Back Road Christmas Ale 2007

Formerly brewed at Back Road Brewery
Style: American Dark Lager
LaPorte, Indiana USA

Thanks Mike. The aroma smells exactly like summer sausage. Very meaty cured malts. Poured to a dark brown/black body with a very thin head. The flavor is charred black malts, rich chocolate, dry. The palate is dry. The aroma changed later through the glass to become more of a dry black patent and little smoke. Summer sausage is nearly gone.

Opaque and inky brown in color with grey galaxy swirls serving as the head. Oxidized dates, black currant, prunes and concord grapes (administered with black licorice sticks) join a semblance of scorched blueberries for the nose. Flavor delves deeply with espresso and mocha brownies. Fudge chews treat with chocolate capsule caramels for a smooth, alluring sentiment. Wholesome chocolate wafer succession follows through to the finish, along with creamy chocolate milk flavors and a rich, smooth chocolate allure. Thanks, Mike!

Bottle shared by BBB63. Deep brown body with garnet tones, medium tight tan head. Aroma of roasted malts, with some sweet, almost syrupy notes, including the Hershey’s syrup chocolate or Grape Dimetapp notes I pick up in a number of their beers, although not as strong here as in others. Roasted malt body, bitter, with a charred astringency. Tangy chocolate and medicinal grape. There’s a lot going on here, perhaps too much.

Sampled during Cheesehead YeHA in Brookfield, Wisconsin and shared by BBB63. Pours an opaque dark reddish brown brew with a with a thick tan head that quickly dissipates to a fine film and thin tan ring, with some spotty lacing. Aroma of dark roasted malt, some dark pitted fruit, black licorice and a touch of molasses. Taste is full bodied, lightly carbonated with flavors of dark roasted black malt, some black licorice, coffee, chocolate and a touch of herbs. Finish is semi-sweet, some flowery hop character and a dark roasted malt aftertaste. Nice Christmas spiced finish was enjoyable too.

12 oz. bottle from tjthresh, enjoyed Christmas Eve day. Pour is deep brown with only slightest ruby highlights. Nice deep tan head with really pretty layering. Aroma of roasted malt and a slight metallic presence. Taste is predominantly the roasted malt, though this is really more aof a roast flavor than a coffee flavor. Some bright hop bitterness towards the finish. Dried fruitiness (dates) in there as well. Nice beer, thanks Tom!

Definitely at the top of its style. Some salt. moderately sweet malt, nutmeg and spice. Black, and low carbonation.

Thank you to Skyview for sharing this one. Black color with no head. Nice aroma of molasses. Dry malt taste. A little chalky and some salt. Not bad at all.

Bottle courtesy of tjthresh. Pours almost black with a dense, dark tan, creamy head that diminishes slowly to a thin skin, leaving behind patchy lace. The nose is of dark roasted malt, plum, light chocolate, and faint notes of licorice and alcohol. Full-bodied and creamy, with soft carbonation, the palate finishes with a roasted and lightly bitter finish. The flavor is a big roasted dark malt front with notes of plums, licorice, coffee and light chocolate transitioning to a lightly hoppy, lingering bitter finish. Big, roasty and fruity, this is by far the biggest, fullest lager that I’ve ever sampled. Quite unique and a joy to consume it’s like a "suicide" blend of flavors that I associate with several different styles, from barley wines to doppel bocks to impy stouts. I was truly impressed with this one. Thanks again for bringing this one back for me, Tom!