Ridgeway Criminally Bad Elf

Brewed by Hepworth
Style: Barley Wine
Horsham, England

Great aroma, very sweet and drinkable. Pours a nice amber color. As previously noted, relatively sweet, with a nice malty flavor. Not as deep and heavy a barleywine flavor as I’m used to, but especially a good summer beer for those (like myself) who don’t tend to like lighter beers.

16.9 oz bottle-Medium amber body with a small ring for a head and an aroma of malt and alcohol. Taste of sugary malt followed by more sweetness and a slight bit of alcohol on the back end. For the ABV it hides itself rather well. I enjoy this beer as well as Very Bad Elf. A little sweeter than most Barley Wines but definitely enjoyable.

Pours a three finger off-white head that fades to a thin layer leaving a good lace. Nice clear amber color. Light-medium carbonation and medium bodied. Faint malty nose. Flavor sweet, some tartness keeps the sweetness down, high ABV stays hidden. $7.60 for a 500ml bottle from Tully’s Beer & Wine Wells, ME.

I can’t believe the low rating on this one. Maybe it’s beecause it’s actually a drinkable barly wine {my first}. I guess it doesn’t hold true to the style. Super sweet, makes your lips sticky. In my opinion it would make a great dessert beer. Lots of orangy ond citrus aromas and flavors. Near the end of the bottle it became almost undrinkable because of the sweetness. I’d surely order this again, but share it next time.

Poured a nice mohagany hue with barley any head. A nice sweetly hopped aroma with notes of orange. Flavor was mildly sweet with traces fruits. Alcohol was present. Rather medicore.

Bottle: Transcluent amber, fairly heavy on the orange, moderate frothy off-white head, spotty lacing, very light carbonation.   Sweet malt nose, somewhat syrupy, yet also somewhat light.   Strong malt base, pale malts, sweet and on the heavier side, also biscuity.   Yep, its a bit syrupy, chewy too.   Noticeable alcohol, yet its well managed for 10.5%.   Deceptively easy to drink for a high ABV beer.   Rather simple, pretty much all malt, fairly sweet and syrupy.   Rich body, thick mouthfeel.   Fairly clean finish, although it does have the aftertaste of an icicle taken off an old gutter.   In other words, the water.   Decent brew.   Worth seeking out for the Holidays!

Medium copper pour with 1-finger off-white head. Aroma of caramel malt, tannins, slight fruit. Tastes caramel malty, with some tannic fruits, and heavy heat as it warms. In fact, the heat and lack of balance in this caused me to drain pour the last few ounces. The first 6-8 ounces weren’t horrible, maybe a 2.7 or so, but the last dregs were impossible to finish. I dare say this is by far the worst barleywine I have ever had.

50cl bottle. Poured a clear translucent medium orange with a dusting and a very loose ring of white bubbles. The aroma picked up an interesting assortment of lighter fruits (pears, sliced pineapple, and starfruit come to mind) along with peppery alcohol and some grassy notes. The flavor department was criminally sweet, with a mess of toffee, caramel, the aforementioned fruits, and plenty of alcoholly sugars... metallic and medicinal notes stuck to the underside of the edges of the tongue... the fruits return for some decent flavor at the finish... moderate grassy bitterness. Sharp, too sweet, and unbalanced on the palate.. medium-bodied with a watery intro. This wasn’t a criminally bad beer, but it was nowhere near a good one.