The Mad Elf Grand Cru
Tröegs Brewing Company

Missed this beer when it first came out last November, but the other day I happened on a shop that still had a few bottles in stock that were stored in a cool dark place and so I gambled and grabbed one.

The full pour of the deep ruby colored beer, into a Corsondonk goblet, produces a thin, slightly pinkish head that persists but slowly recedes to leave a ring around the glass and a partial covering of foam on the surface of the liquid. Sipping creates a few scattered patches and legs of lacing.

The aromas include some cherry fruitiness, a bit of malt, some Belgian yeast and some light spiciness of clove and cinnamon. There’s also just a bit of earthiness from the hops.

The flavors include the cherries and a bit of tartness as well as some sweetness from the malt and the honey. There’s also some clove, cinnamon and a bit of chocolate. The alcohol is well hidden here so this one could easily sneak up on you.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied and lightly prickly with the finely bubbled carbonation. The finish begins as the sweetness and tartness both begin to recede but the sweetness goes away faster leaving the ending to a dry, slightly tart semi-dry cherry flavor that has traces of clove and cinnamon to complement it.

On the whole I’m enjoying this beer as much as, and maybe a bit more than, the regular Mad Elf. (But it’s hard to be sure without doing a blind side-by-side tasting.) The additional light tartness brought to the beer by the new cherries leads to the Mad Elf sweetness being a bit better balanced and adds a different dimension of complexity to the overall aroma/flavor profile. I’m now thinking of making an effort to see if I can find another bottle to save for next Christmas.

Had this on a few occasions around Christmas time of its release finding it again at a hole in the wall beer store I get to put my review in. A rough pour made for a very sexy looking off white head nice read hue it almost made me forget that it was cherry since the beer is about as dark of a Belgium strong ale as it gets. Smell is a little muted since I first had it three months ago but the bright cherry and boozy elf are what I can mostly pick up. Smell gets better as it warms more inviting with no booze ethanol notes. Much more sour than I remember but not aggressively so like a Flanders Red more like a sweet bing cherry. I suppose the honey really helps with this bringing the body together With the end of the sip being a bit of tannic leather and just a kiss of booze. As a long time drinker of Mad elf I really appreciate what they did here its like a more refined sophisticated elf easy to sip and enjoy and a cherry lovers dream beer. Mouthfeel and body is perfect the 11% never really hits too hard, sharp or syrup like. Silky smooth on the tongue goes down at most medium bodied. Overall I really hope they make this every year since the price is not much more than the mad elf itself and the cork and cage on it is a very nice touch for cracking around the holidays

 

This is a fairly one dimensional BDSA, but enjoyable to my taste nonetheless. A surprising pour delivers a smalll amount of foam when I was expecting something much more akin to a typical Belgian appearance. This beer looks, smells, and tastes like a glass of tart cherry juice with an 11% ABV. I did detect some leather and fig notes beneath the layers of cherry. Body is a tad thinner than expected, but feel and carbonation do match one another nicely. Overall a drinkable cherry bomb that hides it's booziness very well. Extra .25 in appearance for cork and cage.

Poured room temp from a bottle into a chalice glass.
Appearance is ruby/burgundy, crystal clear, little to no head.
Aroma is boozy with hints of sour cherry and faint cinnamon.
Taste is almost mead-like. A soury burst of tart cherry and some sherry notes.
Mouthfeel is medium and dry with decent carbonation.
Overall, this is really quite nice. Not my go-to style but on a cold holiday season night, this is a nice sipper. Enjoyable.

Pours a lovely cherry-hued brown with a finger of cherry-tinted tan head. Good retention and lacing. Honey and distant cherry in the nose. Sour cherry, shoe leather, honey, cinnamon and clove in the taste. Full bodied with tight carbonation. This is a fun one, but lacks the complexity of the better Belgian offerings, IMO.

 

 

 

 

A: opaque; very deep red in color; 1 finger finely pored pink head that receded to a moderate tight collar; no lacing;

S: mild funk;

T: mild funk up front; cherries build through the finish; aftertaste is a balance between funk and cherry;

M: medium bodied; moderate, but somewhat sharp, carbonation; dry finish;

O: my initial impression was that I expected more cherry; after a few sips, I thought the balance was really nice;

 

Cherry aroma, good dark body, decent taste, not so much cinnamon.Good value, and extreme an idea maybe a decade back but just Goldilocks right now. Popular at tastings.

 

 

2020 version.

 

Pours murky, purple red in color with one quarter inch head. Taste is big tart dark cherry, red apple, hay, and barrel. Heavy bodied, high carbonation, slightly tart. Troegs is a brewery I was excited about ten years ago, forgot about, but then re-fell for The Mad Elf. This is the original with amplified cherry. Part sour, part Belgian dark, excellent complex beer. I prefer the original but this is good and a different beer. Good job Troegs.

Appearance - red/crimson body with pink head

Smell - tart cherries

Taste - tart cherry, honey

Mouthfeel - medium bodied, medium carbonation, cherry tartness upfront and tart on the back end

Overall - not as enjoyable as base Mad Elf, this is more tart