Hayride Autumn Ale - Baxter Brewing Co.

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Missed an autumn beer, but at least it's a can so hopefully held up well. And Yay cans!

It's sure carbonated as a huge fluffy head rises over the top of the tulip glass before the can is even finished, over 3 fingers, before fading semi slowly with tons of messy lacing, a super hazy murky mahogany reddish brown color.

Nose has light spices, almost apple pie or mulling slices like but light, light toasty reddish malts with hint if caramel and candy syrup, light yeasty spices and bready aromas, faint hint if toasty oak. Overall fairly light on the nose.

Taste starts with caramel toasty reddish malts, light candy flavor with that, and a distinct buttery toasty American oak flavor. Earthy slightly spicy hops come through with some spicy bitterness, almost chewy. Hint of apple cider flavor with a touch of the warming apple and mulling spices, but faint mostly. Finish is drier but a bit sticky, lingering earthy spicy hop bitterness, light toasty reddish malts, and hint if vanilla oak.

Mouth is med bodied, lots of carb.

Overall ok but nothing special. More like hoppy American red ale with hints if mulling spices and touch of toasty oak. But still more of an average craft beer, and very light nose, spices orish could have cut in more, maybe mix up the malts a bit, something to at least bring a specific character out rather than a mundane American red ale with hints if something that could have made it more unique.

Serving type: can

12-31-2012 03:31:10 | More by jlindros

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.58/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a can into a tumbler pint, the beer is a deep, dark, almost opaque ruby-copper coloring with a tall, frothy, dense, off-white head that starts around an inch and a half and slowly settles into a half an inch that remains for the duration of the brew. Slightly hazed body gives the appearance of opaqueness. Aromas of a malt-bomb. Rich, roasty caramel and nut, with a subtle grainy underlying character. Smells pretty good. Flavors are hop forward, surprisingly, with a resiny and bitter backbone that supports the grainy and malty profile. Tangy and sweet caramel with a roasting characteristic, blended with some pepper spices from the hops. The malt profile is a bit restrained compared to the nose, providing a little more breathing room for the hops presence. Resiny and peppery aftertaste, with a touch of sweetness at the very end. Slick, rich finish, with a clean, slightly drying feel. The body is a bit lighter/watery compared to what I was expecting on the pour, but the flavors are interesting and tasty. Easy to drink.

Serving type: can

11-20-2012 01:17:57 | More by GarthDanielson

cbutova

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- An amber-brown beer with a pretty large amount of murky haze pours out of the can into a can-shaped glass. A massive light tan head forms to several fingers in size and has great retention. A large, puffy thick cloud stays along with a big bubbly ring leaving nice coats of lace.

S- Not quite what I expected but I suppose what they list on the can is represented. I get a mix of citrus, brown sugar malts, rye spice and very light malt.

T- Citrus is once again highly present. It seems the dried orange peel lends the citrus and grapefruit hints I get. Ginger is also pretty big here. Rye, brown sugar, cracked grains, raisin, spice and bitterness (spicy, floral, lemon zest hops) make up the rest of the flavor. Oak is extremely subtle here and I didn't notice it in the aroma.

MF- The body is somewhere between light and moderately thick. It has a fairly creamy texture and a medium level of carbonation. A nice, clean bitterness in the finish.

Not what you might expect but it hits the spot. The ginger, citrus and spicy flavors on-top of a amber-brown malt profile make for a nice Autumn ale.

Serving type: can

11-14-2012 02:34:04 | More by cbutova

horshack7

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Dark chestnut with light amber hues and a rocky two finger head.

Aroma: Tropical fruit, grapefruit, piney, light notes of caraway seeds. Malty sweetness has a light molasses touch.

Taste: Grapefruit in the front, crisp hop bite in the mouthfeel, rye bread, caramel malts and piney notes. Fruity esters, yeasty notes.

Notes: A very good Rye beer citrus hops with light belgian yeasty notes. Cheers.

Serving type: can

11-05-2012 04:06:12 | More by horshack7

morebeergood

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -16%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the can into a pint glass. Murky orange red body with a white head. Smell has piney and citrus-like. Taste was not really what I was expecting. The can says it has all these spices in it, plus it's aged on oak. I didn't get any of that. All I tasted was a hoppy amber ale that tasted like all their other beers. Mouthfeel was sharp and crisp, which was on par for a rye beer. It's not a bad beer, but it was just kind of a letdown because I wanted more flavor.

Serving type: can

10-28-2012 23:16:54 | More by morebeergood

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Looks like a glass of apple cider with a beery head on top. Hearty skim of retention. Poured into a mighty Pamola can-glass because appropriate glassware rocks my socks. Pretty can.

Bright yellow grapefruity citrus with a gentle oak and honey overtones. Smells "fuzzy," but in a good way.

Very bold grassy citrus hop and rye spice run right over an underlayer of mellow vanilla'ed honey sweet malt Balanced bitter. No caramel, contrary to what the color indicates. This was aged on peppercorns, ginger and orange peel and while I can't pick any of those flavors out it does taste...exotic? There's a lingering dish soap after taste that once I noticed it that flavor quickly became overwhelming.

I really liked the first can. I didn't like the second can (the dish soap aftertaste got to me). I had cans three and four at a BBQ yesterday and those were alright. I gave away can #5 so I guess it's up to the final can in my fridge to determine how I feel about hayride.

A beer of ostentatious vs. mild: bright, vibrant hops vs. mild and mellow oak. Spicy rye vs. subtle honey sweetness. It's a bit messy but I like it. Most of the time.

Serving type: can

10-28-2012 15:52:56 | More by donkeyrunner

lordofthewiens

Maine

3.1/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

In a pint glass this beer was a hazy rust color with a small tan head. There was a little bit of lace.

It had a spicy malt aroma. There was a bit of citrus.

A lot of rye in the taste. Really a lot. It ended up being very spicy. There was a little bit of citrus, which tasted more of grapefruit than anything else.

This was way too sharp for me. I think a little bit of rye goes a long way, and this was a bit over the top.

Serving type: can

10-24-2012 20:57:19 | More by lordofthewiens

dasenebler

Maine

3.88/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Baxter Hayride
10/23/12
12oz, canned in October 2012.

Pours a murky reddish brown with a very nice off-white head. Great lacing. If it had a bit more clarity and no floaties, this would be a 4.5. (3.5)

Definitely some orange peel on the nose, a touch of ginger too. All very, very subtle however. Clean and relatively nondescript. (3.5)

Chewy rye malt, solid bitterness and a hoppy, orangey character. A touch piney as well. Reminds me of the bitterness on the Baxter IPA but without that dirty vegetal character. Finishes dry, with a bit of spice. The herb/spice character is subtle, as is the oak. I honestly wouldn't have known this beer were "oaked" unless I read the label. Drinkability is surprisingly high. (4, 4)

I really like how this beer is malty but dry, and the spices don't overpower. Far and away the best Baxter offering I've had. When you get a clean can or pour of Baxter, the beer is solid. (4)

Serving type: can

10-24-2012 00:50:26 | More by dasenebler

PeterIngemi

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz can n to a dfh snifter

A: a nice slightly browned bet with a finger of slightly tanned head that recedes nicley and leaves a decent lacing.

S: oak, and rye, a nice tropical fruit hop aroma, passion fruit, light mango, perhaps some of that aroma is coming from the orange peel. This brew does not smell overly spicy which is what I was afraid of.

T: very nice blend of rye and trip oak fruit hop deliciousness, the oak adds a nice roundness and I feel like the peppercorn deffinatly comes in on the finish and in the aftertaste... There seems to be a bit of caramel on there.. The only ingredient that I don't really get is the ginger, which is ok with me... A lot going on but it all works very well

M: medium body with a bit of creamyness, moderate carbonation and dry on finish, as mentioned above there is definite pepper in the finish... I like it though .

O: I really enjoyed this beer, this is a great fall rye ipa, nice body and warmth, complexity and balance, defiantly give this one a go.

Serving type: can

10-08-2012 00:25:12 | More by PeterIngemi

deltatauhobbit

Maine

3.68/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy looking amber color, smallish light tan head, fades quickly but leaves a lasting thin cap on top.

Smell has a huge malt backbone, picking up some spicy rye and hop notes, not really picking up the oak though.

Taste is a bit more complex than the aroma unfortunately it's all over the place, what starts out with caramel malt soon is hit with other flavors like ginger, rye pops in the aftertaste along with a spicy hop character, sharp carbonation with a surprisingly soft and full bodied mouthfeel.

Serving type: can

09-26-2012 20:52:50 | More by deltatauhobbit

Bendurgin

Maine

3.33/5  rDev -14%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured into a pint glass. This one pours a clear chestnut brown with a three finger light khaki head.

Spicy rye malts in the aroma with some grapefruit hop characters in the background. Hoppier than I had anticipated this to be with a nice spicy edge to it. Mild flavors with less of a hop bite than the aroma indicates. Mellow spice with a bit of a bitter finish.

The body is medium with good carbonation. Overall this one is alright. Nothing super special but surely not bad. I'm sure there are other seasonals I'll enjoy more though.

Serving type: can

09-25-2012 02:14:48 | More by Bendurgin

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A-Pours a turbid brown with orange hints. Head is thin and creamy. Very interesting color.

S-Lighter tropical hops. Lightly spice with the rye. Oak is very mellow. Almost hard to pick up. Caramel malt. Nose is of minor intensity. Almost smells like Dr. Pepper.

T-The oak comes out more in the flavor. The rye is not very intense. Hops are milder too. I get some metallic flavors unfortunately. The hops are fruity and even a bit soapy. Well malted.

M-Medium bodied with tingly bubbles. A bit creamy. Goes down easy enough.

O/D-Cool set of flavors to put other for an Autumn brew. May be a bit too ambitious because none of the flavors really stand out. Baxter has some interesting brews and this one fits in with their collection. They just didn't really nail it with this one.

Serving type: can

09-23-2012 20:47:26 | More by VelvetExtract

KarlosT

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had this beer at the Amesbury Beer Festival on Sep 22 2012.

Most of the beers were served from bottles into small 3oz plastic dixie cups.

Although I took notes on the 20+ different beers that I tried, it is difficult to remember all of the details associated with each beer. My apologies to readers of these notes. However, I did pay attention to my overall scores, and noted what I thought were unique positives and negatives w/ each beer.

Note that for me:
< 2.5 = probably would not finish the beer
3.0 = drinkable beer, but likely would not buy again or look for
>3.5 = will try to buy again in the future

This is a very fascinating and complex beer. Noticeable pepper corn and ginger notes. Works surprisingly well. Suspect that my wife would really enjoy this beer (she's a ginger fan).

Kudos to Baxter for trying things outside the box.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 15:04:46 | More by KarlosT

BEERMILER12

Maine

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a cloudy and hazy mahogany color with 2 fingers worth of tan fluffy head

S: Get a nice bit of rye malts along with some spiciness, citrus, and oak

T: Follows the nose with some spicy rye along with a spiciness from the ginger and peppercorns. Also has a very slight citrus note at the very beginning. Finishes off with the oak, earthiness, and light bitterness

M: Medium bodied with soft moderate carbonation

O: This is a nicely complex brew that captures the season well. Perfect for the cooler weather, and as always with this brewery, easy to transport in the canned format

Serving type: can

09-13-2012 03:05:37 | More by BEERMILER12

kangarooAdam59

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Out of the can and into a pint glass:

A: dark red/brown colored body and leaves a three finger white foamy head that must last at least two and a half minutes. The body is too dark for any carbonation to be seen rising. There is some nice minimal spider web lacing here and there.

S: rye up front with a fair amount of malts combined evenly with the hops.

T: basically the same leaving a slight dry aftertaste.

M: light to medium and leaving a great feel on my tongue (nothing harsh, just right).

O: another great beer by Baxter that I would definitely have again.

Serving type: can

09-09-2012 23:08:01 | More by kangarooAdam59