Tröegs Mad Elf
Got this one cause I'm a fan of fruit-infused beers and I've basically loved everything Troegs has ever made. Pours a deep amber - almost maroon, with a smallish off-white head tht dissolves quickly to a fine film. Much redder than any other BSDA I've had. No lacing. Weak on appearance. Nose is pretty close to advertised. Belgian malt, light spices, honey, and strong cherries. A touch of yeast. Overall, a vry nice mix of flavors, and very unique. Flavor is similar. A solid Belgian taste with a good cherry backbone and some sourness. Yeast on the tongue, and especially on the aftertaste. Light spiciness - that increases as it warms, although is still not as strong as many. Caramel malt. Alcohol shows up as the beer warms up. Raisins and light molasses. Very nice flavor. Body is okay but maybe a touch to thin. Carbonation is too low. Overall this one fails on the secondary traits - feel and appearance - but does fine in what I perceive as the 'important' traits. Not great, but not terrible. Wine Specialist/22 oz/$7.49