Back Road Autumn Ale 2005 (Baltic Porter)

Formerly brewed at Back Road Brewery
Style: Baltic Porter
LaPorte, Indiana USA

Generous beige head, fully lacing, covers the deep brown and not quite opaque body. High alcohol and fruits make for most of the aroma which is thus solvanty while juicy (cherries, synthetic cookies). In mouth, the high alcohols are even more dominant, bringing plasticy extremes and a yeasty dominance. Low roastiness and sticky rubbery finish also detracts from the enjoyment. Flawed.

Faint aroma offers suggestions of grapes and berries with a candy-like sweetness that overshadows the barely perceptible dark malt character. Opaque dark brown coloured body is topped by a low, fine bubbled, tan-brown head that lasts well and laces the glass. Fairly sweet chocolatey flavour up front gives way to fairly notable alcohol before a very bitter, burnt finish. I picked up occasional notes of plastic and solvent that were offputting. Medium-light body is quite dry with moderate carbonation. Bottle sampled with MartinT, muzzlehatch and Rastacouere.

Pour is dark dark brown/almost black, with a huge dense tan head...smell is faint, yeasty with hints of toasted malts and cocoa...some earth fruits too...taste is sweet with earth fruits and chocolate...very yeasty...no discernable alcohol at all...

12 oz bottle consumed in the generous company of tiggmtl, MartinT and Rastacouere. A lasting tan head tops an opaque, jet body....the nose is somewhat faint but contains (typical) quality: dark roasty, slightly burnt malts; aged raisins and light fresh grapes....in the body, moderately sweet, lightly roasty with some peppery alcohol towards the finish which becomes quite bitter, roasty and burnt. Drinkable, but not really something I’ll remember.

Any first impressions?
-Generous foam covers the opaque ebony.
-A black grape-like candy aroma quickly overwhelms with its simplicity.
-Roasted malts are balanced with the blackberry, black grape fruitiness, but a phenolic ogre bothers their play.
-The medium carbonation and efficient malt structure make for a pleasant mouthfeel.

What if you dig deeper?
-The phenols and fruitiness evolve into apparent tartness and window cleaner imitations.
-Alcohol is well-hidden.
-The roasted malts lend some bitterness in the back.
-This is a potentially good baltic porter nagged by a medecinal, phenolic component. I don’t know though if it’s a cellaring/aging issue, or just something that doesn’t sit with me.

Bottle.

Very dark brown colour. Smokey, molassesy aroma is rich with malts and dark fruits. Chewy, soft body has quite a bit of molasses, raisin, plum, burnt fruit flavours. Sweet but with just enough hop and alcohol dryness. Smokey, alcoholic finish. Given how little North American brewers undestand this style, it’s good to see such a flavourful and authentic example brewed over here.

Bottle courtesy of BBB63. opaque black with little head, mostly just a ring of bubbles. Aroma has lots of coffee up front with bitter cocoa background. Flavor was all roasted grain with faint coffee and chocolate, some dark fruit towards the finish. Tad thin. Decent just not my cup of tea.

Bottle from BigBadBackroad63. Pours black in color with a decent beige head that fades slowly to a ring. Fair lacing. Aroma is roasted grain, modest chocolate and a pleasant underlaying smokiness. Medium bodied with a lively carbonation. Full roasted flavor with a bit of campfire and a nicely done hop balance towards the finish. Nicely done.