Skip to main content

Advent Calendar Window Five and Six

I think at first I was developing a great respect for people who managed these “beer a day” reviews. It certainly is an achievement and one that truly dawns on you when you try it yourself, as I am with this advent calendar. To manage it through illness and hangovers is impressive, but truly these people either don’t work or rarely socialise surely. Because that is the true obstacle. Anyhow, I am saying this as I didn’t drink a festive advent beer yesterday due to not having any time at all and it isn’t something I regret. But, in keeping with the obstacle, I’ll be drinking last night’s beer this evening, hence the combined title.
Some of the windows have more than one beer behind them and yesterday was one of those occasions. As I bought two of Ridgeway Brewery’s Bad Elf range, I grouped them under a single sitting. Ridgeway seem to be an odd brewery, with no website or twitter page and who don't sell themselves on their bottle labels either. I've had a few of their beers before without realising who brewed it.
The Very Bad Elf 7.5% is the first from Window 5. It’s deliciously reminiscent of a Barley Wine. Toffee popcorn and caramac are on the nose. The taste has a lot of sweet, rum soaked dried fruits but a piny quality with a surprising hoppy finish. I saw surprising, as the label speaks of the use of fuggles hops and a 1795 recipe, yet there’s something very modern about this ale. This is a good drink and falls softly into that “winter warmer” category. Certainly a beer for the present weather season, but for the festive season? Since I criticised the excellent Bush Noel for not having a shiny bauble finish, I best not overly praise this particular in search of the perfect Christmas ale. But it’s a beer worth having either way.
Enjoy with: Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, it's not a Christmas film but I only break it out for this season.

Next from Window 5 in the Bad Elf range is the Insanely Bad Elf 11.2%. I might as well say it; this is insane! Flat and amber, it has a great fruit wine quality in the nose, with so much dried cherry and strawberry but then a rich texture hitting you like opening  a jar of mincemeat. And there’s the irony. You could soak fruit in this beer and stuff it in light pastry to make the world’s greatest mince pies. It’s too fruity, it’s (boozy) and it probably would go well with a dollop of brandy butter. In fact, rewrite that, make the butter from this too. Again, there’s comparisons in the sweet maltiness reminiscent of a barley wine and that is fine with me. Yes its strong, but it lets you know so. Showing that you can be reminded of Christmas in a glass without a kettle load of spices. Drink it.
Enjoy with: Driving Home for Christmas by Chris Rea, too good to just be a Christmas song and so soulfully soothing.
Now we come to window 6’s beer in the guise of Mikkeller’s Hoppy Lovin’ Christmas 7.8%. Here Mikkeller have presented an IPA. A typically good Mikkeller IPA. I’m really enjoying it. I’m not even going to give excessive taste notes considering it’s familiarities to others in their range. It’s certainly delicious, crisp, citrusy, hoppy; all you would expect me to say. And yes, the word ‘hoppy’ is in the title so I’m not surprised by its finish, rather just the decision. This feels like a repackaged version of one of their different ranges and we should know by now that is a pet hate of mine. It’s a 4 star beer at the wrong time of year. If you’ve purchased this, put it aside for spring.
Enjoy with: Nas' Black Republican, because it's a great song 12 months a year but has sod all to do with Christmas.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THE STATE OF CASK part 2: The Cask Consumers

In what has become one of the most written about subjects amongst beer communicators for a long while I am going to follow on with my own thoughts about cask beer. Yet these ideas are formulated from potential posts I've been writing the odd paragraph about for around 18 months but never managed to construct into something relevant.  I have much to say on the subject; so much so that rather than making this into one enormous read I've split it into three sections regarding the current trends and effects on cask beer as I see it.  Today I look at the problem with consumer's and the immunity of one Timothy Taylor's Landlord. Part 1 can be read here . On the first Saturday morning of June 2016 I travelled to Stockport Beer Festival with my Aunt Marie and Uncle David; famously more traditional beer drinkers. They enjoy a day out in Stockport as, coming from Dewsbury way, they don’t actually see much beer from my side of the Pennines, incl...
16 comments
Read more

National Winter Ales Festival 2013 - A Reasonable Farewell

Perhaps if this had been three years ago I would really have lamented the loss of the National Winter Ales Festival in Manchester . Not only has it long been held in my home city, but it was also my first ever beer festival, signifying a special place in my heart. That first visit was in 2006 and the event was then held in a co–operative building near Victoria station. At the time, my young ale loving mind was rather gobsmacked by the wondrous multi roomed, multi floored experience as barrels and casks of the good stuff stood waiting for me to try at no more than 90p for a generous half pint. Breweries and beer styles I had never heard of were present. It was also where I had my first taste of rauchbier, an encounter I have never regretted. I paid £3 to enter that day as a non CAMRA member. The organisations members that did travel with me on the occasion entered the festival for free (so they say, I’m inclined to believe they paid at least £1.) “They’re not a money making ...
20 comments
Read more

Beer is Available in Supermarkets

Thanks to @Adam_G_Manning for the photo and everyone else who offered to help on Twitter   This beer blog has become a near eternal snake of content but at least I’m distinctly aware of it. First comes the repeated speeches every time a brewery sells up to a large multinational. Then comes the turn of brouhaha because a supermarket has changed its range of beers. It must be that time of year and I still feel as impassioned to comment.  It was, once again, the major retailer T esco who increased their range two and a half weeks ago - this time with additions including North Brew Co and Magic Rock - for the second time in 6 months. I felt the need to make comment about the bewildering excitement then, just as I did in 2016 with the arrival of Dale's Pale and Pinner . This time there has been further furore, both from people that see the positives and negatives, aided by successful marketing tactics that has led to an awful lot of commentary.  Late to...
1 comment
Read more