Day 15 of the Advent-ure Calendar

Day 15: Dark Horse Brewing Co. 4 Elf Winter Warmer Ale

I think we get nearly the entire Dark Horse portfolio in Ohio, as is the case with many Michigan breweries. I know we’ve had a couple, but none of them have really stuck out up to this  point.  And me being a visual personal, I honestly am not a huge fan of their label so I’ve stayed away from their beers for the most part.  But, that’s what makes this fun: we’re trying some beers we normaly wouldn’t!  From the website “spicy aromas like cinnamon and clove give this dark brown winter warmer a proper holiday welcome.”  Sounds Christmas-y.

REFLECTIONS

Beard & Broad
Beard: This beer’s interesting. Smells pretty awesome, like gingerbread and a hint of chocolate. But, it tastes like stale gingerbread, like the spices they used weren’t quite fresh. I think the hint of chocolate malt in here saves it a bit though. I’m not too turned off by this, but I’m not a huge fan either. It’s the kind of beer I’d finish in a bar, and I’m glad I tried it, but would not order another.

Broad: I was anxious to try this because from the description, it sounds like what I want my holiday beer to taste like. But in the end, I must say I’m not a fan. At first, it smells like Christmas which was a delight. I taste chocolate, clove, cinnamon and toffee but ultimately it’s too sweet and malty for my liking. 

Adam & Alex
Adam: This one reminds me of getting home to my moms when she was baking cookies. I smell toffee and chocolate. Tastes like a lot of spices. Ginger first then cinnamon and nutmeg. Couldn’t drink a lot but it does taste like Christmas.

Alex: This one smells better to me than it tastes. It definitely smells sweet, but it tastes much more bitter than I expected.

Mez & Sam
Mez: (waiting for review)

Sam: I really liked it. Besides the Great Lakes Christmas ale this was the first beer that actually tasted like a holiday beer. It was a tad bitter than I like but I loved the spices in it.