Ridgeway Very Bad Elf

Ridgeway Brewing Co.   Oxfordshire, England

Notes:

Christmas/Seasonal Ale

25oz Bottle

7.5% ABV

Appearance:  Poured a fairly transparent golden orange…Some off white head did form at pour, but that thinned quickly…kinda bubbly like a belgian…there is some remaining head though…(4/5)

Smell:  Hard to pick up too much smell when there’s a layer of foam…after though, there is the classic Christmas sale aroma: sweet fruits, cherries, bready malts, pine hops, caramel, some creaminess, cinnamon, spices and a touch of medicine alcohol…what’s expected and certainly better than average…(4.5/5)

Taste:  Malty and sweet…and a bit boozy…the candy flavor is very pleasant, sweet and cinnamony (but not too much cinnamon)…there is a nice amount of hops flavor and bitterness, mild citrus and pine…the malts are paler in flavor which I like and is different from others that I’ve tried…(4/5)

Mouthfeel:  Light to medium body…some carbonation does form, but it’s a bit watery…there is some alcohol heat, it’s sweet, leaves my mouth wanting more and finishes rather crisp…it does leave a malty coating on my tongue, more than I would expect for the watery beginning…(4/5)

Overall:  I like this brew a bunch…the biggest knock is the alcohol heat…it’s high in ABV and I can taste (slash feel) it…not that it’s a bad thing here though, because it plays really well with the sweet malt and candy flavor…I’ve been delving heavily into the Christmas ales lately and I have to say this is one of the best I’ve tried so far…everything is balanced flavorfully…the malts are there, the cinnamon is there, the candy/sweet fruit flavor is there, but the hops are also very apparent and blend and balance really well…I really like the paler malts used here, it gives flavor and fullness without forcing the beer into a darker, more roasted creation…definitely worth picking up and sipping on while watching some MNF...(4/5)

Score:

(4.11/5)