Maple 4 Elf
Dark Horse Brewing Company

 

 

12 ounce bottle into a tulip snifter. Bottled 11/12/18, had 2/26/19.

Pours a dark ruby brown, somewhat opaque, with a half inch foamy head and a fair amount of foamy lacing. Aromas of caramel, malt, spices- cloves, ginger and nutmeg for sure, some maple, peppercorns, light chocolate, a little root beer. Flavors of malt, spices- again, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, maple- especially on the finish, caramel, peppercorns, brown sugar. Some earthy/herbal hop bitterness throughout. Mostly smooth, a good medium body, well carbonated.

It’s good and mostly like the original, but hoppier than I remember the original being. The maple shows better in the flavor, but it’s certainly not dominant. The maple does seem to make the spices really pop out. Fun and enjoyable.

Love this beer but it could use more maple.
Also try the Maple Ate Alf version which has a higher alcohol content.

Poured from bottle to nonic pint glass. Deep, dark liquid with oily viscosity. Subtle aromas, mostly warm spices. Flavor is slightly off putting at first: soapy and spicy. As it sits the soap flavor recedes and you can almost but not quite pick out a sweet maple flavor. Mostly, again, the spices come through. Molasses gingerbread. Decent, but not something I need to visit again.

 

 

 

Tastes good but dont taste any maple unfortunately.

 

 

It's spicy & malty & I think I can pick out some cloves in this beer although I'm not sure what spices this beer is brewed with. The 8.7 abv is well hidden. Cheers! B

Hot damn, this was a (spicy) surprise...

I really didn't know what to expect from this winter warmer other than what you would normally expect from the style, but this one was a spicy surprise. Out of the bottle it poured beautifully black with a thick tan head and that head had beautiful thick lacing down the glass. I haven't seen that in some time so it was something to truly wonder and behold. The smell was a mixture of spices, standard stout odors, and even malt. The mouthfeel was slightly creamy with a spicy after 'tang' (as I like to call) it that was surprising and most pleasant as well - most definitely a full-bodied beer. The taste was just as inspired making it the best warmer I've had to date (and I doubt I'll come across one any better any time soon...)

 

 

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 11/12/2018. Pours lightly hazy nearly opaque dark brown color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and rocky khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big caramel, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, cardamom, ginger, peppercorn, and toasted dark/brown bread; with lighter notes of molasses, licorice, chocolate, cocoa, raisin, plum, fig, date, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready/light roasted malts, maple syrup, spices, light-moderate earthy hops, and light fruity yeast notes; with great strength. Taste of big caramel, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, cardamom, ginger, peppercorn, and toasted dark/brown bread; with lighter notes of molasses, licorice, chocolate, cocoa, raisin, plum, fig, date, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate herbal, floral, grassy, roasted bitterness; and peppery spice on the finish. Lingering notes of caramel, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, cardamom, ginger, peppercorn, toasted dark/brown bread, molasses, licorice, dark fruit, chocolate, cocoa, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malts, maple syrup, spices, light-moderate earthy hops, and light fruity yeast flavors; with a great malt/bitter/spiciness balance, and no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering bitter/spiciness. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy/sticky, and lightly chalky mouthfeel that is nice. Minimal warming alcohol for 8.75%. Overall this is a delicious winter warmer. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malts, maple syrup, spices, light-moderate earthy hops, and light fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to drink for the ABV, with the modestly bitter/spicy/drying finish. Not overwhelming on any aspect. Great balance of rich malts, spices, and maple syrup; with balancing earthy hops against sweetness, and light fruity yeast presence. A very enjoyable offering, and well made style example as expected. Did not prefer over the base beer.

 

Can’t say there is a ton of maple on this one, mostly just chewy dark amber malt with a maybe a hint of holiday spice, there is a sweetness at the end but can’t say it is discernibly maple