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The Mad Elf
Tröegs Brewing Company
- From:
- Tröegs Brewing Company
- Pennsylvania, United States
- Style:
- Belgian Dark Strong Ale
Ranked #102 - ABV:
- 11%
- Score:
- 87
Ranked #16,517 - Avg:
- 3.88 | pDev: 14.95%
- Reviews:
- 1,383
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Feb 27, 2024
- Added:
- Dec 14, 2002
- Wants:
- 251
- Gots:
- 1,265
Hop Bitterness (IBU's) : 15
Color (SRM) : Ruby Red
Availability: Seasonal, 12 oz. & 3L bottles, 1/2 and 1/6 kegs (contact your local retailer to pre-order)
Malts: Pilsner, Munich, Chocolate
Hops: Saaz, Hallertau
Yeast: Spicy Yeast
Pennsylvania Honey West Coast Cherries
Color (SRM) : Ruby Red
Availability: Seasonal, 12 oz. & 3L bottles, 1/2 and 1/6 kegs (contact your local retailer to pre-order)
Malts: Pilsner, Munich, Chocolate
Hops: Saaz, Hallertau
Yeast: Spicy Yeast
Pennsylvania Honey West Coast Cherries
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by JasonA:
Reviewed by JasonA from Massachusetts
4.22/5 rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.22/5 rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
12oz bottle from Corridor Wine and Spirits in Laurel MD. I picked up quite a few since Ive read such good things about this winter release.
Pours a beautiful clear reddish copper. Tiny head, little lacing, but staying power.
Smell is pretty perfect. Very surprised this small bottle of beer packs such a power boquet. Sweet, malty, fruit. Maybe raisin, cherry. Tough for my amateur nose to tell.
Yummy. Thin, with not much body. Does this beer need to cellar? Dried fruit maybe. Alcohol finish. The alcohol ending is really nice though. No bite really, solid alcohol flavor.
Solid carbonation. Sits nice. No real staying power, but the boquet does stay which is nice.
I voted pretty high on the drinkinability because I think this beers presentation and overall experience makes it very good to drink for a good period of time.
Dec 02, 2006Pours a beautiful clear reddish copper. Tiny head, little lacing, but staying power.
Smell is pretty perfect. Very surprised this small bottle of beer packs such a power boquet. Sweet, malty, fruit. Maybe raisin, cherry. Tough for my amateur nose to tell.
Yummy. Thin, with not much body. Does this beer need to cellar? Dried fruit maybe. Alcohol finish. The alcohol ending is really nice though. No bite really, solid alcohol flavor.
Solid carbonation. Sits nice. No real staying power, but the boquet does stay which is nice.
I voted pretty high on the drinkinability because I think this beers presentation and overall experience makes it very good to drink for a good period of time.
More User Ratings:
Rated by mpk2020 from Illinois
4.25/5 rDev +9.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +9.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Draft at urban tap Pittsburgh
Feb 27, 2024Reviewed by Smuggler8787
3.75/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4
3.75/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4
It’s a great beer when you don’t get flat ones. I bought a case last week (Jan 13 2024) and 8 bottles were pure syrup.
When it’s on, it’s a great beer. When it’s off, it’s like drinking cherry Dimeatap.
Jan 18, 2024When it’s on, it’s a great beer. When it’s off, it’s like drinking cherry Dimeatap.
Reviewed by easyrider1234 from Pennsylvania
3.43/5 rDev -11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
3.43/5 rDev -11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
I picked up a 6 pack of bottles from local supermarket late Dec 2023 and i usually drink a few of these for the holidays. not sure if I got a bad batch or if something has changed but I just couldn't finish one. Maybe its me, maybe it was a bad batch, maybe troegs has changed something but the heavy boozy overly sweet taste just didn't do it for me. I usually can drink anything I buy but had to pour out half and gave away the others. Anyone else notice a change in this years mad elf?
Jan 12, 2024Reviewed by Hayesbro from Pennsylvania
4.18/5 rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.18/5 rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours a clear copper with a light red tint and a brown head that disappears quickly. Aromas of yeast and cherries. Fairly sweet, those cherries come through but not overwhelmingly, some honey and spiciness. A little heat, fairly thick mouthfeel. This is apparently polarizing here but I think it delivers well on what it promises: Big sweet with cherries but not too much
Jan 07, 2024Reviewed by Bitterbill from Wyoming
3.54/5 rDev -8.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.54/5 rDev -8.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Freshest by June 21st 2024. From Beer Drop.
Pours a clear deep amber with a small head of foam, very little lacing.
The smell is Belgian spices, yeast, cherries, more spices.
The taste is yeasty, cloves, cherries both tart and sweet (honey), massive spiciness, heat from the alcohol, big big flavours, not all of them to my liking. Especially the allspice and cloves.
Medium bodied, good carbonation.
I have another can that will be sitting for a while.
Dec 22, 2023Pours a clear deep amber with a small head of foam, very little lacing.
The smell is Belgian spices, yeast, cherries, more spices.
The taste is yeasty, cloves, cherries both tart and sweet (honey), massive spiciness, heat from the alcohol, big big flavours, not all of them to my liking. Especially the allspice and cloves.
Medium bodied, good carbonation.
I have another can that will be sitting for a while.
Reviewed by Cholla from New Jersey
5/5 rDev +28.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
5/5 rDev +28.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
You really get the taste of the cherries and a bit of the alcohol up front. The honey taste is on the back end of it. Not bad. The alcohol flavor does become more prominent as you finish the bottle. Couple of these and you’ll be belting out Christmas carols. I recommend it. Cheers.
Dec 17, 2023Reviewed by Cm55
4.31/5 rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25
4.31/5 rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25
Bottle
L-clear amber to mahogany with minimal head and lacing
S-stone fruit and cherries predominate. There is a slight sharpness that reminded me more of a Flemish red and probably hints at the abv
T-complex flavor profile that includes hints of honey and sweetness that evolve to a pleasantly sharp, malted flavor. Avoids any medicinal component that I sometimes see in cherry beers.
F-outstandingly smooth. Would never guess this was 11abv.
O-pleasant Belgian style with a successful cherry element mixed in. Nice to mix in with other holiday beers, as it diverges from the common cinnamon/nutmeg/etc profile.
Nov 20, 2023L-clear amber to mahogany with minimal head and lacing
S-stone fruit and cherries predominate. There is a slight sharpness that reminded me more of a Flemish red and probably hints at the abv
T-complex flavor profile that includes hints of honey and sweetness that evolve to a pleasantly sharp, malted flavor. Avoids any medicinal component that I sometimes see in cherry beers.
F-outstandingly smooth. Would never guess this was 11abv.
O-pleasant Belgian style with a successful cherry element mixed in. Nice to mix in with other holiday beers, as it diverges from the common cinnamon/nutmeg/etc profile.
Reviewed by jadpsu from Georgia
3.59/5 rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.59/5 rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Gary D dropped a bottle off for me to try and review. A couple of friends bragged on this offering.
LOOK: Pours a very clear mahogany brown with a tan, light brown head that has decent retention wile settling to a bare minimum with a thin coat of side glass lace.
AROMA: Dark cherries and candied sugars and sweet caramel and booze. Never personally like picking up the scent of alcohol in beer.
TASTE: Up front I get some roasty malts and the dark cherries, it's sweetness blends with the malts and while I pick up some the ABV of 11% it is not as prominent as in the aroma. The after taste of dark or candied cherries lingers
FEEL: Warming, feels thick, syrupy.
OVERALL: Not my style, very much a sipper, not a thirst quencher. As one completes the 12 ounce bottle the high ABV is noticed.
Nov 14, 2023LOOK: Pours a very clear mahogany brown with a tan, light brown head that has decent retention wile settling to a bare minimum with a thin coat of side glass lace.
AROMA: Dark cherries and candied sugars and sweet caramel and booze. Never personally like picking up the scent of alcohol in beer.
TASTE: Up front I get some roasty malts and the dark cherries, it's sweetness blends with the malts and while I pick up some the ABV of 11% it is not as prominent as in the aroma. The after taste of dark or candied cherries lingers
FEEL: Warming, feels thick, syrupy.
OVERALL: Not my style, very much a sipper, not a thirst quencher. As one completes the 12 ounce bottle the high ABV is noticed.
The Mad Elf from Tröegs Brewing Company
Beer rating:
87 out of
100 with
4271 ratings
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