brownish red with decent off white head. Aroma is syrupy cherries. Taste is sweet cherries, spices, honey, with some Belgian yeast notes.
4.2 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
Mad elf if a subtly spiced holiday beer with hints of clove and very little cinnamon but it has a great mouthfeel that finished pretty clean on the palate and doesn't linger. One of my favorite holiday beers to date
---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone
3.8 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Poured into pint glass. Very thin head. Dark reddish orange tint. Strong scents of cherry and spice. Tastes of honey and cherry that finish in notes of spice that hides the 11% abv very nicely. Very smooth on the palate
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Tap at Brew Kettle. Clear reddish amber pour. Sweet cherry, malty, and loads of spices. Quite good.
2.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 7/20
Dangerously does not taste like an 11% ale. Good for holiday parties and good in growler form.
3.7 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Doesn't smell like much - Belgian strong ale-esqu with some dried fruits. Pours a muddy ruby - opaque. Tastes nice - sweet maraschino cherry, roasted caramel malts, slight chocolate sweetness, molasses. Feels medium-full, very smooth. Solid, interesting
---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone
3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 15/20
Bottle at Rattle & Hum NYC sept 2012. Clear amber beer with a small offwhite head. Hoppy and fruity aroma. Hoppy and sweet (almost sugar) and berries flavour.
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