The Mad Elf Grand Cru
Tröegs Independent Brewing in Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States 🇺🇸
Belgian Style - Quadrupel / Dark Strong Rotating|
Score
7.30
|
|
If you know Tröegs, you know The Mad Elf, the mischievous belle of the holiday beer ball that helped put our little brewery on the map. In your hands is the Director’s Cut. Tart Balaton cherries – loads of them – make all the difference. Bottle-conditioned and flush with notes of cinnamon and clove, this beer begs to be shared. Take a bottle home, gather your friends, and cherish the cherries.
Sign up to add a tick or review
7/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Cherry and raspberry. Some florals. Hazy maroon pour with ok head. Light tart finish. Not really a wonderful quad. Bottle.
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Dec 2022
at 21:33
7.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
375mL, undated bottle from the shelf drunk 7/1/22. Ruby-burgundy-violet. Clear, small, pinkish-tinged head of low retention. Juicy cherry and caramel with vanilla, light spice and a hint of oxidation. Sweet cherry pie, almost mincemeat-like with apple, raisin and prune. No alcohol, surprisingly. Rich cherry announces itself immediately, as light caramel and honey balance quickly with strong pepper, black cherry, juicy cherry flesh and light, but not sharp alcohol join in. Almost syrupy, but in a good way, surprisingly. Lip smacking cherry acids on the finish. Yeah, they loaded this thing up with these Balatons and it shows. Really, really nice cherry character and a shockingly well-attenuated, not obnoxiously boozey beer to boot.
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Jul 2022
at 23:27
5.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 4
Texture 4
Overall 4.5
This is a rerate, last time I tasted this it was 2017 and I didn't like it. This bottle is much better. First it has a very nice rouge look about it. It also has a sherry like quality that I kind of like, its like an aged impy stout with the feel of fine sherry. Yes, nice, almost tart. Much better than the original grand cru I had years agos, that stuff was very uncivilized. Big thanks to my daughter for giving me a sample of this and telling me to try it again, thanks!
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Nov 2021
at 00:58
6.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Dark brown with a huge foamy tan head. Strong tart cherry, toasty malt, faint cinnamon and cola. The cherry turns to cough syrup in the long finish. Moderately full bodied
Tried
on 31 May 2021
at 18:05
7.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
2018 bottle. This brew is a dark mahogany-brown color with a medium light beige head that diminishes gradually to a film. Patches of lace. The aroma consists of dark fruit, spice, yeast and malt. Full-bodied with flavors of ripe cherry, earthy yeast, spice and caramel malt. The finish is fruity with a tart cherry and yeast aftertaste. Pretty good overall.
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 May 2020
at 15:15
7/10
Clear red bod sml off wht head. Sweet candi fruity arma. Candi fruity flav. Med bod mod high carb. 8/3/7/4/15 3.7
Tried
from Draft
on 25 Jan 2020
at 15:14
7.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
4-16-19
Tried
on 17 Apr 2019
at 02:05
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
750 ml corked and crowned bottle. 2017 vintage. Reddish brown color. Tart cherry aroma. Tangy sour cherry malt flavor. Yeasty Belgian character yields to boozy warming nuances. This is Mad Elf's more refined European cousin. Rather amazing.
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Dec 2018
at 05:14
7.1/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
750 bottle. Real fruity and tart beer. As the original way lighter than it should be and surprisingly punchy. Actually, a lot like the regular.
Tried
from Bottle
on 23 Feb 2018
at 05:08
8.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Deep purple/red with a tall off-white head. Cherry, berry, dark brown sugar, tart cherry, honey, and some lingering cinnamon spice. Medium to thin body. Finish has booze heat, tart cherry, and some spice. Lovely.
Tried
on 09 Feb 2018
at 02:00