Brewery: Black Toad Brewing Company (?)
Beer: Black Toad Distinctive Dark Ale
Style: English Brown Ale
ABV: 5.3%
Character: Crystal malts and Fuggle hops
Metal Connection: CATHEDRAL – Funeral of Dreams
Black Toad Brewing Company seems to be another make-believe brewing company. I think all these made up breweries all exist in an alternate universe or something. After digging around the net for some good info on this beer, I see that both Goose Island Brewing Company (Chicago, IL), and Gordon Biersch Brewing Company (San Jose, CA) both brew this beer special for the Trader Joe’s Grocery Store. One good thing about Trader Joe’s that I like is their pricing for their beer. Their beer is available in six packs and single bottles.
Poured into a Porter glass, the beer was a nice dark brown, near black color with a cream-colored foamy thick head, which held pretty well, leaving good lacing down the glass.
The aroma of this beer is strong with roasted malts, and chocolate. There is a of nuttiness as well.
The taste has chocolate, and nut up front, with a subtle coffee note in the background. Reminds me a lot of a Stout instead of a Brown Ale. There is a sweetness that hits you at the end of the drink and lingers a bit.
The body is a light-medium thickness, and it has a very crisp, dry mouthfeel. This beer is an easy drinker for sure.
Overall, I will say that this beer is of good quality for the price Trader Joe’s charges. $1 for a single bottle. Next best thing to Free, if you ask me. This beer could make it back into my fridge one day. I see this beer being a good choice to introduce someone into dark beers.
When I think of the name Black Toad, I immediately thought of the crazy artwork that graces the album covers from the band Cathedral. I can imagine a black toad being thrown in there somewhere. Look them up if you haven’t already seen them before. Here is my favorite song, “Funeral of Dreams” off their 2010 album, The Guessing Game.
Drink up, BeerMetalDude!
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