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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6.6/10
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Appearance 7
Aroma 6.5
Flavor 6.5
Texture 7
Overall 6.5
Clear pale amber colour, tall frothy off-white head, good retention and lacing. Aroma toasted malts, caramel, yeast, spicy notes. Taste light heavy sweet and medium bitter, malty, toffee, spices and herbs. Sweetbitter aftertaste, malty, alcohol, herbal notes, very dry on the finish, medium body, oily texture, soft carbonation, decent strong ale.
Tried
from Bottle
on 02 Mar 2017
at 13:02
7/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8
Sampled on draft at Vintage Estate this beer poured an orange-caramel color with a large creamy off white head that left good lacing. The aroma was sweet and tangy with sugar and mixed fruit jelly. The flavor was mixed fruit jelly, sugar and a bit of yeast. Medium length finish. Medium body. Pretty tasty.
Tried
from Draft
on 27 Feb 2017
at 20:52
7/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
500 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 9/10/2011. Pours slightly hazy/cloudy deep orange/copper color with a 1 finger dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass. Aromas of caramel, toffee, brown sugar, toasted biscuit, light nuttiness, plum, pear, herbal, floral, light pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/bready malt, fruity yeast, and earthy hop notes; with solid strength. Taste of caramel, toffee, brown sugar, toasted biscuit, light nuttiness, plum, pear, apple, herbal, floral, light pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate herbal/spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, toffee, brown sugar, toasted biscuit, light nuttiness, light fruits, and herbal/yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Good complexity, balance, and solid robustness of dark/bready malt, fruity yeast, and earthy hop flavors; with a good malt/bitterness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light-medium carbonation and medium bodied; with a very smooth and lightly creamy/silky/buttery mouthfeel that is okay. Feels too thin for an English ale of this ABV. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is a solid English strong ale style. All around good complexity, balance, and solid robustness of dark/bready malt, fruity yeast, and earthy hop flavors; and very smooth and easy to drink for the ABV. A pleasantly enjoyable offering.
Tried
from Bottle
on 13 Sep 2015
at 19:59
6.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Bottle from Booths, Media City. Golden-amber with a very thin head. It’s clearly strong tasting, but it’s not a strength that feels overbearing and there’s quite a tasty fruitiness to be had from drinking this seasonal ale. There’s fruit in its aroma too.
Tried
from Bottle
on 15 Jan 2015
at 16:00