Christmas Ale Review Doubleheader!

A couple of days behind, but to make it up it is a Christmas ale doubleheader!

Our two candidates tonight are Our Special Ale 2011 by Anchor Brewing Company and Mad Elf Ale by Tröegs Brewing Company.

The elf has always been
slightly disturbing to me.

The Mad Elf I am reviewing though is slightly different having been aged an additional year. It was originally purchased in a sixer last year at this time. I drank or shared the others, but saved one. Describing Mad Elf to a friend I once called it “Fruitcake in a bottle…but better.” That does fruitcake more justice than it deserves but I think the point still stands. This is a big complex beer with a lot of pieces to it. This bottle has aged well over the last year, becoming rounder, smoother, and the alcohol has better presence, now hovering in the background. Overall it has become better mannered.

As has been the case lately I drank this out of my Hamm’s chalice. It poured with little head and a very nice reddish bronze color. It drank very smoothly with a pleasant aftertaste of honey, a bit of a spice, and just a hint of fruit.

I like this better than the younger version currently in the refrigerator. My gig on the “fresh” stuff is that the alcohol is interruptive. It masks the other ingredients and takes away from the beer. The aged version behaves better and frankly has improved itself.  No matter what version of Mad Elf you find yourself with, be advised that it has a bit of punch coming in at 11% ABV. This year I am saving two bottles, one for next year and one for 2013. I recommend this beer and I always pick up a few sixers every year for the holidays. (Mad Elf is a Book beer and can be found on page 181)

I would marry this beer label
if I could. 

The other selection for the evening couldn’t be more different. It is Our Special Ale 2011 by Anchor Brewing Company also known as “Anchor Christmas Ale.” I bought a sixer of this at my local supermarket just the other day while tracking down selections for reviewing.

This poured nice deep rich brown color, burnt sienna / umber, with a big tan head. The head stayed around for awhile too and the beer laces up the glass as you drink it. I drank this out of a pub glass. The spices are immediately evident on pour and as you bring the glass up to drink. It is a chewy beer and it has a distinct aftertaste that, for me, took awhile to get used to. It is a woody taste that stays with you for a bit.

While dark and laden with spice this was a pleasant change of pace after the Mad Elf and I would drink this during a holiday meal. It comes in at a sessionable 5.5% ABV. It was interesting to find out that Anchor Brewing adjusts the recipe every year on this beer so no two years are the same. (I think that is pretty cool.) Since this is my first year trying it I have no basis of comparison to previous models.

The final line for me on this beer is that I am glad I picked up the sixer, but I won’t get another till next year. If you like dark holiday beers with a big spice kit then you may wish to track this down. (This is also a Book beer and can be found on page 912.)

"Propaganda" on the two selections

Mad Elf

The Mad Elf, a cheerful creation to warm your heart and enlighten your tongue. The combination of Cherries, Honey, and Chocolate Malts delivers gentle fruits and subtle spices. Fermented and aged with a unique yeast, this ruby red beer has significant warming strength that underlies the pleasant character of this intriguing yet delicious Ale. The Mad Elf, a jolly and delicious beer for the Holidays.

Anchor Christmas Ale

Each year since 1975, Anchor Brewing creates a distinctive Christmas Ale, available from early November to mid-January. A rich, dark spiced ale, our secret recipe is different every year—as is the tree on the label—but the intent remains the same: joy and celebration of the newness of life.

It's the most wonderful time of the year...for festive beer!

It’s December and that means the holidays are upon us in full force.  In addition to regular beer reviews, like the excellent brews Jeremy is drinking and recommending, we will also focusing on the Festive beers and ales of the season. Don’t worry about us skipping out on winter warmers though, we have the bitterness of January and February to look forward to try those out. Instead we are focusing on holiday centric brews, whether it is Solstice, Hanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa or Festivus. So enjoy the season with us.

We are going to lead off with Starr Hill Brewery's The Gift Winterbock lager 

I really liked the
label on this beer. 

Once again I drank this out of my Hamm's Chalice, there wasn't much head when poured and what was there dissipated quickly (This is a reoccurring theme with me so don't blame the beer, blame the pourer.) It has a nice cloudy amber look. Malty finish with a hint of alcohol. Very little alcohol taste in general for this beer, I have a feeling that this would easily sneak up on you after a few. It clocks in at 6.5% ABV.  

It drank very smoothly from start to finish, but there isn't a whole lot of body to it. It is labeled as a Winter Bock Lager, in general I expect more from a bock, but you could also interpret this as a hybrid of a bock and a lager. If that is the case then it meets the refreshing nature of a lager with the maltiness of a bock, but I still walk away from this beer thinking something is missing. It can't make up its mind on what it wants to be. 

Starr Hill is one of the breweries that is an old U2 song. (Bad joke, sorry) I want to like their beer because they are a regional Virginia brewery but I have yet to find one that hits all the bells and whistles for me. The Gift is a solid beer and you could show up with it at a holiday gathering and not be looked down on. I would recommend trying it, but I don't see it becoming a perennial favorite for me.  

Here is the "propaganda" from the Brewery.

"A German-style Hellerbock with a few twists, The Gift is Starr Hill’s holiday offering. The beautiful golden color only hints at the fire inside. Made with two-row and Munich malts and balanced with German noble hops, The Gift is the perfect accompaniment to any holiday event or festivity."


Thanks for stopping by! 

Our first attempt at a review...Troegs Troegenator

I like drinking and discovering new beer, but frankly am shit in describing and reviewing it. The below is my first ever attempt to review a beer so bear with me. In typical Skye fashion I jump into the deep end. The good news is Jolly Good Fellows has talented writers that are much better at this sort of thing.

The original plan was to take my own picture 
but I drank away the evidence so here is the
brewery's image

My notes on Troegs Troegenator Double Bock Beer:


This is a BIG beer.  Coming in with 8.2% alcohol, it poured nice brown and had some carbonation, no particles of note. Poured into my Hamm's chalice, it had arrived with minimal head and quickly dissipated.(Not what you seeing in the picture) Definitely more malt forward than originally expected, it drank smooth

While you can taste the alcohol it gives way to a slightly caramel taste with a slightly bitter after taste. The caramel became more noticeable as the double bock warms up.

This is a beer that improves as it warms slightly and continues to reward the drinker through the entire glass. Have a couch ready...this beer will fill you up. The Troegenator lives up to the double bock reputation of liquid bread. After a few you may wish to have a lie down because the potency of the beer will sneak up on you if you aren't careful. 


I like this beer, I always get at least a sixer of it when I see it on the shelves in the autumn. I have found that it has the rewarding character I enjoy out of beer; in other words I don't get bored with it. This year I am going to age the last bottle out one year. I believe it will enhance the character and flavor. 


I recommend this beer to folks who enjoy the bock style and looking for something that has bit more walking through the door. 



Here is the "propaganda" on the Troegenator:

The Troegenator Double Bock, is a dark, strong lager (8.2% abv). It pours into a glass with a bronze to brown color, fluffy white head and bready malt aroma. The Troegenator leaves a rich, warming feeling and subtle spicy flavors. The style, Double Bock, dates back a century or so ago. During periods of fasting without solid foods, the Monastic brewers relied on the double bock; a stronger, richer beer to fulfill their basic nutritional needs. Known to them as "liquid bread," a double bock has a strong malt aroma and chewy rich body. Traditionally these brewers ended the name of their double bock with the suffix "ator", ex. Celabrator, Illuminator, Subliminator... In the spirit of the tradition we give you the Troegenator to provide warmth and richness through the early spring months. A double bock of epic proportions, beware, the Troegenator is deceiving smooth and delicious.

A final note on reviews for this site. Jolly Good Fellows is not a review site. We will review beer we are enjoying but it is not the primary motivation for establishing this place. Reviews are only one piece of the bigger pie. Hopefully at a minimum we will bring you one beer review a week. Thanks again for stopping by!