Hook and Ladder Backdraft Brown Ale

on tap at Ray’s The Classic in Silver Spring. one of the best brown ales I’ve tasted. Nice mix of hops and malts!

12oz brown bottle from Hannaford in Gardiner. Pours dark copper-brown, nearly opaque, with a quarter inch of light tan head. Smells malty, roasty, and somewhat nutty with strong coffee and chocolate notes. Tastes roasty, with dark chocolate and coffee playing big parts with some caramel and hints of nut. On the fuller side of medium-bodied with moderate carbonation. Rather drinkable - one sip most definitely invites another. An excellent brown ale, and one of the best I’ve had.

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!

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.

Dark color, little to no head. Very spicy aroma with faint fruits. Great nose. Complex flavor, I would describe it as a "roller coaster"...flattens out but then comes back and ends with hops. Very consistent. This beer was a pleasure to drink!

Had this with a couple friends during a tasting event. Nose was sweet - clove and spice. A lot of flavors going on - Malt and Fruit (possibly grapefruit undertones), then taste suddenly flats, only to be resurrected as rich hops in the finish. "A roller coaster of flavors". Soo nice

Caramel malt aroma, dark bown color with a medium tan head that thins out after the pour. Caramel/coffee flavor with a rich aftertaste. I think this is a very solid beer.

Good-looking brown ale with some light tan lacing and healthy head. Aromas of caramel, milk chocolate and malt. Hops are gentle up front, soon overwhelmed by the sweet malts. Finish is a little drying, with a full mouthfeel throughout. Smooth for a brown ale. Overall, a very nice brown ale with a solid presence and straightforward concept.