Sunday, February 19, 2012

Ridgeway Brewing Co. – Insanely Bad Elf

First, a shout out to Dennis Wright for bringing me a bottle of Insanely Bad Elf (11.2%) when we had the last beer pairing.  I have seen a few offerings from Ridgeway during the holiday season and they have a number of interesting named varieties – including, Santa’s Butt, Reindeer Droppings, Very Bad Elf, and a number of others.  I have never tried anything from Ridgeway before and there was not much information about the brewery on the net.

English Strong Ale – “Bigger than a Pale Ale yet smaller than a Barleywine the English Strong Ale is a rich and complex beer. Many are unfiltered and bottle conditioned. The color tends to land somewhere between amber and reddish copper. They usually have a bold fruity, estery and malty mix. Hops can vary from mild bitterness to a full blown hop character with a bold hop flavor and aroma. The alcohol can be quite noticeable, a hint of solvent is possible.”  BeerAdvocate


Appearance – Copper with a one-finger head that recedes quickly.
Aroma – Sweetness with some caramel / toffee notes. Some alcohol on the nose too.
Taste – This one is sweet with a sticky / syrupy mouth feel.  There is very little bitterness to balance this beer and from my perspective more hops are needed. 
Overall – B- This is not a bad beer and if you like sweet beers, this would be one to try.

Website description – “A dark flavo(u)r bomb of a beer.  It backs such a punch that it is only available in 330 ml bottles.
Country of origin: England
Brewery: Ridgeway
Beer Style: Winter / Holiday Beer
ABV: 12%
Format: 330 ml Bottles

URL - http://www.sheltonbrothers.com/beers/beerProfile.asp?BeerID=316


No comments:

Post a Comment