Back Road Christmas Ale 2008

Formerly brewed at Back Road Brewery
Style: Imperial/Strong Porter
LaPorte, Indiana USA

(22oz bottle, thanks BBB63) Small beige head atop red-black body. Aroma is moderately sweet, chocolate, roast/smoke, light coffee. Taste is medium sweet, chocolate, smoke/roast. Low carbonation, medium-full body, smooth.

22oz bottle courtesy of argo0. Very dark brown colored with a beige head. Roasted malt, buttery cracker, coffee, light smoke and fruit aroma. Roasty dark chocolate flavor with a big hit of coffee. Lightly acidic and grainy, dry and slightly alcoholic with a vague spiced quality. Medium bodied with moderate carbonation and a light astringency. There was a lot going on in this, but something about it never really came together for me.

Thanks to Mike for bringing this! Poured near black with a creamy cap of beige head. The aroma picked up sweet black patent malts and chocolate with complementary smoke action.. just decadent, picking up cocoa right on the back. The flavor was just as good with semi-sweet chocolate, caramel, and lighter coffee at the core with moderate roast all around.. charred smoke and coffee bitterness around the edges.. finished with even more chocolate and smoke. Medium-plus bodied with spicy, lingering bitterness intricately intertwined with the rich malts.. great brew!

Bottle ala BBB83. Near black with a small tan ring of bubbles. Meaty, light smoke aromas. Hints of chocolate in the background as well. Pale and toasted malt flavors start and lead to an earthy smoke flavor in the middle. Some oak, dark chocolate and dark fruit lie underneath. Dry finish and a touch of iodine, akin to a single malt scotch. Another brew that would be great to have while grilling/smoking.

22oz bottle from discount liquors south bend.....pours an almost black with dark cola brown edges with a thin wispy light brown head...aroma of chocolate, roasted malt, and smoke....flavors of dark chocolate and loads of ash. still keeps a semi-sweet flavor despite the emphasis on the smoke. thin/medium body with moderate carbonation. some bitter roast in the finish decently made and i am not put off by the smoke as i others have noted.

Snagged up a bomber not knowing what to expect as I had not yet tried anything from this close-in-proximity brewery. Pours black with a mottled brown head...visually appealing! Aroma is smoked in a sweet fashion, but also is full of ash and a slight hint of vanilla. Not my cup of tea, but not horrible either...I didn*t like it at all at first, but it grew on me slightly. Flavor is somewhat tame compared to the aroma. There is a bit of smoke, but nothing like the aroma, and also some roasted malt, vanilla, but an overlying burnt characteristic that kept me from really liking this one. Smooth on the palate...this was not great, but probably something those who truly enjoy smoked beers would savor.

Pours a pitch black with a thin off-white head. Aroma is smoked summer sausage. Taste is chocolate, smoky wood, and some smoked sausage.

22 ounce bottle. Pours pure black with a white head. The aroma is ashy smoke with maybe a little chocolarte but not much. The flavor is pleasant hard wood smoke and a light fudge character. Medium body with light carbonation. Dry ashy finish.