Hook and Ladder Backdraft Brown Ale

Brewed by High Falls Brewing Company
Style: Brown Ale
Rochester, New York USA

My bottle (12oz) shared with HogTownHarry & garthicus. Pours a very dark ruby-brown with an average size diminishing off-white head. Mild aroma of caramel malt, slightly toasty, along with a hint of hops and brown sugar. Watery flavour of caramel malt along with traces of chocolate and nuts -- this isn’t very flavourful at all. Light bitter finish. Average bodied. Nothing bad per se but I find it pretty dull.

Bottle purchased at The Fresh Market, Mobile, AL. Pours brown with a small, fizzy, off-white head, somewhat lasting with good lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (bread, cookie, straw), light hops (grass), average yeast (dough) with notes of apple and brown sugar. Medium bodied, sticky texture, lively carbonation, and a chalky finish. Average duration, light sweetness, acidity, and bitterness; nice malt flavor.

Hook and Ladder Backdraft Brown Ale is a nice, deep red-brown ale that’s very clear and dense in appearance. It’s lightly sparkling with a thin, dense, splotchy beige head that leaves nice lacing. A beautiful beer! It has a fresh aroma of chocolate and grapefruit. It has a smooth, medium body with a dry, slightly chalky, finish. It has good balance in flavor. There is a slight touch of sweet caramel and a decent amount of bitterness. I could have more than one of these. What a pleasant surprise!

6 pack. Doesn’t pour as dark as it’s picture on the brewery website. I’m always looking for a good indie beer, and I especially like the Ithaca Nut Brown in this region, so I had high hopes for this one. Kind of disappointing actually. Off white head, and the taste is kind of watery. Got some hoppiness to it, but nothing in the way of body. And I was lead to believe by the label it was local (Rochester NY) when in fact HQ is in MD. Not that that makes a difference, but I’ll take a Dundee any day.

On tap at the Empire Brew Fest in Syracuse. Not all that exciting. It’s a solid beer with some malt but it’s not really anything special and I would not buy again

Blankboys bottle, shared with HogTownHarry and indeed Paul. App: Brown/ruby with a dishwater grey head. Aroma: ’dry’ and somewhat malty. Flavour: Meh, dull, dishwatery (to match the head) with a slight malt finish.

Had the Backdraft Brown as an after shift drink, middle of the road Brown Ale. For the beer geek there’s not much to crow about, average brown ale with light roasted malts and medium bitterness. For a macro drinker Backdraft Brown could be a gateway beer. English style Brown ale is very easy on the palate.

Pours deep brown into a shaker. Fluffy off-white head with good retention leaves spot lacing as it recedes. Slight caramel aromas. Sharp and dry with upfront caramel and a flattening finish.