Hook and Ladder Backdraft Brown Ale

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

Caramel, toast, rich nuttiness. Apparently well made, but too bland for my tastes.

Bottle - Pours a dark/opaque brown in color with a medium off-white head that stuck around. Aroma is fairly strong of caramel and biscuit malts... slightly sweet. Flavor is a nice mix of tasted malts, caramel and brown sugar. Not much for hops. Lingering sweetness. A bit of a metallic aftertaste unfortunately. An OK brown, but nothing that distinctive....

On tap, fall 2008: Pours a transparent dark copper mahogany with a small, off-white head. Mild aroma of toasty caramel malt and nutty character without much hop presence. Body is about average with some semi-sweet maltiness and nutty flavor before a thin, but smooth finish. Pretty drinkable, but could use more assertive character.

Draft at Beer Bourbon and BBQ Festival in Richmond VA on 5-30-09. Dark brown pour. Nose is nutty with toasted malt, caramel, and earthy hops. Taste is sweet malts, spicy and earthy hops flavors, nuts and caramel. Body si medium overall with soft carbonation. Ends nutty and sweet with more earthy hops and caramel.

Cask at Brazen Head. Deep brown beer. Aroma is lightly toasty with a bit of brown malt sweetness. Very light caramel and toasted malt. A light lingering cocoa sweetness. Pretty nice really.

Via Bill, THANKS! Pours a ruddy clear brown with a loose bubbled smallish tan head. The nose is low profile, subdued subtle chocolate, roast and a little toffee. A little nutty to toasty. Light palate, with carbonation derived creaminess. Malt driven beer, with that toasty nuttiness most obvious. A bit of something coppery (hmmm, penny in every pint, eh?). Perceivable floral hops, but subtle. Toffee finish, creamy chocolate after taste. A very refreshing brown, but that metal flavor bugs me!

Sampled from bottle: Pours a semi-translucent dark brown colour. Noticeably nutty with almond, caramel, burnt toast and cinnamon notes. Some noticeable spice in the finish. Also, rich flavours all around which are pleasent. One of the more tolerable brews from H&L.

Presentation: It was poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a pint glass. Appearance: It had a tan head of average size that fades quickly leaving only a little lacing. The body has a dark brown color with some nice ruby red highlights. Smell: The aroma has a big sweet, malty, bready character. Taste/Mouth feel: The base flavor is malty and bready with some hints of darker roasted malt and modest, slightly citrusy hops. The hops add a good balance to the mostly malty character and finish with the beer with a pleasant soft bitterness. Its texture is smooth, slightly slick and medium bodied with light to average carbonation. Notes: Overall nice beer and a standout from the mixed 12-pack.