Ridgeway Very Bad Elf

The Ridgeway Brewing Company is in Oxfordshire, England. They are imported by Shelton Brothers. This strong bitter beer is 7.5% ABV and is based on a recipe from 1795 from the Thames Valley. It uses a rare variety of Fuggles hops from the mid-1800's and a pale amber malt that is rarely used today.

The beer pours a clear copper in color. There is about an inch of thick, creamy, foamy head, off-white in color. The aroma is malty, very light sweet potato, a bit grassy, a bit of red plum jam on toast. The taste is mostly malty, like the aroma, a touch of sweet potato, caramel, with a grassy and moderately bitter finish and just a touch of nuttiness. This is a classic strong English bitter.