I picked up several different bottles of beer at Trader Joe's the other day and decided to start my beer review with a dark ale. I reached into the fridge and grabbed the 12 ounce Distinctive Dark Ale Black Toad.
A little research found that the brewer labeled on the bottle (Josephs Brau Brewing Company) is a bit of a misnomer. The beer is actually brewed under contract for Trader Joes by Gordon Biersch Brewery in San Diego, CA.
After letting the beer settle for a while on the table I popped the cap off and the retrieved a frosty glass from the freezer. The beer may have been a little bit to old as I could not detect much aroma from the bottle. I poured the beer into the frosty mug and noticed right away it had a deep roasted color with very little head.
I let the beer settle for a bit longer and tried to get a sense of the colors and of what aroma's it had. The ale is described on the label as having a deep chestnut color and nutty flavor.
The ale was indeed had a deep roasted color with little carbonation.
Distinctive dark ale Black Toad After trying to get a sense of the aroma several times, I decided to go with a description of sweet. Being such a dark brew with a description of "deep" I expected some strong aroma, but was presented with a faint sweet smell similar to a light maple syrup.
The taste of the beer was pleasant. The ale had sweet flavors of roasted nuts and no lingering after taste. The beer was smooth and slightly flat with a very good mild taste.
Overall I enjoyed the beer. Being it was a dark ale, I expected some very bold aroma and flavors to go with the bold color, but in the end the brew was sweet and mild.