Back Road Christmas Ale 2003

Formerly brewed at Back Road Brewery
Style: Imperial Stout
LaPorte, Indiana USA

Thanks to BBB63 for this one. I was extremely impressed with this one. Pours dark brown with a big tan head and a lot of carbonation. Aroma of malt, cabernet, nuts, some hops, and fruit. The taste has hints of roasted malt, a solid chocoff flavor, and some almonds. The palate is great, with a firm, medium body. The finish throws even more chocoff, and I noted some almond/halelnutty/toffee flavors. This one is 1 part brown ale, 3 parts Impy stout, and 4 parts delicious!

Stout #22 of my Stouts of November. On tap at Brewery: Nearly opaque hue with a good frothy light brown head and fair lace. Aroma hinted of burnt malt, molasses, strong coffee, slight mocha, floral and piney hops, vanilla, smoke, and earthy yeast esters. The initial taste was sweet mocha like with a good dose of bitter added in, well balanced and smooth. Finished with a slighty smoky and mildly acidic twang on top of the forementioned flavors. This medium to full-bodied brew had an oily and lively mouthfeel yet was very clean in it's delivery. Very enjoyable and I for one am very glad to see this years XMAS ale being a stout. Thanks to our host for the wonderful tour and tasting of this and their other brews.

Curious. It seems to be a combinatino of a Brown and an American Strong Ale and a Stout. Roasted with an underlying fruit and spice blend, yet it remains subtle. Good balanced palate, carbonation supplemented by acidic zing. Interesting beer. (Sampled at Southern Ratebeer Gathering, Austin, TX, December 6, 2003)

Great black color with a small tan head. The aroma was completely unique to me...mushrooms/fungus, pine, soil, sweet coffee. The flavor was a perfect representation of a forest smell...pine, lots of wood (wet and smoked), fungus, rich soil, rain. It finishes with a nice hops bite...not too strong though. Creamy mouthfeel, wet finish. One of the most interesting stouts I've come across!

At the brewery on tap. The appearance was a small sized tan head that contained fine-large sized bubbles that mostly diminished. The body was uncarbonated, opaque and the hue was black. The nose malty, strong coffee and some hops. The flavor was that of coffee with a smooth mouthfeel and medium-full bodied. There was good lacing with this beer. Thank you to the fine folks at this brewery for their fine hospitality that they showed to our small group.

Aroma: coco, chocolate malts, and a hint of flowers Appearance: thick, dark/chocolate brown Flavor: Interesting, it was both dry, chocolately, and hoppy. Couldn't tell if it was trying to be a dark ale (like a stout or porter) or an ipa. Palate: smooth and slightly dry Overall, think the beer is ok; interesting nonetheless.

It's great to have another 'local' Imperial Stout. This is one of the best Back Road products and I hope they decide to bottle it and keep it going. It is much smaller a stout than, say, FFF or Bells, but is an almost flat, roasty, sticky, and very enjoyably hoppy imperial. Alcohol is just strong enough to provide dryness among the bitter hops at the finish. Malts are roasty, chewy, and chocolatey throughout. Great Xmas treat for Santa. Thanks to BBB63 for yet another good beer. (BBB63 is going to TURN INTO A STOUT by the end of 11/03!!!!!!)

Thanks Big Bad Bear. I like how this does not contain the word "holiday" in its title. Great aroma, balanced, but with big hops and dark malt. The flavor is no surprise after smelling it: again, big, bold hops and dark malt flavor, but wonderfully smooth and balanced. Very good stuff.