Dark Horse 4 Elf - Dark Horse Brewing Company

Dark Horse 4 ElfDark Horse 4 Elf

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BA SCORE
88
good
-
152 Ratings
THE BROS
N/A

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send 'em beer »
rAvg: 3.94
pDev: 11.68%
Reviews: 92
Hads: 60

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Brewed by:
Dark Horse Brewing Company visit their website
Michigan, United States

Style | ABV
Winter Warmer |  8.75% ABV

Availability: Winter. bottle (79), on-tap (13)

Notes:
No notes at this time.
View:  Beers  (55) |  Reviews  (82) |  Events  (0)

Reviews

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Photo of alpinebryant
alpinebryant

Connecticut

3.05/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

A: Pours a dark chestnut brown with lots of tiny white bubbles on the top. laces well

S: Aromas of pumpkin , nutmeg , cinnamon and clove. Some dark fruit and slightly belgian yeast?

T: Too much Cinnamon here, its fresh Hot Cinnamon Trident Gum flavored first off the bat and followed by cardamom and tannic like qualities.

M: Medium to thick body with light carbonation. There is a bit of sting from CO2 but the body is thick enough to make the carbonation seem moderate.

O: Overall, its a cinnamon bomb with not too many qualities that I enjoy - and I really like winter warmers. This just didnt hit the right notes for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 21:14:48 | More by alpinebryant
Photo of Rifugium
Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First had: bottle shared by baybum at a March '13 tasting. Thanks, Ray!

Sampled this in a very interesting vertical line after One Oatmeal, Too Cream, and Tres Blueberry.

I honestly never heard of this one, but I quite liked it. Dark brown pour with a small tan head that left a bit of lacing on the glass. Nice spicy aroma, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, with a touch of icing-like sweetness. In the taste, all the spices that were there in the aroma, plus rich caramel maltiness, and a little vanilla icing; light herbal hops and roasty bitterness for balance. Medium body, smooth mouthfeel, quite enjoyable overall.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 10:59:28 | More by Rifugium
Photo of superspak
superspak

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, Winter 2012 bottling. Pours cloudy almost opaque dark reddish brown color with a small light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of big caramel, raisin, dark bread, brown sugar, toffee, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove, earth, roasted malt, chocolate, and light herbal. Damn nice aromas with good balance and complexity of malt and spice notes. Taste of big caramel, brown sugar, molasses, raisin, dark bread, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, roasted malt, chocolate, toast, prune, earth, and light herbal spiciness. No bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, dark fruit, dark bread, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, roasted malt, chocolate, and herbal earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice balance and complexity of robust flavors; with a nice malt backbone over the spices; and almost zero cloying flavors present after the finish. Light-medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a creamy and slick mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very nice winter warmer style. Very nice robust and balanced flavors; and very smooth to sip on. A very enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 07:14:45 | More by superspak
Photo of SometimesIfart
SometimesIfart

Michigan

3.49/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours black with a one finger off white head. Left no lacing.

S - Cinnamon, nutmeg, gingerbread, slight anise.

T - Mostly anise and nutmeg. A bit of gingerbread and orange peel as well. Watery too.

M - Medium bodied with light to medium carbonation.

O - Overall, a basic, solid beer that I could have again. Quite sessionable for the strenght.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 06:05:06 | More by SometimesIfart
Photo of ypsifly
ypsifly

Michigan

3.91/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

2012 vintage from a bottle poured into a pint glass.

Deep mahogany with slight reddish hues on the edges. Decent head with retention and globby laces.

Cinnamon flavored bubblegum in the nose that is supported by a range of Xmas spices such as cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg, and a pinch of cardamom. Very seasonal aromas that are pleasantly balanced.

Nice amount of malt upfront that is quickly followed by the above mentioned spices and a drying hop and spice finish. Lingering spices that are strong, yet not too far off balance. For me this has all of the hallmarks of a Winter Warmer with boldness yet just enough balance to make it enjoyable.

Full enough in the mouth with no odd lingering oils or over the top bitterness/spice for my palate..

Overall, I like this beer I've had past incarnations that were higher in abv, and as much as I wish this one was closer to past versions...I'm happy with this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 09:07:37 | More by ypsifly
Photo of divineaudio
divineaudio

Michigan

3.1/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

2012 bottle, 8.75% abv, nonic.

a - pours a murky, dark brown with a just a thin film of head and a few bubbles. no lacing.

s - clove, cinnamon, molasses, fresh bread.

t - thankfully the spice is more muted than in the nose. has a pronounced, earthy hop bitterness with some burnt malt laying low in the background. notes of black coffee in there as well. finishes very dry. not a very successful combination of flavors imo.

m - medium in body with not quite enough carbonation. finer co2 profile.

o - meh. dark horse beers are hit or miss for me, and this one is a miss. lacks most of the things i look for in a winter warmer, mainly the malty sweetness and a subdued hop profile. probably won't be returning to this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 01:08:34 | More by divineaudio
Photo of maximum12
maximum12

Minnesota

2.75/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1.5

Thanks to whomever sent this to me. I like to think I'll look it up later & insert my gratefulness here, but I usually forget when I'm too lazy to look it up. Well, thanks. You know who you are. 12 oz. bottle.

Pour is dark brown with red foil. Nose, the nose, bejeebuzz, it's like an overturned semi- full of cinnamon on the interstate. Most of the rest of the spice rack is in there too. Light cherry, nutmeg, allspice are those I can ID.

4 Elf ain't my kind of holiday beer. The spicing was done with a backhoe: cinnamon lights up my palate like a Christmas tree fire. Loads of spice. Caramel gets a bare lick in, & there might be a gentle, earthy hop kick right at the end. Maybe. Twelve ounces? I might need some help.

A classic example of "too far" for me; I don't put this much spice in my mulled apple cider. Spicing is out of control & overwhelms the beer, & gets too close to being straight-up undrinkable. As is? An almost-average novelty.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 03:29:14 | More by maximum12
Photo of Dope
Dope

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Fresh batch from Dec 8th, 2012 release. Only 8.75%

A: Almost pure black with a good sized fluffy light brown head. Quite decent lacing as it fades slowly away.

S: Nutmeg, hint of cinnamon and cocoa.

T: Nutmeg up front with mild cocoa powder. Hints of cinnamon in the middle with caramel. Finish is molasses and cloves. A little lingering cinnamon and nutmeg in the long aftertaste. Lots of other unidentifiable spices throughout the beer that I couldn't include, but it is quite complex with lots of flavors.

M: Medium bodied and slightly astringent and drying in the aftertaste.

O: Awesome winter warmer. Great variety of spices and balance of flavors. Nice roasted malt fits in nicely without making it a real porter or stout. Expertly crafted.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 20:40:57 | More by Dope
Photo of inlimbo77
inlimbo77

Delaware

3.9/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

4 Elf Winter Warmer '11
12oz
Pinocchio's snifter

A: Pours a very deep dark brown color. Basically opaque. Some reddish hues around edges. Initially about a quarter finger if off white head. Then it blended into a thin layer if bubbles and a ring.

S: On the nose, dark fruit/spice/chocolate/mild coffee. Even through sickness, getting those spices: cinnamon and nutmeg and clove. I'm surprised they held up so much over a year.

T: On tip of tongue, you get a hit of spice. Cinnamon, nutmeg, etc. then you get more chocolate flavors drifting into the porter/stout. It's a nice little sip, although it's not a favorite style of mine. Just a taste of this would have been enough.

M: Full bodied. But seems nicely carbonated

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 15:19:06 | More by inlimbo77
Photo of kawilliams81
kawilliams81

Illinois

2.7/5  rDev -31.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

2012 vintage. Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a AleSmith Horny Devil snifter.

A- pours a dark brown/near black with a 1 finger tan head. Bog trails and waves of lacing remain on the glass.

S- roast, cinnamon and nutmeg.

T- some chocolate and roast for a quick second then it turns into a bitter, licorice, cleaning product tasting mess.

M- medium body and carbonation. Has some creaminess but bad flavors make this tough to drink.

O- did DH F this beer up? The label says 8.75% and it says 11.5% on here. It seems like they changed the recipe and it turned out terrible and they said F it we'll sell it anyways.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 22:46:16 | More by kawilliams81
Photo of scottfrie
scottfrie

California

3.63/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into snifter. Thanks Jay!

A: Pours a very dark raisin brown that looks black in the glass. The head is minimal and light tan. I’m getting some hefty chunks of floaties in this one, where one chunk of yeast was the size of a pea. Luckily they were all heavy enough to setting to the bottom rather quickly.
S: I could smell this beer across the room! Sweet notes of candied fruits and holiday spices fill my nose. I get hints of clove, coriander, nutmeg, cinnamon, dates, spruce tips, baked bread, red grapes and milk chocolate. Smells very sweet and interestingly spiced.
T: Not as sweet as the nose but definitely just as spicy – if not more so. All the scents of the nose are there, especially cinnamon, nutmeg, bread, clove and coriander. Milk chocolate and nuts bring up the rear. The aftertaste is slightly sweet.
M: Medium-full body, viscous and slick mouthfeel, with low and fuzzy carbonation.
O: A very potent, flavorful and spicy winter warmer. The alcohol is hidden very well. Thanks again, jbck109!

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 01:20:17 | More by scottfrie
Photo of davey101
davey101

Connecticut

3.78/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I assume this is the 2011 vintage. 12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

A - Dark brown body with a small mocha one finger head. Some large bubbles creating some edging.

S - Loads of winter spices. Sweet roasty malts and some candied sugar.

T - Cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, roasty caramel malts, and some dark candied fruits. Higher ABV is hidden well. Nice balance between the malts and spice. Mouth feel is medium bodied.

O - A tasty winter warmer that's head up well over the last few months.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 01:13:11 | More by davey101
Photo of MichaelinFishers
MichaelinFishers

Indiana

4.23/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

December 2010 vintage. Poured into 16oz tulip from a 12oz bottle.

Pours very dark brown, on that edge between porter and stout that is reminiscent of Bell's Batch 9000. No head, very little lacing. I probably should have let it warm up a bit more before I poured it.

Smell is dark fruit and molasses with a bare hint of spice. Smells like it's going to be very sweet...

...but it's not. A little sweetness, but not cloying, like the aforementioned outing from Bell's. Very nicely balanced, actually. The spices are very understated, which is a good thing. Spiced beer should be beer first, spice second.

The mouthfeel echoes the color: thinner than an imperial stout, more substantial than a porter. A little prickle from the small amount of carbonation that's there, just enough to brighten it up a bit. No heat, no fusel smells. There's no way this is 11+%.

I've only had one other beer that hid 11% this well without using excessive amounts of residual sugar to to it, that's the other "Elf" out of Harrisburg/Hershey. Not an everyday beer, but a nice seasonal sipper. I'm glad I have four more in my cellar.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 04:03:01 | More by MichaelinFishers
Photo of BBP
BBP

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours dark dark brown blurring the lines between black. Minimal head, but decent lacing.

The aroma is a bit like a stout and a porter. Not with the normal intensity, but it's more subtle. A bit more fragrant.

The taste is again like a stout and porter, but with a little bit less thickness. It has some spice like you'd expect from a winter warmer, but it's very subtle and a bit underplayed. Luckily, that's how I enjoy spice in my beer. This beer also has a way of embedding itself onto my mouth. The flavor had excellent followthrough due to this.

The body is creamy and full. The weight is fairly heavy. The finish is dry and slightly sticky.

Overall, this is another nice brew from Dark Horse. They might go down in my books as the kings of hiding alcohol. At first I would have guessed this was a 6% beer. There is absolutely no heat in the taste, and I don't really get any when it goes down either. As always, they've managed to balance this quite well as well. Glad I snagged a bottle of this.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 18:41:23 | More by BBP
Photo of russwbeck
russwbeck

Virginia

3.3/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours out of the bottle dark brown and sits in the glass deep brown, closer to black, with a finger or so of off white head. Not a lot of retention, but what does stick around laces nicely.

S: The aroma is full of cinnamon and other spices. Sweet, it's very focused on the malt and typical winter warmer like smells.

T: Again, nothing really separates this from a typical winter warmer. It is pretty malty, focused on caramel on molasses, but the spices are there as well. Mostly cinnamon and nutmeg type spices, I really just dislike this style as a whole, so determine a fair review is a bit difficult.

MF: Heavier body than most in the style and the carbonation is good. I will say that for 11.5% this beer is damn drinkable. Probably it's redeeming quality.

O: This wasn't awful. Compared to the rest in its style I actually think it's really good. But overall? Not a fan.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 23:43:25 | More by russwbeck
Photo of GONZALOYANNA
GONZALOYANNA

Spain

3.73/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

330ml bottle.Snifter glass.Enjoyed on oct´11.Dark mahogany in color.Off-white crown,fairly good retention.Caramel malt,chocolate,toasted malt aromas.Intense aromatic spicy:cinnamon,clove,nutmeg.Sweet bitter upfront followed by sweet malty flavor.Smooth astringency.Full body,correct carbonation.Dry prune & molasses on the finish lasting to the aftertaste.Pleasant drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 11:41:37 | More by GONZALOYANNA
Photo of minterro
minterro

Michigan

4.38/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Single from Spartan Spirit --> poured into a snifter

A&S: The smell is predominately cinnamon. Other odors include nutmeg, slight sweet chocolaty tones, and ginger bread. The look is a viscus jet black colored beer. tan colored head that hangs around in a creamy ring and leaves lacing that falls fast.

T&M: pretty robust for a spiced beer. Upfront its pretty gingery but its not overwhelming. Bitter dark chocolate finish. To put it simply it taste like a really good winter warmer. Full bodied beer with low carbonation.

O: This is a great beer pretty much a tie for my favorite Dark Horse beer (Tres), although I'll really looking forward to trying Plead the 5th. 1.99$ for this beer without tax or deposit is a steal by any means, I hope I can still score some more.

By the way there is no way this beer is 11.55%

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 04:07:50 | More by minterro
Photo of Alieniloquium
Alieniloquium

Florida

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a CBS snifter. 2010 vintage thanks to chpueblo22.

Appearance - Pours a dark brown body that is nearly completely opaque. Transparent as I pour it and a bit translucent at the edges. Not much of a head and really only a ring of lace to speak of. I let a few chunks of sediment fall into the glass. They are now clinging to the bottom and slide into the body as I drink it.

Smell - Earthy malts and strong toffee. Huge spice presence. Cinnamon. Like a pre-flambe bananas foster. Booze, as well.

Taste - Not as pleasant as the aroma. The flavors are nice, but they don't blend well with the finish for me. Spice and toffee up front, but it isn't sweet at all. Dry, quite dry. The finish is bitter with a significant spice presence. I enjoy drinking it, but after I finish a sip it doesn't linger on the palate in a pleasant fashion.

Mouthfeel - Overly bitter for the style. The spice and malt backbone are nice, but the finish is just awful. Well carbonated and surprisingly thin. I suppose that's a result of the dryness of the drink.

Overall - A strange dichotomy of nice flavors and a disappointing finish. I'll finish the glass no problem, but the aftertaste is pretty off-putting.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 03:18:42 | More by Alieniloquium
Photo of jegross2
jegross2

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Reviewing the 4 Elf from Dark Horse Brewing Company.
Score: 83

Unknown bottling date from the 2011 release, served in a Surly Darkness snifter and enjoyed on 02/05/12. Thank you BeerAdvocate user minterro for hooking me up with this one!

Appearance: Pours a jet black color that is totally opaque save for a super faint, thin brown highlight atop the beer when held up to light. Pours a finger of creamy off-white/tan head that settles into a ring around the glass and thin foggy film of head atop the beer. Above average lacing. 4/5

Smell: Cinnamon, caramel, peppermint candy cane and winter spices. A little roasted chocolate malt and light cherry. Smells a lot like what you'd expect a "Christmas flavored" incense stick to smell like. 4/5

Taste: Creamy caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg and a little ginger upfront with a peppermint twist towards the finish. A little watery chocolate and cherry on the midpalate. Alcohol is totally hidden. You would never guess this is 11.5% ABV. 3.5/5

Mouthfeel: Pretty light bodied, which is surprising given the appearance. Low carbonation. A watered down, creamy mouthfeel. Has a slight bitter/malty, spiced finish. 3/5

Overall: I usually do not like winter warmers, but this one is pretty tasty. It's unlikely that I would buy more than a single bottle of this at a time, especially because the style is not my thing, but this is certainly a beer that I would drink again if given the opportunity. Quite the drinkable beer.

Recommendation: A good beer for casual beer drinkers. Above average winter warmer.

Pairings: Sugar cookies (that are shaped like Christmas trees).

Cost: $12 for a four pack.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 00:39:37 | More by jegross2
Photo of CuriousMonk
CuriousMonk

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Never thought of trying this brew until it came to my attention especially being a Dark Horse fan. Poured from 12oz bottle into a tulip glass. Pours roasty brown with a thin off-white head that recedes quite quickly. Aromas of nutmeg, brown sugar, cinnamon, and some orange. Bit disappointed with the taste as it did not mirror the delicious aromatics as initially indicated. Flavors of dark fruit, indistinct spices- perhaps some nutmeg? Somewhat bittery back finish. As mysterious as the flavor is, I am at loss of how well hidden the high alochol is! Medium-bodied with nice carbonation throughout. As the beer warmed up a bit, the more I found myself to enjoy this one. I would gladly have this one again on a cold winter night.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 19:15:05 | More by CuriousMonk
Photo of mikereaser
mikereaser

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a deep dark brown with just a layer of bubble on the surface with a bit of lacing down the side of the glass.
S - aroma is hard for me to pick out, especially after the last one. Again, there is just a little bit of smokiness, but more of the beef jerky, a bit of cinnamon i'm finally picking out.
T - The taste is hard to decipher, there is some cinnamon again, some vanilla, it definitely tastes aged. It seems like it could be some sort of a christmas ale. I was thinking Anchor but its not as spicy as that.
M/D - Its lacking a full body and is kind of thin, what now seems more like a christmas beer type spice.

The only thought that came to me was Great Lakes Christmas beer, but lets rip her open and see...
Dark Horse 4 Elf, a winter warmer. So I was kind of close in my guess. At least I had the holiday right anyway. Not bad but the whole Christmas spice thing is not my taste.

3/3/3.5/3.5/3.5

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 03:09:02 | More by mikereaser
Photo of BarrytheBear
BarrytheBear

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2009 bottle into my now favorite go-to glass, the Drakness snifter. Courtesy of a trader long, long ago. Notes are hazy. Thank you whoever you are. A preface: winter beers are groddy.

Pours a reddish brown with a short lived head that forms an amorphous ring of off white.

Time has been kind to the nose. Loads of mulling spices and cinnamon. Smells like Christmas. Uncanny really and seemingly fresh and bright.

Taste follows suit. Spices and cinammon. Thankfully, no allspice. Had that shit in copious quantities in a disgusting authentic Chinese joint once and it makes me want to projectile up charles. Well integrated, though not abrasive and in your face. Booze is non existent on the drink but settles warmly into the innerds.

Overall, this was a really nice surprise. I don't dig on holiday spicetasticness, but this was the best of what I find to be a lame style. Really well played Dark Horse!

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 02:05:08 | More by BarrytheBear
Photo of jtingue
jtingue

New York

3.45/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

2011 Batch. Poured into a tulip.

Appearance. Dark red brown in color. Pours with 2 fingers of head, which dissipates to a nice layer on top.

Smell. THere is some cinnamon there, but not in an overwhelming way. There seems to be a smell that I notice in beers with brett, though I don't know if this beer has any. In addition to this there is a subtle cherry note.

Taste. Starts out bitter with some spice: allspice cinnamon and ginger. Bitterness builds and a malt backbone that starts to taste like graham cracker, probably because of the cinnamon in there. The finish is spicy and hot from the alcohol.

Mouthfeel. Surprisingly thin body, but this is compensated for by an appropriate level of carbonation.

Tastes like christmas; still subtle though.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 01:43:16 | More by jtingue
Photo of dgugliuzza
dgugliuzza

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 12 oz. bottle into a large snifter

Opaque brown color that looks pitch black in the glass. Thin tan head with large bubbles spread throughout.

An array of spices delightfully inhibit the nostrils. Cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice are dominant. Nice layer of candy sweet malt. Smells like freshly baked gingerbread cookies.

Just as the smell indicates. The warming spices are delectable and perfectly incorporated. Cinnamon and nutmeg stand out to make this taste like liquid gingerbread. No alcohol burn whatsoever.

Medium-thick and creamy mouthfeel. Carbonation is low, but adequate for the style. Very smooth and easy to drink. I would have never guessed the double digit ABV quantity.

4 Elf is nothing short of outstanding. The most flavorful winter warmer I've had to date. If you like gingerbread cookies, then you will love this beer. It truly tastes and feels like a snowy winter night. Well worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 04:26:05 | More by dgugliuzza
Photo of BeRanger
BeRanger

Michigan

4.15/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2011 Vintage, poured into a pint glass.

A: Deep brown, about one finger of creamy foam that stuck around for quite sometime.

S: Wonderful Christmas Ale smell with all the flavors coming out - cinnamon, spices, nutmeg and roasted malts.

T: The alcohol is hidden very well. The cinnamon and nutmeg hit you first, kind of resembled a sugar cookie that I was snacking on right before drinking it.

M: Medium body with good carbonation - finishes very smooth.

O: Very nice Christmas Ale from Dark Horse, one of the best I've had. Looking forward to cracking open my 2009 Vintage later this evening to compare.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 02:02:14 | More by BeRanger
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Dark Horse 4 Elf from Dark Horse Brewing Company
88 out of 100 based on 152 user ratings.