Back Road Christmas Ale 2004

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

Bottle thanks to BBB63. I see ike has certainly spread the wealth with this one. Near black with a thin lid of small tan bubbles. Acid coffee, dark chocolate, dark currants and unripe berries in the aroma. Thicker and smooth on the tongue. Earthy dark malt sweetness starts the trip that seems to have a thin coat of tar. White pepper and a touch grain are ground aside the path. Mild bit oaf acid thins this one out and also seems to have a touch of oak. The step child to PP Santa’s Little Helper.

Bottled: Brown colourd. Brown dense head. Chocolate, fruit, sweetness in the aroma. Flavour is light hoppy, roasted and has some alcohol notes. Ends on a fruity bitterness with a light alcohol touch on the lips. Nice one: Thanks BBB63 for sending this in my secret santa package.

Dark brown chocolatey pour, brown big bubbled head. Light roasty acidic coffee with unripe blueberries and cherries. Taste has a roasted and tart/acidic burnt fruit feel, with vanilla and chocolate undertones, covered by french roasted coffee and grassy hop bitterness. All the flavors are very subtley blended nicely. A little bit of fresh cut grass in the burp. Thanks to BBB63 for this... sorry for the delay in rating!

A very dark liquid this beer is. The pour looked like it was flat, but the head did rise to a thick brown crown. The head quickly sank. In the mouth it is full, smooth, chewy, and a bit oily. At first, the taste was burnt coffee before the pine then caramel flavors became prominent. I noted the aroma toward the end and it was that of old clothes from a hamper.

Virtually opaque. Impressively rich copper foam quickly recedes to a thin ring. Aroma of ink, lactose, black currants, and liquefied prunes with hints of espresso roast. Compact, silky-soft carbonation. Super oily. Gently phenolic with a noticeably hoppy underbelly. Commanding display of coarse malt notes doused with tar and charcoal. Snappy bite of black licorice and overassertive red grape acidity soon squelch the rich malts. Scantly lactic and much less so than the aroma suggests, but far too acidic as it opens up. Highly acidic char note briefly stings the palate. However, the acidity continues to wreak havoc on the palate. Olives and caramelized raisins protrude in the finish and curtail the unspent roasted grain aspects and scorched malt whispers. The seemingly lactic aroma does add character and complexity, but the flavor suffers due to the fact that the brew quickly loses body and collapses into a sloppy mess of intolerable, rotted fruit acidity only half-way through the glass. Does have potential to be good. An unexpected gift from BBB63. Thanks, friend.

49° 12oz bottle. NB Worthy glass. Black with a nice mocha colored head. Head dissapates quickly. Nice "legs." Coffee aromas with sourish notes. It has a vegetal quality that I finally identified as marinated artichokes. Some sweet & roasty malt notes waft up as well. Taste is a sweet/sour start that turns into a slight bittersweet chocolate/coffee flavor. Some hops in the mix. Sour/tart finish with some roasted malt notes. The mouthfeel is oily and it feels moderately "big" at first, but finishes thin. After tasting the first half, I enjoyed the 2nd half with a grilled Filet Mignon that seasoned with just freshly ground pepper (good stuff from penzeys) and freshly ground salt. The steak brought out the sweetness of the beer and to a smaller extent, the roastiness. Thanks BBB63. It’s nice that he is getting this brew out in the community, it looks like more than half the ratings are from bottles he brought to tastings and/or traded.

dark black pour with no head....chocolate and coffee aroma with a strong smell of sugars...smooth and crisp palate; flavor was that of a wonderful sweet stout...much chocolate and coffee

Thanks to BBB63 for this. I love surprises. I write fondly about them all the time. I thought this one was the same as the Back Road 2003 x-mas ale. My apologies, Mike. Pours obsidian with small tan head (which makes sense due to the high ABV). Aroma of malt, big chocoff and fruit, slight cognac., some licorice, slight phenol. Tastes malty, with some chocoff and fruity esters. Some spice is apparent at the finish, along with a milky lacticity, and a cherry tart hint. A bit like the Bell’s Cherry Stout and Lancaster Milk Stout. Well hidden alcohol, and a dry finish. Nice complexity and balance.