Day Two: Very Bad Elf

"Is it just my imagination," queried old Santa, surveying the scene, "or is my Elf only getting worse and worse every year? What's next? Seriously Bad Elf, I'll wager. Mark my words."

The Very Bad Elf is one fine ale - rich, hearty and flavorful, brewed to an original 1975 Thames Valley recipe, with a very speical pale amber malt that is rarely used nowadays, and balanced by a modest addition of English Fuggle aroma hops. 'Ere's to your elf!

So states the label on Ridgeway Brewing's second in a line of 'Bad Elfs' - the Very Bad Elf. The brewery gets its name from an ancient road that the druids constructed along the plains of southwest England. It's the oldest road in Britain and Europe. Peter Scholey who used to be the master brewer at the now-closed Brakspear brewery, now brews for Ridgeway.

Very Bad Elf is an English Pale Ale that weighs in at a very respectable 7.5% alcohol by volume and comes in a 1 pint, 9 oz bottle. Massachusetts illustrator, Gary Lippincott, drew the artwork on the label.

Pours a clear amber in color with a white head that retreats to a surface covering. Fruity aroma that's matched with the scent of Fuggle hops. Hints of apple skins and roasted malt also on the nose. Soft, medium-bodied mouthfeel. Mild-mannered front has a pleasant malt flavor to it. Things shift quickly in the middle as the hop bitterness emerges. Sour apple, caramel and an underlying roasted malt flavor linger. Finish is slightly metallic and a touch on the dry side. The 7.5% alcohol is masterfully hidden. Although it will catch up to you by the end of your pint. Enjoyable and rather drinkable Christmas offering.