Elf Juice
Bad Co. Brewing & Distilling

330ml bottle.
L: Russet colour, a light haze, a few bubbles and a very short-lived head.
S: Ginger & cloves.
T: Ginger, clove & cinnamon cordial. Doesn't taste of beer at all.
F: Thin & flat.
O: Watery and unimpressive. Like they added the spices but forgot the hops. Poured most of it away. Dire.

A 330ml can with a BB of Oct 2018. Purchased recently from Morrisons. The label describes it as a spiced winter ale brewed with 6 different malts, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves.

A: Poured into a tulip. Can-conditioned. A dark reddish-brown colour with faint haze and good carbonation. Yields a smallish head of frothy off-white foam that lasts for a moment or so before subsiding and dissipating.

S: Aroma of intense spice with hints of ginger, nutmeg, clove, subtle cinnamon, stewed leaves/twigs, vague caramel malt and slightly fruity ale yeast. The spice seems overdone and it possesses a somewhat 'homebrew' character.

T: Tastes of seriously aromatic spice with notes of clove, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, banana, fruity ale yeast, stewed leaves and mild caramel malt. A harsh quality lurks in the background. Quite sweet, followed by a moderate stewed bitterness upon swallowing.

M: Mouthfeel is smooth and tingly, with soft carbonation and a thin, watery body for the style. Quite astringent; dries the palate. Aftertaste of aromatic spice, fruity yeast, acrid stewed leaves/twigs and caramel malt.

O: Meh - not brilliant. Definitely went overboard with the spice on this one. Lacklustre looks, while the aroma and flavour are heavily spiced and rather harsh. Stewed leaves, vague malt and fruity yeast don't improve things. Subpar body; thin and insubstantial. A chore to drink - give it a miss.

330 ml bottle, Lincoln - Pours dark brown with a medium tanned foamy head. Nice lacing. Medium carbonation. Aroma - ginger, nutmeg, vanilla notes. Taste - spice notes at the front, light ginger, vanilla, medium bitter finish. Too much strong spices added to cut a balance, overwhelms the ale.