We're counting down to Christmas with 12 beers that resonate with the feel of the holiday. Some beers were nice; some beers were naughty. This is The 12 Beers of Christmas. Enjoy!

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… one seriously bad-elfed beer! Ridgeway Brewing is the king of Christmas-based brews, and their line of various types of naughty elf-themed beers is easily one of the brewery’s most recognizable. But the one we went with for the first day of Christmas? The Seriously Bad Elf.

For such an ill-behaved elf beer, I was expecting a rather vicious color when the beer was poured. However, we were met with a super translucent, golden wheat color that was clearly filtered. But the smell was where this elf started being naughty. A heavy, boozy scent shot out of the glass, with maybe a touch of pear complimenting this 9% ABV, English double ale.

Seriously Bad Elf wasn’t quite as sweet and boozy as a barley wine, but the alcoholic nose was inviting, especially with the cold temperatures outside. The taste wasn’t anything terribly exciting to write home about, but as an English double ale, you got your typical heavy mouthfeel that was quite bitter and carbonated, with the aforementioned alcohol hanging around with the other ingredients. It’s a strong beer, but not a night-ender by any means.

So is this beer a seriously bad elf? Probably not. We’re thinking a name change for this one is in order. Something like Jay-Walking Type Bad Elf. Or Renting a Car When 22 Type Bad Elf. Or even Pirating Some Music Kind of Bad Elf. Seriously bad? No. Tasty, though? No doubt.