More Holiday Beers - Troegs Mad Elf

This bottle was saved from their 2007 release. It looks like the 2008 Mad Elf is just hitting stores along the Mid-Atlantic. This robust 11% ABV ale brewed with honey and cherries can be classified as a Belgian Strong Dark Ale. It fits that mold pretty nicely. It actually reminded me quite a bit of Scaldis, another high octane Belgian dark.

It pours a reddish-brown color, kinda nice as it hits on that Christmas and/or cherry theme. This is a sweet smelling and sweet tasting beer. The cherries are pretty evident in the aroma after a couple minutes and there's a lot of sugar smell to this. The same kind of sugary smell I'll get in a Leffe Brown or a Scaldis. Belgian yeast earthiness and a sugary sweetness come through in the flavor along with its slick, but not syrup-like texture. It's actually pretty easy to drink overall. It doesn't get too cloying but it comes kinda close. The fruit characteristic give it enough of another dimension to keep it interesting, and drinkable.

I think it qualifies as a good seasonal/holiday brew. 4.2/5