Black Toad Distinctive Dark Ale

Brewed by Goose Island Beer Company
Style: Brown Ale
Chicago, Illinois USA

(USA) Courtesy of The_Capt, thanks !Pours a dark brown color with a sm-tan head. Aroma is of chocolate and coffee with a mild roasted malt taste. Average brew but not bad.

Dark brown with red highlights. Huge tan head with lots of lacings. Aroma is mild chocolate with hints of coffee. Taste is mild chocolate, coffee, nutty. Hops are balanced by the other flavors. Decent little dark ale.

bottle shared by The_Captain. Thanks Mark. pours very dark brown with little head. smells faintly of coffee & roasted barley. taste is much the same. thin but non-offensive. alright at best.

Bark brown ale with a tan head. Aroma is molasses and licorice. Flavor is slightly sweet with a nice back drop of hop. Very nice beer.

12 oz. bottle from Trader joe’s in ABQ. Poured into pint glass. Dark brown with small tan head. Dark red when held to light. Nice looking beer. Picked up blackstrap molasses, light coffee, and nutty aromas. Nice coffee and dark berry flavor upfront but no flavor lingers long. I scored medium high on all but palate because I got little aftertaste flavor. A slight hop balance but not much. I wanted to like this more but wish it held my attention after the initial impression.

Best By Date October 2008; Sampled June 2008
A brisk pour into my 25cl tulip glass produces a frothy, initially three-finger thick, lightly brown tinged, tan colored head. The beer is a concentrated brown, approaching black color that shows a brilliantly clear, bright cranberry color when held up to the light. Sweet and fruity smelling up front, but picks up a touch of roasted grain towards the end. Berries, raisins and sweet malt yields to coffee, toasted grain and burnt toast towards the end. This has a decent mix of aromatic notes to it, definitely an enjoyable nose.

Sweet, with a soft creamy heft to it that belies what I assume is a lower / average alcohol beer; certainly not thick or rich, but I was expecting a thin beer for some reason. The sweet malt notes are balanced in the finish by a roast-coffee like note, some burnt grain flavors, and just a touch of roast-grain derived acidity; this last providing a bit of balance more than anything. The sweetness accents fruit flavors of roasted raisins, lightly burnt black-berries and even a touch of fig.

This is an outstanding beer at the often seen price of $4.99 / six-pack. While fairly sweet, the fruitiness adds complexity and it has just enough roast grain character to keep this in balance.

12 oz bottle. Pours a dark brown opaque color with a small khaki head. Nose is grassy, roasted malt, dark fruits all mildly display themselves. Mouthfeel is light and watery. Initial of hazlenuts, roasted malts and cocoa. Mid palate displays some dark fruits. Finishing with minor hop balance that fades quick and dry. Good head retention and spot lacing of the glass. Palate duration is average. For the price can’t beat it.

This beer pours brownish-black body with a large full head. Nutty aromas and roasted almonds are very noticeable. it has a lighter mouthfeel than i anticipated very creamy and smooth.