Hook and Ladder Backdraft Brown Ale

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

Bottle, #394   Dark amber pour with small head. Aroma and flavor of roasted malt and a bit of earthiness. Smooth. Pretty good, not the best brown around.

flavor of brown and cherry. not a bad beer but the brown flavor is a conglomeration of roastiness cocoa and coffee with a cola aspect in malt that togeather make up a decent brown type flavor pattern. fruit gum like sweetness that is genuinly sweet. moderate in palate it is slick and steady. there is not the right amount of hops. not one to dis’ but not my cup o’ tea.

Bottle. Pours a clear mahogany brown with ruby highlights and good sustainable tan head. Carmel malt aroma prevails. Flavor is a little burnt and corny. Medium body with moderate carbonation. Lingering malty bitter finish.

Bottle: Poured a dark brown with a tan head. The aroma was burnt malt. The flavor was burnt nuts and caramel. A little overly sweet. Overall, this was just OK...not worth getting again.

Bottle. Poured a large head that was tan and the body was dark brown w/a little lacing. Faint Roasted malt aroma. Kind of a standard brown, roasted malt & nuts, had some carbonation & a little bit of a smoked flavor to it. It was good. Thanks for the trade JB.

pours deep brown with ruby highlights and a medium off-white head that quickly dissipates. More of a session beer than anything. Muddy flavours that are not a bad combo but just kinda miss the mark.

THOUGHTS: Nothing special. Run of the mill beer. Average or just below average brown ale. Made me unsure whether or not I’d want to try other Hook and Ladder beers. Lots of flavors, but they don’t seem to blend well. A cherry cola flavor and aroma comes out when it is quite warm. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a clear, dark brown with red highlights and an average-sized, off-white head that mostly diminished. The aroma was moderate roasted, burnt, nutty, molasses and caramel malts; very light hops if at all and slight cherry cola when warm. The initial flavor was light to moderately sweet, moderately acidic and lightly bitter; while the finish was moderately sweet, moderate to heavily bitter, and sour with an average to short finish. There was molasses, cherry cola, some metallic bitter roasted malt, and just a touch of bitter, sour, stale coffee. The light to medium body was like watered down syrup with very fizzy carbonation and a light astringent then metallic finish.

Pours a deep brown with a mid-sized off white head. Flavor is earthy with a back of the tongue dryness at the finish. Malt character is prominent and a bit sweet. Milk chocolate comes to mind but in a subtle delivery. Nice session brew and more flavorful than many other browns.