Beer of the Weekend #306: Very Bad Elf
After a two night hiatus I am continuing my reviews of holiday/winter brews. Tonight’s beer is Very Bad Elf, brewed by Ridgeway Brewing of South Stoke, England.
Serving type: 500 ml bottle. There is a cryptic code printed on the label, but no clear freshness date.
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is a clean and clear light copper with honey tones. Two fingers of eggshell-colored head dissipated slowly to leave a beautiful sudsy cap, thin lacing, and a lot of foam stuck to the side of the glass.
Smell: Very British and enticing. Sweet caramel forms a strong backbone from which toffee and earthy hop branch. There is also a touch of cocoa, dark fruit, and booze.
Taste: It has a nice spice/hop edge to it, which I suppose is due to the namesake. The bite is a blend of grapefruit citrus and holiday pine, and, for the most part, it outshines the malts: caramel and toffee.
Drinkability: I like this. I like this a lot. The cashier at the store said she liked it, too, so it is not very bad after all.
Fun facts about VBE:
-Style: BA pegs it as English Pale Ale.
-Price: $5.40/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 7.5 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends curried and Indian cuisine, nutty cheeses (Asiago, Colby Parmesan), sharp cheeses (Blue, Cheddar), and shellfish.
-Reminiscent of Bad Elf, here is some brewer signed nerdiness from the label:
-As I mentioned in Drinkability, the cashier said she liked Very Bad Elf. She also said a ton of other stuff. She yakked my ear off, and even apologized for it as I stood there awkwardly, waiting for her to tell me the total. She was very energetic and sociable and I was being The Quiet Man: observant, listening, and unsure what to say other than “Yeah.”
-Also, tonight I noticed BA ditched the A-F grading system. Odd.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
Serving type: 500 ml bottle. There is a cryptic code printed on the label, but no clear freshness date.
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is a clean and clear light copper with honey tones. Two fingers of eggshell-colored head dissipated slowly to leave a beautiful sudsy cap, thin lacing, and a lot of foam stuck to the side of the glass.
Smell: Very British and enticing. Sweet caramel forms a strong backbone from which toffee and earthy hop branch. There is also a touch of cocoa, dark fruit, and booze.
Taste: It has a nice spice/hop edge to it, which I suppose is due to the namesake. The bite is a blend of grapefruit citrus and holiday pine, and, for the most part, it outshines the malts: caramel and toffee.
Drinkability: I like this. I like this a lot. The cashier at the store said she liked it, too, so it is not very bad after all.
Fun facts about VBE:
-Style: BA pegs it as English Pale Ale.
-Price: $5.40/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 7.5 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends curried and Indian cuisine, nutty cheeses (Asiago, Colby Parmesan), sharp cheeses (Blue, Cheddar), and shellfish.
-Reminiscent of Bad Elf, here is some brewer signed nerdiness from the label:
“Is it just my imagination,” queried old Santa, surveying the scene, “or is my Elf only getting worse and worse every year? What’s next? Seriously Bad Elf, I’ll wager. Mark my words.” [Tune in tomorrow night, too.]
This Very Bad Elf is one fine ale — rich, hardy, and flavorful, brewed to an original 1795 Thames Valley recipe, with a very special pale amber malt that is rarely used nowadays, and balanced by a modest addition of English Fuggle aroma hops. ‘Ere’s to your elf!
-As I mentioned in Drinkability, the cashier said she liked Very Bad Elf. She also said a ton of other stuff. She yakked my ear off, and even apologized for it as I stood there awkwardly, waiting for her to tell me the total. She was very energetic and sociable and I was being The Quiet Man: observant, listening, and unsure what to say other than “Yeah.”
-Also, tonight I noticed BA ditched the A-F grading system. Odd.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
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