Back Road Christmas Ale 2005

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

This is smoked? Very dark brown. Chocolatey aroma with light herbal, piney notes. The flavour is piney, maybe a hint of ashy yeastiness to it. Sweet and earthy finish. Only a faint hint of smoke and alcohol in the finish, and even then only after it warms a bit. Not ’alf bad.

(12oz bottle) Small tan head atop black body. Aroma is medium sweet, chocolate, smoke, light finish. Taste is moderately sweet, chocolate, some molasses, light smoke. Sweet coffee in the finish. Sticky medium body that complements the flaovrs nicely.

Huge beige head, consisting of perfectly shaped small bubbles tops the opaque black/amethyst glow. A perfect appearance. The smokiness is very soft in the nose, but the brewing art is displayed with fashion, the roastiness is enticing and well cut. Bready, coffee beans softness. Sweet and leathery in mouth, it is not too attenuated which accentuates its richness. Light residual sugars head toward a fruity territory that reminds of dark grapes and blackberries, perhaps prunes as well rather than fatiguing sweetness. Earthy smoke if anything, well balanced. Perfect gentle carbonation, medium bodied. I’m impressed, this beer just did everything right and managed the impossible feat of making me forget its most apparent flaw of trying to be a smoked beer without much smoke character at all. Remarkable porter.

‘05-12oz bottle @Pauls Gathering Thanks JoeMcPhee-pours a bid foamy brown head and dark brown color. Aroma is sweet dark malt, dark fruit. Taste is sweet dark malt-molasses, hint of mild ashiness, dark fruit, earthy hops. Soft carbonation.

Sampled at the Milwaukee YEHa!05 courtesy of BBB63: Pours an opaque black with dark brown edges and a frothy, lightly-lacing tan head. Sweet toasty dark caramel and mild smoke aroma has some light fruit notes. Starts with a pleasant sweet, earthy and smokey caramel maltiness turning more crisp and dry toward a roasted, smooth and drinkable finish. Very well-balanced and drinkable. A very nice smoke beer. Glad to see good things coming from Back Road.

Bottle... A&K’s4thAHBT... This beer totally rocks! I see I wasn’t the only person at Aaron & Kathy’s who was impressed by this one, although no one else seemed blown away... Wow! Totally black ale with a mid-sized, creamy, well-tanned head. Good retention. Milk chocolate, vanilla, coffee grounds, light caramel and smoke rise smoothly from the glass into my nose. The flavor is chocolatey, sweet and nutty. Full-bodied and oily with soft carbonation. Finishes lightly sweet and then dry. World class ale!

Any first impressions?
-A wealthy foam resides atop opaque darkness.
-Dry malt roastiness, dark chocolate, and grapey sweetness form a confident aroma.
-Roasted malt flavor and bitterness, paired with dark chocolate, propose a succulent meal.
-Portly but fragile bubbles offer the best equilibrium between luxury and drinkability.

What if you dig deeper?
-Coffee torrefaction’s fun with the trickling molasses.
-The green hoppiness and roasty bitterness hug amorously.
-Alcohol is ably concealed.
-A great, muscular yet smooth, porter, which doesn’t exhibit its smokiness enough to be called a Smoked Porter, imho. But who cares when it’s that good.

Bottle.

Tosa YeHa ala BBB63. Opaque brown color with a small lid of tan bubbles. Roasted and light smoked malt aromas. Coffee and smoke flavors are all over the place. Thick and somewhat chewy. The malt is somewhat lost in the middle, but does return late in the taste to help return it to a brew. Another coffee brew that a lot seem to enjoy much more than I do. Perhaps I just haven’t grasp this cup of joe as much as others.