Flashback Ale - Boulder Beer / Wilderness Pub

PokerGod

Minnesota

3.8/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

Appearance- dark brown, looks thick, decent head and retention

Smell- very nice, doesn't smell like a brown ale, smells much more like an IPA. Very hoppy with a chocolate hint.

Taste- Delicious. I like it very much. Tastes like it's supposed to half IPA, half Brown Ale. Two of my very favorites styles. Hoppy and roasted.

Overall- I would get this again, for sure. I thought it was fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2011 05:36:35 | More by PokerGod

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The pour was not what I was expecting. Deep brown color and nearly opaque save for a few touches of light peaking around the sides of the glass. No head on this, even with a vigorous pour I came no where near getting anything but a token coating of lace across the top, Not really the look I was going for by any stretch, still though I have scene worse. Tons of caramel and hot boozy notes in the aroma. Needs to mellow as the hops are not strong enough to really push through the dark malts they way they should( see stone). Still though warming improves it as hints of brown sugar and molasses start to take shape and come forward. Still though as I take each sip I am looking for more and more. There just seems to be something missing here that could really push it over the top. No matter through we continue on with it. Dark caramel tones and hints of piney hops dominate now and bring a boozy taste right to the front of the palate, again not really exactly what I had in mind, but it will do. Smooth, thick body does come off slightly slick at times but maintains a good level of carbonation to offset it some. Lots of alcohol and this is very evident here for sure.

Overall it was a decent offering I think it needed a little more though to push it over the edge. I have had much worse though it just seemed like it was a tad too big for itself

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2011 02:31:54 | More by mikesgroove

rawfish

California

3.73/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Clearly not your average brown, pours clear with a body the color of red clay with ruby highlights when held up to the light. Sandy colored one finger froth with decent retention and immovable stick on the glass.

Hop forward despite the darker color, pine and deep citrus on the nose, slightly grassy. Darker malts impart a sweetness of caramel and hints of chocolate. Nuances in aroma of woodchips, chewing tobacco and licorice.

Hop forward with citrus and pine, citrus is even a bit bright at times, orange with grapefruit. Malts are a bit sticky and barely enough to push back the hops, caramel with a slight roast and nuttiness. Warming alcohol appears during the drink and the aftertaste features a blast of bitterness at the same time becoming herbal and mineralized, I found this a bit unpleasant.

No residue after the bitter end, drink was smooth. Average body and carbonation.

A pretty good beer, more of a really malt heavy IPA or well bittered red than a standard brown. Hop heads be warned, harsh aftertaste with multiple facets being revealed at once. Comparable to Oskar Blues G'Knight, less sticky and w/o the high ABV..

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2011 07:16:28 | More by rawfish

Nugganooch

California

4.2/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

*Nice little trade extra from mdfb79 and boy did I enjoy this brew.

A: Pours a light and bubbly hazel brown with some amber tendencies. Nice inviting 3 finger thick foam head that was a toasty tan color and cascaded down the glass.

S: Smells of nutty roasted malts that battle with a nice spicey hop aroma and eventually win over. Has a warm caramel and chocolatiness to it even...subtle but there.

T: Taste of deliciousness! I get this nice chocolaty nuttiness that is to be expected with a brown ale which is then blasted with a load of IBU's. Puts a real nice spicey pine resin on it. Citrusy even. A citrusy brown ale? Really...no kidding and it works. Odd I know. I guess in the way that chocolate pairs with orange?

M: Smooth and creamy all the way. I would imagine this beer is even better on cask.

D: Nice light and refreshing body with malt character and a nice hoppy bite. This beer has amazing range.
-What I mean by that, is it can satisfy malt lovers and hop lovers alike. This brew would be great under a hot summer sun and probably even better on a cold eve camping in the woods. Amazingly good. Probably the best Brown Ale I have come accross thus far.
Snoogens!

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2011 22:17:59 | More by Nugganooch

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours out as a light brownish colored ale. It had a decent head on it and gave a good lacing down the glass. The smell was very hopped up, not much else there really. The flavor was very hoppy too, mostly all hops much like a strong ipa. I wasn't really getting too much of the roasted malts. As I sit here I'm still getting piny citrus flavors. I liked the beer for sure. I'd say it worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2011 16:17:49 | More by Knapp85

mooseisloose

Florida

4.1/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A cool labeled BBC brew, let's give it a whirl. Popping the top I get a foam shooting out the top what's up with that I don't know but, onward. This brew has a big black licorice and brown sugar scent with sweet malts. Pours into the perfect pint with a deep burgundy brown colour and a huge mostly small bubble head that laces as it recedes. On the taste this brew tastes like it just came out of the toaster and has a big hop bite, the virtual double whammy. Taste starts both with roasted malts and a bitterness but it quickly transitions to a sweet ale with chaulky biterness around the edges, then finishes with a bitterness in the aftertaste that might go into tomorrow. Mouthfeel is not silky smooth, but not over carbonated, and with everything going on, that silky smoothness is irrelevant. This is a very complex and flavorful selection, ideal to be consumed by the tired, poor and huddled masses. Good job BBC, keep up the good work.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2011 19:34:56 | More by mooseisloose

Gatch

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Deep amber with a slightly bubbly, off-white head that recedes quickly.

S - Roasted malt, brown sugar, dried fruits.

T - Sweet malt, lightly roasted coffee, a hint of burnt cedar that is pleasant, and a bit of alcohol. Very nice.

M - Slight carbonation that sizzles throughout but the finish remains smooth. Gets better as it warms. Sweet and smooth.

Nice roasted character that's expected from a Black Ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2011 02:38:11 | More by Gatch

shand

Florida

4.15/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a nonic.

The label calls it an "indian style brown ale", but there's nothing brown about this one, this pours much more of a deep red color crested by two fingers of off-white head that retain and lace quite well. The aroma is quite hoppy and citrusy, balanced by a light hand of brown malts and a touch of maltiness. The taste is much closer to that of a well-balanced IPA as opposed to a "black IPA," the hoppiness is definitely forward here with a pronounced citrus aspect. The malts are only a touch more prevalent than the average IPA, with a little bit of pronounced nuttiness on the finish. It tastes good, that's for sure.

The mouthfeel is a bit thick and well-carbonated, and the drinkability is very good. Another great hop-forward brew from Boulder, I'm finding they really have this whole hop business down pat.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2011 04:01:28 | More by shand

VMWhelan

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a tumbler.

Pours a reddish brown with one finger of white head.

Smells of brown malts with some light fruity hop aroma, and a little bit of a sweet caramel aroma.

Taste is that of a sweet brown ale, but with a more pronounced bitterness. American floral hops come through well in this one.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, with medium carbonation. Leaves the palate dry.

Drinkability is decent. Not necessarily my favorite Brown, but I enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2011 03:16:20 | More by VMWhelan

Shrews629

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - This beer poured a mostly clear light brown/copper/orange color. The head was very frothy and rocky. Egg shell color. Very thick and bulbous. Had some very nice retention and left some nice lacing also.

Smell - A very mild citrus aroma (grapefruit). A more robust, dark, earthy tone seems to dominate the nose. Smells similar to a caramel apple. Lightly sweet undertones. A toasty biscuit hides in the backgound for a little extra complexity.

Taste - The taste provided more of the caramel sweetness than the aroma. A nice hop bite jumps out. The citrusy flavor is letting itself be known, but not getting in the way of the toasty biscuit and caramel. Somewhat of a "woody" flavor also.

Mouthfeel - Medium mouthfeel. Nicely dry and smooth. Leaves a pretty good amount on the palate, but not a whole lot. It's even somewhat crisp.

Drinkability - This is a pretty solid beer. Nothing outstanding, but easily drinkable. The beer is not as balanced as some others, but still a pretty good showing. I could handle a couple of these during one setting, no problem, but I might move on to other things if they were available.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2011 20:05:47 | More by Shrews629

tikibeer

Illinois

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a Dark Amber brown with a hint of red. Nice think foamy head that dissolves quickly, but leaves lots of nice lacing.

Aroma is mostly Nut and Carmel and pine hops.

Taste is similar to the aroma with lots of nut and caramel malt and finishes with a mellow pine hop that gives it a bitterness at the end.

Medium body with medium carbonation. Creamy and smooth.

Overall an enjoyable beer with a nice complexity that keeps it tasty and interesting.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2011 15:36:23 | More by tikibeer

ZeroSignal

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle, produced 12/10, poured into DFH Snifter

A - Dark amber pour with about an inch or so off-white head. Retention settles to the edges and a thin skim; loose lace.

S - Has the malty, yeasty and nutty notes typical of a brown, with a heavy dose of hoping taking on earthy and peppery notes.

T&M - Taste follows much of the nose; yeasty nuttiness combined with a substantial hoping that has an oily feel with a peppery bite. Malt is also substantial with caramel and roasted notes. Thicker body with a bit of a heavy feel; light carbonation.

O - Hard to place style wise, but I like the label on the beer as an India Brown better then the American Black Ale descriptor given. The base seems to be a pretty decent brown with a heavy dose of hops...so India Brown it is. I'm a fan of browns in general, and I would happily have this one again.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2011 01:24:16 | More by ZeroSignal

Allpe45

Arizona

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appears dark reddish brown with 2 fingers of frothy off-white/tan head. It dissipates slowly, plastering the walls of the glass with sticky lacing.

Smells like earthy/grassy hops up front. with roast and caramel malts in the background.

The earthy/grassy hops come through in the taste as well, but they are very subdued by caramel, toffee, and roasty malt flavors. The hop bitterness does well to balance out the malt sweetness, but isn't prominent enough to really shine.

Medium bodied with low carbonation. There's a slightly sticky lingering mouthfeel but it does not last long. Finishes a bit dry.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2011 23:04:30 | More by Allpe45

chumba526

Oregon

4.33/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appears light hazy brown with a small light tan head.

It smells of grassy and citrusy hops. I get a bit of a toffee, coffee like flavor.

It tastes initially of citrus fruity. I get an orange and lemon like flavor. There is a strong toffee flavor and a bread like maltiness. I also get a grassy hoppy flavor. The beer ends with a bit of bitterness paired with a malty sweet flavor. A really well balanced ale.

The carbonation is moderate. It has a smooth mouthfeel.

The drinkability of this ale is pretty good. It is very smooth and well balanced.

Overall a great beer by Boulder. This is most likely the best beer I have had by them.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2011 01:09:08 | More by chumba526

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

India Brown Ale bottle poured chilled into a tulip pint.

A deep rusty brown color with good clarity and 3/4 inch of ecru cap with lace that sticks well and bead that is tiny. The carbonation is visible in the beer moving at a moderate pace. The smell is toasty with light caramel aroma -I expected more hop aroma, but a pretty high roast odor is present with a slightly sweet yeast ester and mild fruit element. The feel is roasted with moderate bitterness from the hops and also moderately carbonated with a semi-dry middle with the roast and malt sweetness about equal w/ a slightly bittersweet/dry finish.

The flavor of roasted malt is balanced well by some piney hops and fruit accents from the yeast with a mild caramel malt flavor. The taste has a gentle coffee quality with the roast and subtle citrus from the hops, the mild toasted grain is flavorful and adds a slight earthy woody flavor. The taste of the hops and bitterness level does not become overly aggressive yet lasts into the finish as the brown has a dry ending. This was a tasty brown ale, but not as hoppy as some in the style - it has a good malt flavor profile and it achieves good balance. I found it to be highly drinkable and I would not hesitate to pick it up again.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2011 17:24:40 | More by Slatetank

vapodge

Florida

4.15/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass

A - dark amber, well-carbonated, nice head, good lacing

S - English-style hoppy and malty, some roasting action seems to be in there

T - true to the nose and rather bitter; not very sweet, malts first, then hop bite in the aftertaste

M - chewy and carbonated; coats the tongue, teeth, and throat

D - enjoyable, very well-balanced, right level of bite for me and is gorgeous to look at

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2011 05:19:05 | More by vapodge

ChopperSmith

Minnesota

3.83/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. brown bottle into a clear standard pint glass.

Appearance: A clear deep brown with a nice one finger tan head. Dissipated quickly, but left plenty of nice lacing.

Smell: Clean and fresh (almost soapy) smelling pine and citrus hops, but some roasted malts can be detected beneath.

Taste: Hops are the main star of the flavor (as they should be with a dark IPA), but there are also surprising flavors of caramel-like malts and just a hint of sweetness. The finish is your typical IPA bitter hops, but not too dry or overwhelming.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, well carbonated and crisp.

Drinkability: An easy-drinking dark IPA with a nice malt balance. Could easily session this one. Would like to try it on tap, or a cask version of this. Another winner from the Boulder Beer Co.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2011 23:20:06 | More by ChopperSmith

ItsTheLimit

Florida

3.8/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured, cold, from a bottle into a standard pint glass.

Bottle stamped: March 2, 2011

A: Really nice, transparent body, somewhere between a root beer mahogany and a deep red. Nice, lasting off-white head and leaves great lacing throughout.

S: Carmel from the malt, but the hop aroma comes through as well. A little bit of citrus and grass, too.

T: Bitter cascade hops fade into a malty caramel backbone. Fairly balanced, with a dry bitter, but not overly bitter, finish.

M: Well carbonated, full-bodied enough to feel substantial, but light enough not to seem overly heavy.


D: Medium-bodied and easy-drinking here. Definitely something I could drink more than one of in a single sitting, even with it coming in at 6.8% abv.

Although I wasn't blown away by the taste or aroma, alone, overall this is a good beer. I can definitely see drinking this again if it was offered to me, or was on tap, but I wouldn't make a point to purchase a lot of it right now. Everything I've had from Boulder Beer Company has been solid, and this is nothing different.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2011 00:40:23 | More by ItsTheLimit

GilGarp

Colorado

4.08/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle stamped with 3/14/2011.

Served cold into a pint glass, Flashback claims to be an India Brown Ale. In truth, it's actually a radiant red when held to the light. It has great clarity and the head is thick and tight. IPA maybe but not nearly dark enough to have the 'Black Ale' classification seen here.

Aroma is hoppy but not excessively so. Just enough to let my tastebuds know what to expect. There is also a more pronounced roasty character here so you know it won't be a straight IPA.

Flavor is really that of a nice hoppy brown ale. A good amount of roasted malt helps to bring some coffee flavors to the mix but the earthy, spicy, piney hops are really what it's all about.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and well carbonated. It's nicely balanced in never being too sweet, bitter, or roasted.

Overall a nice surprise. Something different and worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2011 03:34:05 | More by GilGarp

emmasdad

Colorado

3.58/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle a medium brown color with a decent head. Aromas of roasted nuts, caramel, sweet malt and a herbal hops. Medium bodied, with flavors of chocolate malt, light citrus, biscuit dough and toffee/caramel. Pretty solid anniversary release.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2011 00:31:22 | More by emmasdad

BB1313

Ohio

2.63/5  rDev -30.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

12oz bottle poured into a standard pint glass. Pours a beautiful transparent brownish-red, with nice white fluffy head and sticky lacing. I'm picking up alot of malts, caramel, and hops. I'm a little let down by the taste. At first I was satisfied, but the more I drank it, the more I started to dislike. Lots of heavy malt, orange, tangerine, caramel, and toffee. This one finishes very bitter. Mouthfeel is actually very good, it's rich and creamy, well carbonated. Drinkability isn't the best due to the bitterness and average flavors. Just so people now, this isn't a Black IPA, or black ale. It's an India-Style Brown Ale.

I was a little let down by this one. If you pass it up, you won't really be missing out.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2011 02:53:46 | More by BB1313

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

3.43/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Clear copper amber color. 1 finger off-white head that forma a thick collar. Strips of doily patterned lacing at the top of the glass.

S - Caramel malt, fruity citrus hops, toffee, bready.

T - Lightly roasted grain, chalky bitterness, orange peel, cherries, caramel, toffee, rye bread. The bitterness is spicy and carries through the finish. Hints of tea-like tannins.

M - Light carbonation, full bodied.

The color seems a little light for an American Black Ale. I guess this style name has changed from Black IPA. A good tasting beer though. Lots of toffee, a very malt forward beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2011 01:15:21 | More by StaveHooks

HOPPYKC

Kansas

3.43/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a pint glass. I don't know if this is the same beer it was labeled India style black ale. It goes on to talk about it being the 30th anniversary ale that they then started to brew year round.
The appearance is more of a black ale which is nice golden to light brown color. Smell is defiantly caramel and toffee combined with a slight note of hops to bring it to the india style. I was guessing as to what exactly it would taste lick, would it lean more to the india or brown style ale? The taste confirmed that with a nice malt and chocolate character. Goes smooth down with an amazing drinkability. All in all i really like this beer and it almost reminds me of New Belgium's 1554 just a little lighter.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2011 05:15:42 | More by HOPPYKC

Bitterbill

Wyoming

2.53/5  rDev -33.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Had at our local Old Chicago.

A clear, tea coloured brew with a fine layer of foam and some spotty lacing.

I got some roasted malt notes as well as a mild sweetness and a fairly strong hop note, nah, just plain old bitterness. I had to "pull" these out because they didn't exactly present themselves in easy fashion.

Light roasted malt presence, a bit of the sweet, and an overpowering bitter flavour, harsh bitter flavour, that drowned everything else out once I got into the session. Though there was nothing wrong with the general mouth feel, I had a hard time finishing the pint. Bitter for bitter's sake, me thinks, and it does not work for me. It's kind of strange..the bottle didn't hit me nearly as bad as this draught offering.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2011 21:02:43 | More by Bitterbill

sprucetip

Alaska

4.05/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

First of all, Boulder's description of "India Brown Ale" is far more accurate than the "black IPA" description here.

Very clear, amber/mahogany, thin tan head, little retention (from a careful shared pour), and no significant lacing. Not very active, but still quite attractive.

Sours spice similar to Anchor's Our Special Ale, lightly malty, boozy, with floral and fruity hops underneath. Very nice.

Malty sweet, mildly sour (see above reference to Anchor Our Special), modest fruity and floral hop flavors. Bitterness is relatively gentle.

Low carbonation contributes to thinnish medium feeling body, medium viscosity, and a bit of lingering bitterness.

Very inviting aroma, good tasting brew that is fairly complex, but a bit thin in the feel. Overall, a very good beer that I look forward to trying again.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2011 04:32:35 | More by sprucetip