Tröegs Mad Elf
Served from a bottle exactly like the one pictured above into my clean, clear Cooperstown Beverage Trail pint glass. Possibly has a freshness date but the one on my bottle has been rubbed out. Bought at Heinen's in Mentor, Ohio for $12.99 for a six pack. From the web site: The Mad Elf Holiday Ale Alcohol by Volume: 11% alcohol by volume Hop Bitterness (IBU's) : 15 Color (SRM) : Ruby Red Availability: Seasonal, 12 oz. bottles, 1/2 and 1/6 kegs (contact your local retailer to pre-order) Malts: Pilsner, Munich, Chocolate Hops: Saaz, Hallertau Yeast: Spicy Yeast Pennsylvania Honey West Coast Cherries The Mad Elf, a cheerful creation to warm your heart and enlighten your tongue. The combination of Cherries, Honey, and Chocolate Malts delivers gentle fruits and subtle spices. Fermented and aged with a unique yeast, this ruby red beer has significant warming strength that underlies the pleasant character of this intriguing yet delicious Ale. The Mad Elf, a jolly and delicious beer for the Holidays A Pours a great looking golden brown with a briefly generous off white head that dissapeared in about one minute down to trace bubbles. S A great malty sweetness with honey notable and alcohol is able to be smelled. T Tastes like a nice Belgian. Big malty sweetness with honey and alcohol tastes but it is mutlilayered with strong, sweet tastes and a nice, not overwhelming aftertaste like a great light syrup. Really interesting. M Full for sure with big alcohol and malty sweetness. D Good for this high of an ABV. Its big sweetness is interesting enough for me to seek this out many more times to come. Notes: Glad that I bought the six pack. When I go back to Heinen's I will look to see if they have any more. In a blind taste taste I would readily believe that this is a true Belgian. Troegs is 2 for 2 with me so far as I had their Hop Back a few weeks ago and it was excellent.