Tröegs Mad Elf - Tröegs Brewing Company

zimmerbloke

Wisconsin

3.23/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

From Blind Bomber BIF (Thanks to Hophead101!):

A: Pours very transluscent, strongly red in color... almost the color of cranberry juice when held up to light. Very little head, even with a more aggressive pour.

S: Slight booziness. Fairly sweet with definite dark fruit overtones. Some breadiness.

T: Honestly, the whole taste is fairly muted, even as the beer nears room temperature. Similar to the nose, the booze is fairly present, but doesn't have many strong flavors to back it. Malt profile is bread and biscuits, primarily, all with a generous sweetness. Very little hop profile, only some faint dark fruits as the flavor fades. Pleasant, but not impressive.

M: Light mouthfeel with a fair amount of carbonation. If this is some sort of barleywine/old ale, it's lighter than pretty much anything I've had before. Not my favorite; I think a thicker mouthfeel with a bit less carbonation would fit the boozier overtones of the beer better.

D: The alcohol doesn't feel particularly well hidden. That, in combination with as sweet as the beer is, would make me reluctant to work through another bottle. However, more than happy to be drinking through one.

All in all, I enjoyed this beer, but it definitely wasn't anything mindblowing. That being said, I drank it with expectations of an American style that may have created different expectations that made me reflect differently on the beer again. I would definitely drink this again to review it to style. Thanks, Greg!

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2010 21:00:10 | More by zimmerbloke

spw109

New York

4/5  rDev +3.1%

06-17-2013 21:48:11 | More by spw109

jaxon53

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

06-15-2013 18:58:12 | More by jaxon53

JakeEsterly

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +3.1%

06-15-2013 18:57:44 | More by JakeEsterly

martinproulx15

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -9.8%

06-15-2013 02:47:05 | More by martinproulx15

Yummmmiller

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

06-13-2013 20:57:20 | More by Yummmmiller

djre4orm

Virginia

3/5  rDev -22.7%

06-13-2013 19:26:19 | More by djre4orm

dsnyder61

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +3.1%

06-11-2013 17:54:05 | More by dsnyder61

cwalter

New York

4/5  rDev +3.1%

06-10-2013 07:04:20 | More by cwalter

TheBeerAlmanac

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +3.1%

06-08-2013 14:26:42 | More by TheBeerAlmanac

sporr

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is my all time favorite beer. I refer to it as "The Closer" especially from a night of tasteing other quality craft beer. This beeer always is a pleasure to drink and usually puts me in that special place. If you haven't had this then you really are missing something special.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2013 03:04:25 | More by sporr

savagepm

Colorado

4/5  rDev +3.1%

06-07-2013 23:15:40 | More by savagepm

DeutschesBier

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

06-07-2013 14:40:45 | More by DeutschesBier

twenty5

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -9.8%

06-03-2013 12:36:02 | More by twenty5

TriageStat

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%

06-02-2013 22:14:05 | More by TriageStat

MikeyJ777

New York

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

06-01-2013 01:16:25 | More by MikeyJ777

tbryan5

Louisiana

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%

05-30-2013 02:37:10 | More by tbryan5

jkrug5

Maryland

4/5  rDev +3.1%

05-29-2013 19:36:49 | More by jkrug5

domnalbrecc

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +3.1%

05-29-2013 10:05:57 | More by domnalbrecc

knuxdude

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

05-27-2013 23:16:37 | More by knuxdude

mikeincharleston

South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -9.8%

05-26-2013 20:13:43 | More by mikeincharleston

RummyRedbeard

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

(copied from blog - written January 12, 2013)

Appearance – Pours a transparent dark ruby red/amber.
Smell – Very sweet, like cherries dipped in honey (obviously).
Taste – You can taste the sweetness of cherries and honey upfront. Some sort of spiciness hits the tongue. Chocolate in the aftertaste.

This year was the first time I had the pleasure of enjoying Mad Elf, when I tasted it at a craft beer tasting. After that I had bought the six pack once, and since it’s so damn expensive I never cared to do it again regardless of how good it is. That was probably two months ago. Tonight however my lovely girlfriend was in the mood for it so I’m drinking it at her expense (thanks baby)! Anyway, this ale is like a mead or a sweet wine and very appropriate on bitter cold winter nights to warm the blood pleasantly. It has a gorgeous color and a wonderful aroma to be appreciated for a while before you actually indulge in to the liquid itself. Its taste is kind of like cocktail cherries with honey laced in between, and a hint of liquor. The inclusion of chocolate malts leave a chocolaty aftertaste with a spiciness on the tongue that I can’t put my finger on. This is a heavy beer with a high ABV that should be consumed slowly, and enjoyed to its fullest, perhaps even shared with a friend.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 00:19:21 | More by RummyRedbeard

NJBeer265

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +16%

05-22-2013 19:39:52 | More by NJBeer265

Skabiski

Maryland

3.25/5  rDev -16.2%

05-21-2013 16:29:08 | More by Skabiski

JAHMUR

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev -9.8%

05-21-2013 15:27:26 | More by JAHMUR