Very Bad Elf
Ridgeway Brewing in South Stoke, Oxfordshire, England 🏴
Strong Ale - English Winter|
Score
6.29
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"Is it just my imagination," queried old Santa, surveying the scene, "or is my Elf only getting worse and worse every year? What's next? Seriously Bad Elf, I'll wager. Mark my words." This Very Bad Elf is one fine ale - rich, hardy and flavourful, brewed to an original 1795 Thames Valley recipe, with a very special pale amber malt that is rarely used nowadays, and balanced by a modest addition of English Fuggle aroma hops. 'Ere's to your elf!
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6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Bottle at Bishops Arms Sundbyberg. Amber with a medium head. Sweet with caramel, malt and some apples. An ok one.
Tried
from Bottle
on 20 Jan 2022
at 16:58
6.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
50 cl bottle poured into a Snifter. Clear amber golden colour with a creamy off-white head. Sweet aroma with caramel malts, fruits, nuts, bread and earthy hoppy notes. Taste is sweet. Medium bodied. Dry finish with fruits, caramel malts and earhty floral notes. Rather dry at the finish. Ok, had not expected such a dryness in the finish.
Tried
from Bottle
on 20 Nov 2020
at 19:54
6.5/10
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Appearance 4
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Tap at FOB, Rimini, Italy. Pours unattractive opaque amber, probably because of being of the end of the keg, with persistent white foam, very fine. Aroma is alcohol, honey, figs, caramel. Body is average, but with quite a carbonation, which results in a mouthful. Taste is a good balance of honey sweet and some decent bitterness. Final is long and warm. Overall, I feel this beer is a little too boozy. It even feels much more alcoholic than it really is.
Tried
from Draft
on 02 Jan 2020
at 16:20
5.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 5
Tried
on 26 Feb 2019
at 01:47
4/10
Tried
on 13 Feb 2019
at 14:27
7.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
50cl bottle at home on 17th Jan 2019, poured into an Abbot Ale glass tankard. Clear copper body, large billowing pillow of bubbles for a head. Rich malty brew with a dry hoppy finish which contrasts the initial sweetness from the malts. Nice!
Tried
from Bottle
on 17 Jan 2019
at 21:25
6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Frothy off white head stayed on a translucent tea coloured body. Heavy malt & demerara aroma. Full bodied, thick & oily over the the tongue with a cloying finish. Malt, tea, spices, brown sugar, spices & dark berry tastes.
Tried
on 26 Dec 2018
at 19:40
5.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 4
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6
Pours a clear dark gold color. Similar taste to an ESB. Better than their Bad Elf. The 7.5 ABV is fairly well hidden.
Tried
on 24 Dec 2018
at 18:18
7/10
Backlog --- Beer merged from original tick of Very Bad Elf (2011) on 13 Sep 2018 at 13:02 - Score: 7. Original review text: Backlog --- Beer merged from original tick of Very Bad Elf (2014) on 13 Sep 2018 at 13:02 - Score: 7. Original review text: Backlog --- Beer merged from original tick of Very Bad Elf (2016) on 13 Sep 2018 at 13:02 - Score: 7. Original review text: Backlog
Tried
on 13 Sep 2018
at 13:02
5.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
Refrigerated 0.5 L brown bottle poured into a cup. Deep golden with small white head. Aroma is malty, medium body, lower carbonation, and little lacing. Taste is malty and some cardboard.
Tried
from Bottle
on 13 Dec 2017
at 19:00