Autumn Ale - Breckenridge Brewery

xare

Ohio

1.8/5  rDev -49.9%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Bottle has a wild label: "It's Special", "After Rakin'" Autumn Ale, Fine Colorado Ales, Breckenridge Brewery. Munich Malts & Bavarian Hops, Deep Mahogany fall season ale, warms the soul, soothes the spirit... (Bottled on 2nd week of August 2007).

Pours as a very very dark brew that has a dark orange-brown-ruby red tint at the edges. 1/6" tan head was poured that quickly went away. Somewhat dreading this brew instead of looking forward to it. Certainly is mahogany - I'll have to rate this as average.

Smell is that of burnt/toast malts (munich), almost like old coffee somewhat. Does not appeal to me much but maybe someone else likes that aroma mix.

Tastes somewhat odd. Tastes like ground coffee, alcohol, almost like a barleywine/old ale mix. Definitely don't feel this beer so far. A few more sips and it doesn't improve much. Some bitterness at the end from the hops but the flavor doesn't appeal to me. I'm going to have to give this a below average score on taste. It isn't completely awful or devoid of taste, just doesn't appeal to me.

Mouthfeel is somewhat strange. Almost soapy, then an aftertaste of burnt coffee / hops hit you at end. Definitely not a mouthfeel I like. I wouldn't mind it so much if it wasn't so strange to experience.

Drinkability is poor for me. I had to pour out this beer without finishing it - I can't tolerate drinking something that tastes like coffee grounds - and wouldn't order this beer again unless it changed majorly. Overall - not a beer I wish to try again.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2008 02:03:51 | More by xare

maxpower

Missouri

2.05/5  rDev -42.9%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Hazy dark reddish brown color with a small off white head that doesn't last long, not much lacing either. Rotten vegatable herbal aromas, some chocolate caramel flavors a bit on the bland side, medium bodied with a kind of watery mouthfeel, finishes clean and dry. I won't be buying this one again.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2004 18:36:15 | More by maxpower

TastyTaste

Minnesota

2.4/5  rDev -33.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

What kind of beer is this wacky stuff? Old Ale? Sure. Dark maroon colored body, you can only see through at the bottom of the glass. Head is off-white, small off the pour, and fades to a small film of foam. Head is dark roasty malts, slight acidity. Taste is relatively bland, like a watered down, underpowered porter in most respects. Undercarbonated body, very thin. This beer was off in almost every respect, although I am appreciateive of the effort from Breckenridge to try something new.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2005 02:08:43 | More by TastyTaste

elniko

Texas

2.42/5  rDev -32.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Poured from bottle into pint glass.

A: Deep opaque ruby brown bordering on black. Very little head or lacing. Not the best looking brew.

S: Very peculiar smell, mostly roasty smoky tones.

T & M: Taste has coffee tones with a mix of hoppy bitterness on the finish. Strange balance. Almost porter like but without the creamy textures.

D: I felt very eh when it came to this brew. I can't say I enjoyed it much at all.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2008 04:16:57 | More by elniko

Dogbrick

Ohio

2.53/5  rDev -29.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Tasted at the Barrelhouse Brewing Company Microbrew Fest on November 9. Pretty color but not much going on in the flavor. I found it neither malty nor hoppy. It was not as good as their Christmas seasonal.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2002 09:53:46 | More by Dogbrick

blakelive784

Colorado

2.53/5  rDev -29.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12 fl oz bottle served in pilsner glass, reviewed live:

A - Pours a dark brown color with a disappointing 1 finger head of bad thickness. Retention is awful.

S - Heavy caramel, toffee and not much else. Boring and uninspired.

T - Weak toasted malt and caramel mask a bit of cream, building to a watery finish. Hey, at least I wasn't expecting much.

M - Medium bodied and smooth. works for what's there.

D - Not awful, but I'd pass on this one in the future. Bland and not exciting.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 01:22:33 | More by blakelive784

HardTarget

Texas

2.55/5  rDev -29%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Bottle Inspection: Notes Munich malt and Bavarian hops. Bottle is MICROSCOPICALLY notched 8, week 3 (sampled 10, week 2).

Aroma: Earthy, almost musty malt base with a mild leafy floral hop.

Appearance: Dark brown showing clarity only in thin parts of my Sam Adams glass.

Flavor: Same earthy malt, with a mildly metallic leafy hop. Total beer is pretty balanced, mild sweetness coming through with a roasted malt flavor.

Mouthfeel: Low carbonation, slightly oily texture.

Overall Impression: Meh. Pretty mild, flavors lend themselves towards funky; earthy, leafy, roasted. I was thinking Schwarzbier more than Old Ale. There is a light tannin character that seems to relate to dried leaves, so points for seasonal character. Still; it’s not a terribly tasty beer. Pass.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2007 05:19:12 | More by HardTarget

lastdoctor

Ohio

2.6/5  rDev -27.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Pours very dark. Reminds me of root beer. One finger of head is all I got.

Smells of roasted barley and burnt coffee. Pretty strong.

Taste's like a cross between day old coffee and a average stout. It's certainly not a great beer. Finish is bitter.

Mouthfeel could surely be better. Fairly thin and fizzy.

Not sure I could drink more than one of these. I'll make it through this six pack, but I don't believe I'll buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2008 21:23:56 | More by lastdoctor

allengarvin

Texas

2.73/5  rDev -24%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Very nice reddish-brown color with a half-inch of head on top. Oddly sour aroma with a metallic hint. Flavor, likewise has an sourness that blends terribly with the caramel malt. Body is watery and thin.

Has the recipe completely changed in 2007? This beer used to be a malty, toasty, nutty treat when fall rolled around. I thought it might be a bad batch, but I see other people noting the same flavors.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2007 01:41:38 | More by allengarvin

kojevergas

California

2.8/5  rDev -22%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into an imperial pint glass in high altitude Castle Rock, Colorado. Reviewed live. Expectations are moderate.

A: Pours a 1.5 finger head of nice cream, good thickness, and pretty good retention. Colour is a solid black.

Sm: Smells vaguely of cherry. Some amber hops, caramelized/lightly toasted malt is present as well. Lots of malts. A mild strength aroma.

T: Tastes quite malty, with hints of fruit - though perhaps not cherry. The malt is on the whole well handled. I don't care horribly for the caramel. It's pretty simple all around, but pleasant. The malt is too heavy for the balance to be right. The finish is bland and off.

Mf: Smooth and wet, suiting the flavours of the body generally.

Dr: Drinkable but largely unremarkable. I might try it on draught but it's far from special. Only give it a spin if you're a huge fan of the style. Elsewise, move along.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 03:14:22 | More by kojevergas

climax

Kansas

2.85/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This one poured a lot darker than expected, an almost black brown color, red in the edges. Head was forced and quite weak.

Nose is of dark malt, coffee, a bit nutty, and a grape-like sourness.

Flavor had a sour fruit profile, alcohol warmth was evident. Flavors included nuts, coffee, and apple.

There was a slight bite from relatively mild carbonation. Other than that it was pretty watery and lack-luster.

Haven't been too impressed with Breckenridge, this one doesn't help.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2009 00:56:14 | More by climax

JDV

Texas

2.9/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Before trying I assumed this would be an Oktoberfest, but smelled and tasted quite different. Poured black with a light tan head. Smell was a tart roasty maltiness, with slight smoky, almost peaty qualities to it. Taste is dark roastiness, tartness, a bit biscuity. Lightly carbonated, and a touch creamy, and while not bad, the peaty quality is not my favorite.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2008 18:27:12 | More by JDV

MrDonQuixote

Colorado

2.9/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into an oversized wine glass:

A- Dark coffee brown with a slight head

S- Sweet malty aroma, with roasted coffee notes as well

T- very malty, with a roasty kick at the end. Most of the taste is the java roast that is very present. Quite bland in flavor to be honest.

M- Smooth mouthfeel. A tad watery, but it works for this beer

O- Breckenridge Brewery is definitely hit or miss with me. This was definitely a miss

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 14:40:56 | More by MrDonQuixote

cbutova

Massachusetts

2.9/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A- Ale poured into a pint glass with a very dark brown body, almost black. The head fails to even form to a finger in size. A small ring forms aroud the edges. Some spots of lace.

S- Faint aroma with an overall brown ale malty feel. Nutty, caramel and slightly roast malt notes.

T- Just feels a bit thin flavored for a brown ale. Malt lends notes of nuts, grain, roast hints and caramel. Dark fruit has a significant presence and the beer is also slightly buttery. Slight earthy hop finish. Becomes a bit "off" with medicinal fruit.

MF- Rich and silky moderately thick body with a creamy feel. Just a but warm and bitter.

Just feels a it watered down or something compared to most good Brown Ales. The flavors are there but it doesn't balance out to something I would really buy again.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2011 00:14:28 | More by cbutova

shererjt

Texas

2.93/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured a clear, very deep brown color with a touch of red. Carbonation was light. Aroma was stale roasted malt that was appropriate for style. Medium body. Flavor was similar to the smell with some bitterness added. Mouthfeel was average and I scored the drinkability slightly below; this was not something I’d want to drink much of.

Old ales are probably my least favorite style. This one’s a pretty good example, but personally it just didn’t do much for me.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2007 03:31:21 | More by shererjt

dmamiano

West Virginia

2.95/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Found this one in the sampler case.
Very deep mahogany...no head after a hard pour. No lacing to speak of. Seemed to be well carbonated, though.
Nose of toasted malts, roasted grains...almost porteresque?
Taste of roasted malts, chocolate and maybe caramel malts.
Decent mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2007 21:13:49 | More by dmamiano

mentor

Colorado

2.95/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a 3 finger light tan head over a clear dark amber liquid. Smells like a scotish ale, not an old ale. Caramel, toffee, and scorch over sweet malt and mild alcohol (clean of fusels). darker fruits don't quite leap into leathery. Some drying chalky biscuity character and gentle hoppy grassiness.

Tastes light-caramel, iron metallic, a touch of scorch, and very gentle alcohol sting. Fruity esters of prune, pear, and dried-blueberry. Modest sweetness dries in the end and leaves a woody sticky in the mouth. Flavors are modest in intensity and sweet does not cloy, as can often occur in a beer with these flavors. Md-light body and modest carbonation. Decent drinkability. Scored as an old ale, which is *clearly* not the appropriate style for this to be classified here on BA.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2009 05:16:18 | More by mentor

WVbeergeek

Ohio

2.98/5  rDev -17%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appears a dark caramel cola colored body with a rich forming tan head flows thick with a nice lace that sticks to the glass evenly with much intricacy. Aromatics offer up somewhat mint like edge black licorice chocolate with spiced bread dough blends of this seasons offerings. Flavor has yeast driven mild chocolate with herbal qualities that result in sweet cloying tones at times, with fruit accents and mineral water hardness. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with some prickly carbonation, definitely soothing on the palate. Drinkability does me alright with festive qualities of a winter warmer/old ale this one hits early in the fall not bad at all that bad and even a nice mix up from the typical O fest of the season.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2008 20:42:49 | More by WVbeergeek

hosehead83

Ohio

2.98/5  rDev -17%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a standard pint glass.
Dark brown with reddish highlights-Very short off-white head of foam.
Aroma-Sweet malt, caramel
Taste-Toasted malt and caramel, faint hop bite. Rather flat and thin-bodied. Expecting a little more robust flavor. A bit of a letdown overall.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2010 22:26:07 | More by hosehead83

riversider76

New York

2.98/5  rDev -17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours a dark brown with a very thin head. Not much retention, and no lacing. Aroma is brown sugar, and maple syrup. Body is thin and mildly carbonated. Taste is of sugary spice, and malts. A bit watered down. Weak version of this style. Not impressed.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 00:34:59 | More by riversider76

ChadQuest

Illinois

3/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This is an Old Ale? I'd beg to differ. After having an entire 6-pack of this over the course of a week, and then seeing the brewery itself calling this an Old Ale? I thought the whole time i was drinking a pretty solid Brown Ale. I don't think many would argue that. So ill continue this as if it is called an brown ale,and not dock points for being a terrible old ale.

The Flavor is pretty solid, a bit spicy and pretty sweet, with the obvious carmel malts dominating, with brown sugar and molasses notes revealing itself. Not the most complex beer, but a good beer that's easy to drink and lets you have multiple beers in a night easily. Well worth the $4 i got the pack for. :)

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2009 07:38:18 | More by ChadQuest

JoeAmerican77

Colorado

3/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Darkest rootbeer with no light coming through and a muddy meringue on top... Light tasty malts on the nose, nothing else. The flavor is slightly sweet, with a white sugar sweetness, and a little toasted malt base. Sugar turns brown as it warms. Medium light body with some baby carbonation.
Flavor of a sessionable brown with a little bit of booze.

With almost every Breck beer I've had I just wish it was stronger, bigger. Stronger nose/more diverse flavors/more forward flavors would make these beers much more memorable. This beer fits this impression as well. Too bad.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2011 23:58:35 | More by JoeAmerican77

stockingcpl

Ohio

3.03/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: Well, I have to agree with Joe os this one. It is indeed a deep mahogany color, but I was not impressed with either the head or that lack of carbonation or the lack of lacings. This beer, after about two minutes, looks like a flat Pepsi that has been left out for a couple hours. Not very impressive.

Smell: This looks to be another poor score. The aroma is very thin. Not much body. There is a faint cocoa aroma & maybe a little allspice thrown in. Not very impressive.

Taste: Ok, there is a little something here in this category. Toasted grain is the predominant peak during onset. Midrange taste is dominated by Munich hops...that's good. Sustain is carried by Cascade hops (I believe). Not too strong but with moderate attenuation which tapers of after about 20 seconds or so. Pretty good job here.

Mouthfeel: Generally the flavor character would give this brew a good score, however the lack of carbonation hurts this selection. There is perhaps 3/4 carbonation unit here. Not very much.

Drinkability: This is a fairly subjective score. It is always kind of an "overall impression", however I'm going to hold myself to the principal of,"do you want another?" Well, in this situation the answer would be no...

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2008 23:05:41 | More by stockingcpl

seesnow3

Connecticut

3.05/5  rDev -15%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

No freshness, Bruges glass, $2.49/bottle in RI
Pour-Dark brown pour that is slightly translucent, hard to coax a head out of it, but it just fades either way, sheet of lacing that is tiny bubbles.

Nose-Caramel malts and yeasty breadiness. Hint of spice? Some dark subdued fruit, unsure what it is.

Palate-Mostly sour with a good amount of bitter as well. Very little sweetness, a little bit salty. The main note I get is coffee and roasted malt. Chocolate makes an appearance, I feel like there’s a hint of spice here but it’s hard to determine what type. Maybe black pepper? Doesn’t scream fall to me.

Body-Moderately rich and creamy, sort of heavy but not excessive, enough effervescence, not too bad, actually a bite from it. Slightly dry finish. This is not really good, but it isn’t bad either. It lacks complexity but it has decent drinkability. Definitely not a session beer but it hides its’ alcohol pretty well. Also holds the effervescence fairly well. Not a fan of it for the price point is all.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 21:04:39 | More by seesnow3

kangarooAdam59

Maine

3.06/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Into a pint glass:

A: dark brown colored body that leaves a one finger off-white/tan head that leaves within thirty seconds. No carbonation is seen rising. Minimal lacing is left.

S: typical nuttiness a normal ABA has with some nutmeg and caramel tones added.

T: same flavors of the smell, nothing special, nothing bad.

M: light to medium, and slightly sharp on the tongue, sessionable.

O: I'm actually not impressed with this beer, though I'm willing to try more by Breckenridge. I probably won't seek this out again.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 01:38:26 | More by kangarooAdam59