Mad Elf Grand Cru: what it is and where to look

Mad Elf Grand Cru is a strong, special-edition take on the Tröegs holiday ale Mad Elf, which is brewed with cherries, honey and Belgian-style yeast. CBC Liquors in Westford does not have it listed on the site, so call the shop and ask before you drive over, and in the meantime browse our Belgian Style Beer shelf for beers in the same spirit.

What is Mad Elf Grand Cru?

Mad Elf is a winter seasonal from Tröegs, a brewery in Hershey, Pennsylvania. It is known for cherries and honey, a Belgian-style yeast character, and a high alcohol content for a beer. Grand Cru is a name brewers borrow from Belgium and France to mark a top-tier or special version of a beer, so Mad Elf Grand Cru is the brewery's more elevated take on the original.

Because it is a limited release, it does not sit on shelves all year. It tends to show up around the holiday season and then disappears, which is why people start hunting for it.

If you want the exact details of a given release, such as alcohol strength or how it was aged, check the label on the bottle or the brewery's own notes, since limited editions change from one release to the next.

Does CBC Liquors have it?

We are not going to tell you we have a bottle on the shelf when we cannot say that for certain. Limited and seasonal beers come and go quickly, and the only reliable answer is a quick check with the shop.

Call CBC Liquors at 142 Littleton Rd in Westford, or ask at the counter, and someone can tell you whether Mad Elf Grand Cru is something we can get. Our hours are Monday to Thursday 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM, Friday and Saturday 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and Sunday 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

It helps to ask early in the season. Rare bottles are easier to find before the holidays than after.

Which Belgian-style beers can you look at in the meantime?

Mad Elf borrows a lot from Belgian brewing: spiced and fruity yeast character, a warming strength and a smooth, rounded finish. So the Belgian Style Beer shelf is the natural place to look if you cannot track the bottle down.

Six beers from that category are worth a look. CHIMAY Grande Reserve is a dark, rich Trappist ale. Rochefort 10 is another Trappist beer, strong and dense with dark fruit. If you like a golden, spicy strong ale, try ST FEUILLIEN Tripel or ST BERNARDUS Tripel.

For something closer to the cherry side of Mad Elf, Brasserie D'Achouffe Cherry Chouffe is a cherry Belgian beer. And Unibroue LA FIN DU MONDE is a strong golden ale in the Belgian tradition from a Quebec brewery.

If you like the cherry and honey side of Mad Elf

The appeal of Mad Elf is the mix of fruit sweetness and yeast spice rather than any one flavor. If that is what you are after, the Fruit Beer category is worth browsing for beers made with real fruit.

Cherry in beer can taste very different from one bottle to the next. Some are tart and dry, and others are sweeter and closer to dessert. Reading the label and asking us which way a beer leans saves you from guessing.

Honey adds a soft sweetness and can make a strong beer taste rounder. You do not need honey on the label to get a similar feel, since many Belgian strong ales get that smoothness from the yeast and the sugars used in brewing.

Why do people hunt for seasonal and limited beers?

Seasonal releases are brewed in limited batches and sold for a short window. Once the brewery's run is gone, it is gone until next year, if the beer returns at all.

That makes the timing matter more than the shop you walk into. If a beer is only out for a few weeks, checking early beats waiting for a free weekend.

Browse the Seasonal beer category to see what is on the shelf now. Strong holiday beers also keep well in a cool, dark spot for a while, so people often buy an extra to open later, though how long a given beer improves depends on the beer.

What else can you ask us about for hard-to-find bottles?

If you are looking for something rare, say so. Tell us the exact name and release you want, and we can tell you what we are able to do.

We also have an Allocated Items page for bottles that come in limited quantities, and a Kegs page for keg and special order requests. These are worth a look if you are chasing something scarce.

We offer pickup, delivery and shipping as well as walking in, so if we can get a beer you are after, you have options for how to get it. Delivery hours are Monday to Thursday 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM, Friday and Saturday 10:00 AM to 9:30 PM, and Sunday 10:00 AM to 7:30 PM.

How should you serve a strong Belgian-style beer?

Strong Belgian-style beers are better a little warmer than a pale lager. Pull them from the fridge ten or fifteen minutes before pouring, and the fruit and spice come through more clearly.

Use a tulip glass or a wine glass if you have one, which holds the aroma. Pour slowly and leave the yeast in the bottle if the label suggests it, or swirl it in if you want a hazier, fuller pour.

These beers are high in alcohol, so they are meant to be sipped over an evening and shared. They go well with roast poultry, cured meats and rich desserts, and a small pour is plenty for most people. You must be 21 or older to buy from us.