Dark Horse 4 Elf Winter Ale

Brewed by Dark Horse Brewing Company
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Marshall, Michigan USA

Bottle courtesy of dukefan. Heavy brown pour. Wow this has just about every winter scent and spice ever created in its aroma. Seriously, very pretty smell. Potpourri in a glass. Taste has just as much of the spice in it with a dry finish. Aroma is the best thing going here. Open a bottle to sit on the end table at your next Christmas shindig.

Bottle thanks to dukefan. Pours with a brown body with a small tan head. Aroma of spice, juniper, spruce, ginger bread and clove. Taste is gingerbread, some tobacco, a bit of alcohol and a ton of spices. Light carbonation. A more assertive OSA. Very nice.

An excellent winter warmer in August while watching Aaron Rodgers shred up the Buffalo Bills in a preseason game. Ironic that this one is called "4" elf since it was this game that cemented the fact that Rodgers is currently a better QB than the guy who wears number 4 in the twin cities. Anyway, the beer was good. Murky dark brown with a little crud on the bottom and a thin tan head that was gone fast and laced a little. Aroma of nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, malt, toffee and allspice. Taste of clove, nutmeg, toffee, toasted nuts, cinnamon and light alcohol. Creamy mouth feel and a spicy peppery finish that does have some warming effects – odd for a 6.5 percenter. Pretty good stuff.

ogglethorp rules! dark brown pour. small tan head. Christmas cookie/cake in a bottle! Caramel, toffee, raisins, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, coffee cake...damn the flavor is the same! Spices abound. Sweetness but not cloying. I want more. Please.

Despite the intense aroma of nutmeg, cinnamon, clove with lot of ginger, the flavor is actually not overbearing. I think the reason I like this one where most spiced beers don’t work for me is that the sweetness is much more restrained than usual.

(12oz bottle, thanks ryan) Small off-white head atop clear dark brown body. Aroma is medium sweet, allspice, clove, nutmeg, ginger. Taste is moderately sweet, allspice, caramel, nutmeg, clove, some ginger. Medium body, low carbonation.

12oz bottle from heliosphann - thanks, Scott! Nice dark brown pour, lively carbonation. What an aroma on this one! Huge notes of ginger and especially clove. This one smells like Christmas cookie all the way. Nice full body with a prickly carbonation that lets the flavors play nicely. The clove makes it go down well with the Indian food I was eating tonight. As several other raters have suggested, this is strongly similar to Anchor’s OSA, and I found it delicious.

Courtesy of fishingnet. Pours mahogany with thin tan head. The aroma is huge with Christmas cooking goodness emitting all spice, cinnamon, cloves, anise, nutmeg, ginger and mint. Aroma seems to be 100% spice and is like sticking your nose into a spice cabinet. The taste is much the same with overwhelming spiciness from all those noted in the nose. Overall to me this seems to be over spiced. It would be interesting to try in 5 years when the spices have been muted and blended some with age.