Back Road Christmas Ale 2005

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

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!

Sampled at Argo and Kathy’s 2006 Holiday Gathering courtesy of BBB63. Man, the first two beers I’ve sampled from Back Road just flat out rule. Pours black with a light brown head. Aroma of smoke, chocolate and smoke. Flavor has notes of coffee, caramel, spice, vanilla, smoke, roasted malt, wood, chocolate and some pine. Pleasantly sweet with balanced out by roasty and Pac NW hop bitterness . The body is lush, creamy and smooth with subtle carbonation. Just awesome.

huge thanks to BBB63 for sending me this...what an outstanding smoked, arguably the best i have ever had, in the running with stone smoked porter. Pour was a dark brown, not too viscous, with a thick creamy coffee colored head. the smoke and chocolate of the aroma were both equally present, neither overwheling the other. there were some hints of molasses and some earth. a really smooth and even flavor, with the smoke just sitting calmly in the background and complementing the other flavors. aftertaste of chocolate and coffee, again superbly balance...this was just an outstanding beer, wish i had more.

Thanks for the gift Mike! This beer pours to a thick creamy beige head atop a dark black body. Nice lacing. Looks great. The aroma is very strong with mocha and dark chocolates. I get some sweet smoked wood as well. The flavor is a deep chocolate and smooth balanced smoke. Also noticeable are vanilla, coffee, and that rauchbier-ish flavor. This is a great beer. The palate is rich and sweet and chewy and lightly oily. Wow! Well done Back Road!

Bottle at A&K 4th DC tasting - Black with a tan creamy head. Intricate aromas of pure milk chocolate, medium roast coffee, caramel, toffee, and smoke. Dark bittersweet chocolate, vanilla, and coffee flavors envelope the senses with a lush wave of peat smoke that’s textured deep within. Dried citric hop tones pull everything together late for almost perfect balance. Medium bodied, soft carbonation, bittersweet, soft smoked finish. Great stout....without a doubt! Thanks for sharing Mike.

Bottle at Aaron and Kathy’s Holiday/YeHa Party on 12-3-05. Courtesy of BBB63. Opaque blackness. Small tan head. Nose is smoky and roasty with light tobacco, hint of coffee, dark choco notes, and a hint of caramel. Roasted malts, caramel, coffee, vanilla, smoke/ash, spices, molasses, dark chocolate, and some woody notes makes this a perfect beer. Body is full and mildly carbonated with a nice roundness about it. Finishes with more caramel, coffee, roasted malts, light hops, pleasant smokiness, bittersweet chocolate and light vanilla. Very nice stuff! Both Back Road beers were very impressive!

Pours black with a thin tan head. Aroma is roast, sweet malt, chocolate, and some dark fruits. Full and nice aroma. Sweet but not sticky. Flavor is roast, chocolate nibs, sweet chocolate, mild coffee, and a slight gentle smoke. Medium body. Very nice beer.

Rerate #2, The flavors are more smoothly balanced with the smoke addition working wonderfully with the coffee and mocha characteristics. A rarity for Back Road as this beer is getting better better with age.

Rerate #1: now a few weeks later and the smoked character has really integrated itself well within the brew and the coffee twang is a bit more subdued. WOW, a hit at A&K 10th annual Holiday beer party where a few declared it the favorite of the evening and seemed to go over well with us "geeks" the following night during the 4th annual beer tasting.

Sampled prereleased from Chuck: Poured a deep ruddy brown with a nice tan frothy head and good lace for a plastic cup. The aroma has notes of chocolate, coffee, mild smoked meat, prune, and earthiness. The taste starts with a bittersweet mocha and toasty forefront with fruity and smoky undertones. While the smoked character is noticeable, it does not dominate the porter aspects. Finishes with a bitter coffee and light hop note. The feel is thin in body but yet still creamy acorss the palate with just a twinge of alcohol snap. Well done indeed, color me happy for I have been on Chuck for a while to do a smoked beer and he came through an this one. I can’t wait to send many to all my ratebeer buddies.