Back Road Pecker Head (Red Ale)

Brewed by Back Road Brewery
Style: American Strong Ale
LaPorte, Indiana USA

Serve in Snifter, Trappist glass

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Hmm, who other than Mike could provid this. Clear amby body with orange highlights. Caramel malt aroma. The same caramel malt in the flavor but it’s accompanied by sharp citrus hops and a lesser resinous pine. Simple flavors but the work very well together and they taste fresh.

Bottled as "Red Ale". Poured medium orange with a nice cap of beige head. The aroma picked up vinegar and lactic sourness with maybe a little bit of fruity sweetness beneath.. the sourness was mildly interesting, but I’m almost certain it wasn’t supposed to be like that. The flavor was sour the whole way through as well, with similar character as the nose.. some caramel and toffee sugars joined the fruits at the core.. lactic and fruit skin sourness on the finish. Medium-bodied, sharp, and acidic on the palate.. warmth was held in check.. not good.

12 oz. bottle courtesy of a trade with BBB63. Pours a mostly clear golden brown with a thin off-white head that faded to a film after the first sip and left very little lace. Light pleasant aroma of caramel malt and some light floral hops. The flavor is caramel malt and a bit of brown sugar up front with some fairly flavorless hops bitterness at the finish. An ok beer, although as others have said, I don’t know why they call this a red ale, ’cause it ain’t red!

12oz pink label, no date. Clear orange brown with a small yellow beige head that faded to a thin ring within seconds. Aroma of caramel malts, black tea, and some light earthy hops. Did I get a hint of apricot? Flavor has the same tea and scorched caramel elements. Dry finish with bitterness peaking around a 3. Full syrupy body with low carbonation. Not too bad at all, but not really a ton going on with it. Glad my bottle wasn’t infected.

I think this may be a new beer that should be under a different category, but it’s not on here so I’ll assume this is the same thing. The label on the front is pink and it say’s red ale. Funny the beer isn’t red either, no it’s about the same color of the brown bottle it’s sitting next to. It smells malty with some hints of spicy hops. The bitter taste really caught me off guard given the aroma. I think this is a pretty strong ale, because you can definitely tell the alcohol is there. Overall, i think i got a beer with the wrong label. Seriously, because this isn’t a red ale, and it doesn’t match the description. Kindof weird and not sure how to rate it.

12 oz bottle courtesy of BBB63. Pours a hazy dark orange caramel with a small white head. Aroma of faint malt, candied sugar and caramel. Taste is slightly malty with hints of caramel with a slight detection of dark fruit. Not bad.

12oz bottle, BBB63. Thanks, Mike! Pours a hazy, orange-amber color; light tan head with patchy lacing. Syrupy malts in the aroma: like mildly tart, cherry cough syrup. This definitely has a mild infection to it: medium mouthfeel, with a tart cherry astringency that overwhelms any sort of malty warmth underneath; puckering, and unpleasant. I don’t like rating infected beers, but bottled beers shouldn’t be infected in the first place. Medium, tart cherry and sugar finish.

50th rating for Indiana. Bottle, "Red Ale", rang up at the register as "Pecker Head Red". Not sure about this being an IIPA, though. Rush of sweet hoppy aroma, lychee and very slight grapefruit with more of a generic fruity quality. Red-amber body, clear, with a rocky beige head. Sour start and not much else. Genericlaly fruity. Medium body with a sour end.

12oz, pink labeled bottle with thanks to BBB63. Slightly hazy red with a small head. Aroma is malty and floral with some bananas. More fruit in the taste; pears, cherries and bananas with spicy hops in the back. Seems nicely balanced between sweet and bitter. Medium+ body. I just don’t know what style to call it.

On tap at the brewery. Sort of a dirty read color. Served with no head. Pretty much a mess. Not really hoppy. Not really malty. I guess that means its balanced, but why would an IIPA be balanced? Not really recommended at all..

Sampled at the March 25th Tosa Gathering, courtesy of BBB63: Pours a clear copper orange with a nince, whispy-lacing off-white head. Hoppy, sugary, candy-like aroma with a mild caramel malty presence. Starts semi-sweet and bitter with some earthy hops and a touch of toffee. Nicely hopped and fairly well-balanced IPA, but not imperial enough for me.