It's Christmas! Okay, it's after Christmas. My week didn't go quite as planned but that's fine. I spent more time with my family, which means I had more fun than I'd anticipated.

How was your Christmas? Did Santa bring you what you wanted? Or, was your stocking filled with coal and fish heads?

I'm here at home now after a whirlwind near-week away. My tree's lit and I'm bundled up and snuggled under a blanket. Today's beer marks the end of the holiday season for me. So, with a grateful prayer and a thankful heart let's to it: Tröegs' The Mad Elf Grand Cru.

Tröegs is the creation of brothers John and Chris Trogner. They both found a love of brewing in Colorado and brought it home to Central Pennsylvania with them. They opened their brewery in 1997 and have been brewing (and expanding) since. Here's their "Our Story" page if you want all of the details I skipped over here (there're plenty of them!).

The Mad Elf Grand Cru is a souped up version of The Mad Elf. This 11% ABV bruiser of an ale features adjuncts of Batalon cherries and honey and brims with notes of cinnamon, clove, and brown sugar. Sounds like a perfect way to send the season off for another year.

I find cherry, honey, and brown sugar on Grand Cru's nose. The clove and cinnamon are replaced here with spicy Belgian yeastiness, all banana, caramel, and freshly-baked bread. While there's no indication of the ABV on the bouquet, Purrl seemed to enjoy it well enough--she gave my bottle fifteen whiffs.

This season's been largely hits for her!

There's a certain sourness to the ale's palate that I hadn't fully anticipated. It's a strong cherry tartness. Beyond that, I find the honey, clove, cinnamon, and brown sugar. There's also a bit of plum here and a touch of baking chocolate. The booze is present (it's definitely 11%), hot on my tongue. The finish is cherries, honey, and that rich Belgian yeast.

Grand Cru's mouthfeel has more bite to it than I'd've thought. It's drinks like a hearty ale, but not one of its ABV. It's light and crisp. Quaffable, even. Which is dangerous given the oomph each swig packs.

This is a beer for sitting on the couch and admiring your Christmas tree. Our toddler helped put some ornaments on ours this year. It's as tall as any that we can comfortably fit in our home. I'll be sad to toss it soon, but I'm revelling in its wonder while I can.

Tröeg's The Mad Elf Grand Cru is a feat. It's big but feels compact. It's a beer that I'll need to seek out each holiday season from now on. I'm giving it a 9.5/10. What a Christmas this year's has been!