About Troegs The Mad Elf Ale: The Mad Elf is 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 is a jolly and delicious beer for the holidays.
Beer Advocate Score: 87 points
IBU: 15
Color: Ruby Red
Malts: Pilsner, Munich, Chocolate
Hops: Saaz, Hallertau
Yeast: Spicy Belgian
JuJu: Pennsylvania Honey, Sweet and Sour Cherries
Food Complements: Mad Elf pairs nicely with sweet and savory dishes such as pork lion with fruit as well as sharp, pungent cheeses. It also complements a variety of fruit desserts, while dark bitter chocolate provides a nice contrast.
Serving Suggestions: Temp: 50-55° F | Glassware: Chalice or Tulip
Alcohol by Volume: 11.0%
Cost: $15 per 6-pack
*website: http://www.troegs.com/our_brews/mad_elf_ale.aspx
Had to drink this before the Santa Stunble. WOW, can you taste the cherry and honey flavor!! Its overpowering!!! Until after 4 sips, then I'm drunk and don't care anymore. I just want to keep drinking b/c I love the buzz!! I couldn't believe I finished it in 6 sips (really only 6 sips?) I need another - stat!! Women that love wine will love this; gotta get some for the holidays
ReplyDeleterating: 7.9
Whoa beers like this make the 24 days of beer freaking awesome!!!!! this was a strange one but in a good way. Definitely agree that the cherries and honey are overpowering but the brewers made it work! Didn't really get chocolate malt and the spices come thru a little towards the finish. Gonna run out and get a pack of this pronto! A-
ReplyDeleteThanks again Tony for inviting me to this!!!
Oh the Mad Elf. This is a repeat entry as we have had it in a past 24 Days of Beer. It seems to be the perfect pregame beer for the Santa Stumble which is going on tonight in Georgetown. I like this beer. I like that it has a high ABV yet the alcohol isn't overpowering in the taste. I like the taste as I can pick out the sweetness from the cherries and honey. I don't get any of the malt flavor. I'm a fan but because of the high ABV I could only drink a few of these at a time (if I wanted to remember drinking them). They are a little pricey, but worth it. Grade 8.5 of 10, B+
ReplyDeleteI like the gif my husband added to the description..."he's an angry elf!" We have seen that movie so many times we've memorized most of the lines.
ReplyDeleteI really like this beer. I liked it the first time I had it pre-Santa Stumble and the 11% ABV doesn't hurt. Sorry to miss the Stumble tonight (and sorry to miss you Joe!) but I just wasn't feeling it with a baby at home this year. I really like the honey flavor. Good pick and hopefully we have it in our lineup next year.
I wisely decided to wait until after I picked my daughter up from her birthday party in a sleet storm to crack this one open. For all of you who decided to pound this before doing the Santa Stumble, you are in my thoughts and prayers tonight.
ReplyDeleteEverything I said in 2011 still holds true.
http://24daysofbeer.blogspot.com/2011/12/december-10-troegs-mad-elf-ale.html
This is unbelievably sweet. That helps mask the alcohol content which is enough to floor a medium sized elephant. As I type this, I am halfway through this bad boy on an empty stomach and I am feeling a bit drunk. So I'll write more. I will say the smell is much more of the cherries but all I'm getting with the taste is honey and more honey. Very strange sensation if you breathe in with your nose while taking a sip, but that might just be the beer talking. As you move your way down the glass, it definitely doesn't seem like an 11% ABV beer (not that it really did in the first place), but not even the impending blackout wastedness can make this taste any less sweet. This is definitely a special occasion beer for me. Jesus, I just had to look up how to spell "occasion." Bottom of this guy is getting a bit rough.
I'm going to wrap this up by stating again that the fact that I had two of these after a night of drinking before a job interview is hands down the stupidest thing I've ever done in my life. What the hell kind of standards does my employer have? As taxpayers I blame all of you.
Well, I've finished it. Goal now is to not pass out on the couch before dinner. Although I'm really tempted to just crack open a Celebration Ale and keep this personal happy hour going. Is it wrong to sit in your own home heckling the Heisman Trophy presentation?
I love the callback, and no it is not wrong to heckle almost anything involving college football, but especially the Heisman.
DeleteThis beer is extremely strong and fulling. Its almost too sweet for my liking, but the ABV makes up for it. I just had a big dinner from Ravi Kabob's on Glebe Rd and would not recommend the pairing- Kabobs, chickpeas and spices. Both are great to have individually. If you are having stomach problems, this beer is not for you..I will be drinking this one slowly...
ReplyDeleteThank you! Whoever chose this beer has found the one thing that will enable me to sit through one of those infernal Hallmark Channel Christmas specials that my lovely bride loves so much. After one of these.. I just won't care. :-) Seriously, it was very strong out of the gate; almost too much so. But it quickly warmed my innards and all of the various flavors began to work together. Then I wanted to take a nap. Good stuff. This one is on my nice list.
ReplyDeleteP.S. - The gif is a perfect addition.
Delete"It quickly warmed my innards"... Now there's a Hallmark movie I would want to watch.
DeleteThe last time I had the Mad Elf, I belive the night ended like a Hangover movie starts. Picture 2 santas and a Mrs. Clause pushing another santa into the Inova emergency room via wheelchair. Oh how things have changed, this time I was decorating the tree and watching National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Now for the Maf Elf, I enjoyed this one and the cherry and chocolate made a for a sweet initial taste. It went down smooth and fast and would love to have more. A
ReplyDelete"Merry Christmas... shitter was full"
- cousin eddie
Ah Mad Elf, we meet again. It is always the same: step 1 - too sweet, but I can take it; step 2 - Ok, this isn't that sweet, pretty good really; step 3 - Damn, this pretty good; step 4 - Wooha!; step 5 - I want another and I'm pretty sure I'm going to spend the rest of the night lying on the floor listening to music.
ReplyDeleteAlso love the gif, and seriously what's more vulnerable than a peach?
I think I'm still drunk....
ReplyDeleteMy favorite kind of drunk. Perfect for the holidays.
ReplyDeleteSo...I attempted a sixer of this last night. No post possible after that. It truly is one of the best beer buzz I have ever had. OH HOLY NIGHT!!!!
ReplyDeleteLove the play between the sweetness, inimitable ABV, belgian yeast, and all that honey/fruit/malt.
Damn fine beer!!! Glad I still have almost a case of it chillin in my fridge
This was a nice beer that shook up the tastebuds a bit. Solid b+
ReplyDeleteI tend to only seek out Belgians (yeast) when they have a dark and balanced character. This was not balanced at all. It totally leans sweet... way too sweet. Pretty awful. Scores a D-.
ReplyDeleteApologies for the late post. I did actually drink this one on the correct night. I wasn't that keen on it though. I thought it smelled and tasted like wine. It did get me drunk, which was useful at the time, so I'm not complaining or anything.
ReplyDeleteI've been a few days behind on all of these, why stop now?
ReplyDeleteReally enjoyed the Mad Elf. Definitely tasted some sweetness, though couldn't pick out cherries or honey specifically. Definitely got some fire in the belly as it goes down.
As someone else mentioned, this would be a great beer to sip on while I nod off to a Christmas movie.
Good stuff! The Belgian yeast is the star of the show. The spice and cherry are in balance with the rest of the palate. Not an overpowering taste of alcohol.
ReplyDeleteI love Troegs! Great beers and this one is too. Also dangerously strong and I agree with Bill.
ReplyDelete