4 Elf
Dark Horse Brewing Company

L = Near black body, good 1 inch off-white head, leaving nice lacing. Strangest Christmas Ale ever, visually, seeing as it is almost BLACK, andI have never seen one in other than various brown shades... but hey, I like dark and sweet beers.
S = It smells like someone has just spruced (literally and figuratively) the house for the holidays. Pine, cloves, cinnamon, peppermint... we ready!
T = Mint, earth, forest, malt, sugar, cinnamon. We're in the winter cabin now.
F = A bit sticky, but not unexpected, given the sweetness and the 8.75 ABV. Fine given the beer specs.
O = I'm a fan. I hope to find this every Christmas in Michigan, or every April at a clearance price, like this year. This is a very good brew!

 

Far from my favorite style, but I'll guess that it hit the taste for the brewer's goal. Sweet spices but a bit stronger than what I'd prefer.

 

Poured the promised brown color and sported a tan head which left rings of lacing.
The aroma was cloves- about the only scent that managed to make it through the damage of my nose.
The taste, well, it’s nicely balanced but has a whole lotta flavors going on. Cloves, cinnamon, orange peel, coriander and oh yeah, the malts. Nice bread, toasted forward malts.
It’s not one of my favorites but I can see how others would really enjoy this. Nice Winter Warmer.

 

Poured a nice clear ruby brown. Produced around 3/4" of head that disappeared quickly with next to no lacing.
Smell was - as Dark Horse describes - a spicy aroma. Primarily cinnamon, clove, orange zest, and spicy hops.
The spicy profile applies to taste as well. The hops, clove, cinnamon, and orange are the main players. A bit of brown sugar and toffee as well. Honestly, I'd like a bit more sweet to balance out the spicy hops.
Mouthfeel is medium.
Overall, this is pretty good. It's certainly unique with its spicier profile, and I appreciate that it's neither a spice bomb or overly reliant on ginger. I do wish there was a touch more sweet (honey, malt, brown sugar) to balance it out better.

 

From the 12 oz can in a snifter. This different winter warmer pours a dark
murky brown with a very nice head of khaki foam that settles to a thick ring, thick
clumping layer, and shows off some very nice l;acing. Nose of cinnamon, clove,
orange peel, and spicy / grassy hops amongst some dark brown sugars. Flavors
follow with grassy and spicy hops, clove, orange zest, leather, brwon sugar
touches, caramel, and cinnamon notes. Nice mouth feel; medium body verging
on medium light, medium light soft carbonation, and a herbal bitter hop finish.

Overall, decent, but could use a touch of balance from the hops and spices.

Cheers

Look is dark brown in color. Smell is good. Taste is that of a slightly spicy beer. Contains some malt and hops. The flavors are well balanced- no flavor overtakes another. Feel is nice and smooth.

I’m definitely interested to see what other winter warmers Dark Horse has to offer! I have not tried the rum barrel aged 4 elf yet, but I’m sure after trying this one, it’s excellent. Would recommend this brew for sure.

 

 

 

 

 

Bottled 9/1/16; drank 12/12/16 @ the Yarchives.

Opaque brown/purple appearance.

A mild pour yielded a small khaki head; decent lace.

Caramel, plum, leather, light roast coffee bean & allspice notes in the nose; complex & enticing!

Smooth medium thick mouthfeel.

Caramel, plum & dry leather flavors up front; allspice, milk chocolate & faint booze heat notes on the finish.

A complex, drinkable winter warmer. I'd have another!

Good for what it is. Bourbon bacon and beer

12oz bottle served in a tulip glass. Date 9.25.17 KAR 219.

Appearance: Dark brown with ruby red highlights - looks like sediment came along for the pour, but sank to the bottom of the glass. Thin off-white head with no persistent lacing.

Smell: Lots of spices with cinnamon and ginger dominating. Some underlying caramel and toffee sweetness as well.

Taste: Lots of spices again - cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger. There is some underlying caramel malt, but it's well hidden under all the spices. There is also a bit of herbal/leafy hop flavor at the end - a bit bitter tea like.

Mouthfeel: Nice thickness - quite smooth. Very warming from all the spices. Light carbonation.

Overall / Drinkability: Not sure about this one given the date stamp. The spices held up well, but I'm wondering if this beer didn't age well. Very spice heavy to the point I felt the beer got lost - more caramel malt sweetness to counter the spices I think would have made this a better winter warmer.

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Dogfish Head tulip

L: Dark mahogany brown pour with 2 fingers of fluffy white head. Nice lacing.

S: Sweet dark sugars and spice. Clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Holiday mix.

T/F: Follows the nose... with toasted grains, brown sugar, and all of the above spices. Not obnoxiously spiced which helps, and some hopping to balance out the sweet. Medium bodied.

O: A decent Christmas spiced beer. Not one I'd want a lot of, but a nice change of pace.