Back Road Christmas Ale 2007

(Bottle via trade with BBB63, thanks Mike!, cellared for 8 mos. after trade) Pours very, very dark brown, almost pitch black, with about four fingers of brown head. Aroma is surprisingly mild - dark and milk chocolate with some hint of molasses underneath, but kind of had to dig for it. Mouthfeel is great - smooth and big, almost chewy. Nice light weepy rings of lacing. Flavor is reminiscent of both a schwarzbier and Baltic porter but ultimately is doomed by possible infection. Mostly a mild but pleasant chocolate and lighter molasses flavor but marred by a sourish tang that tingles the tongue. Looking past the sour off-note I found a pretty tasty beer notable mostly for its palate and appearance but didn’t get much of the complexity of flavor and aroma that others have observed.

11-Mar-08 (12-oz bottle: Gift from BBB63, received 30-Nov-07, thanks Mike!) As expected from a beer that can humorously be described as an Imperial Schwarzbier Doppelbock Ale, this is a very complex beer, but it’s really all over the map. That could result in a convoluted, disjoint brew, but everything works harmoniously here. Core flavors of dark-roasted malts, coffee and chocolate are enhanced by tart fruits like cherries and red raspberries, molasses, soured fruit, prunes, molasses and winter spices. Chocolate and tart fruit finish strongly and are the last impression. An equally complex nose has a very fruity aroma that balances sweet and sour with molasses, strawberry-banana yogurt, chocolate, cherries. On the palate, it’s full-bodied but not heavy or cloying, and a pleasant tanginess on the tongue compensates for the mild carbonation. Dark brown and opaque except for a glimmer of translucence at the edge, and the light-brown head pours small and dissipates fully within a few minutes. Overall, a really interesting and enjoyable beer that is impossible to drink without contemplating all the nuances.

Poured an opaque brown with an beige head. The aroma is fairly smoky with a sweet roasted malt base and some soy notes. Roasted malt flavor with a sweet start and tart soy base. Mildly dry finish with a medium body.

Heavy vegetable and soy sauce flavors and aroma. Misses the mark completely. Smoked peat shows its face, lightly albeit.Notes of chocolate and some roasted dark malts.

thanks to skyview for sharing. Dark black with no head. Soy and dark malts and molasses on the nose. Soy and faint olives in the dark malt flavor.