JosephsBrau Black Toad Distinctive Dark Ale
We begin with a custom mixture of dark and roasted barley malts, then we add the choicest hops. The resulting ale has a dark chestnut color and a deep nutty flavor. Brewed specially for Trader Joe’s.
3.3
438 reviews
Monrovia, United States
Community reviews
Pour is a big black with a tan head. Mild coffee, toffee and bread smells. Taste is similar, not too strong or anything, but no real depth to it
Nothing wrong with this beer. Well brewed and a great example of the style I think. It is how they say.. "Deep nutty flavour". Berkeley Trader Joea
12oz bottle pours dark brown with a lasting light beige head. Aroma is roast, milk chocolate, toffee. Flavor is medium sweet, yielding to only slight bitterness. Chocolatey. Medium-bodied with a smooth, slick feel. Decent.
Olmost black with a light brown head - Dark malt aroma with some notes of roasted malt - Dark malt body with some roasted malt and some bitterness - The malt goes into the finish with some bitterness - This was nice
Bottle pour into nonic pint glass from Trader Joe’s. Aroma is strong roasted malts, bordering on burnt, with notes of chocolate. Appearance is clear, dark brown with reddish tinge, fair sparkle, finger-width foamy beige head with fair retention and minimal lacing. Taste is mainly sweet roasted malt, toffee with hint of hazelnut and ash; mild bitter balance. Palate is medium bodied with creamy texture, average carbonation and dry finish. Overall, some decent complexity for a not-so-complex style. Better than expected and at a great price.
Bottle. Dark brown color. Aroma is a mix chocolate malt and toffee. Body and flavor is on the thin side. Taste is mild chocolate, hints of nuts and sugar. This a cheap beer that is not harsh, this is just ok.
Surprisingly good brown ale. Good head retention. Nutty aroma and taste with hints of coffee and roasted malts. Smooth and slightly oily body
Rated from old notes. A rich and dark ale that goes down like a black and tan. Very smooth easy-going beer with a slight sherry taste. Quite decent.
Purchased at Trader Joe in Vegas. Pours a dark brown colour with a frothy beige, good retention and creamy lacing. Nutty aromas with coffee notes over mild roasted malts. Smooth oily mouthfeel. The roasted malts are felt more in the taste. Coffee and nuts still present. Quite surprised at how good this dark ale is.
I didn't take any extra notes when I tried this beer for the first time but I'm gonna try it again and update my comments.
Bottle, Ann Arbor, MI. Deep brown, cola appearance. Roasted malt and dark chocolate aroma. Medium body. Slightly bitter long finish. One of their better ones I think.
Bottle. Pours black with a tan head with nice lacing. Big malty aroma. Big malt flavor with a tinge of metallic flavor finishing with a bit of hop bitterness and some nuttiness. I like malt forward beers but this one is a bit too much and too sweet. The balance isn’t quite right but I’d say it’s okay. I probably wouldn’t buy it again but would drink another one if I had one.
12 ounce bottle from Trader Joes. Pours a dark brown color, a bit red, with a small white head. A sweet nose of cola and caramel. The flavor is toast, sweet sugars, brown toasted malt. OK. Lots of cola.
12 ounce bottle. Mahogany color topped by a large rocky beige head. Roasted malt nose has hints of cocoa and nuts. Tangy roasted malt flavor has more cocoa and toasted nuts upfront. Some dark dried fruit and floral hops in finish. Decent brown ale at a bargain price of $1.00 per bottle.
I"m really shocked by the low ratings. Perhaps it’s because it’s labeled as a brown ale? Really nice and chocolately. Lots of molasses and tobacco and malt and caramel. Some tar as well. Really earthy and sweet but not cloying. Semi bittersweet chocolate and coffee aftertaste. Nice.
Bottle. Opaque inky black with small beige foamy head, faint roasted makt aroma, medium carbonation, slightly bitter roasted malt taste, long burnt finish.
Pours a deep brown color with a small tan head and bit of lacing. Aroma of roasted malt, dark fruit, some chocolate and caramel. Taste of toasted malt, dark chocolate with nuts and dark fruit. Malty bitterness that lingers into the finish. Medium body, nice grainy feel that gives this beer some character. Enjoyable beer, much better than expected.
Bottle. Lot’s of un-fermented malt flavors with some toasted flavors and not much in the way of hops. Not very good overall.
malty dark fruit smell, sweet and good...vanilla?? almost black appearance, taste is very smooth and sweet, just a touch bitter that distracts, finishes very light coffee...some butteriness on the first taste x2 pawleys island 2017...juli bought for me
12 oz bottle from Trader Joe’s, Pours reddish black with a thin tan head and slight lacing. Nose is malty with hints of cocoa and caramel, plums, raisins and toffee. Sweet to the taste, fuller medium body with medium carbonation. Nice brew at a reasonable price.
[Bottle (12oz) from Trader Joe’s] Pours a dark, deep amber-brown with an average size lasting frothy beige head and minimal lacing. Aroma of lightly roasted malt, chocolate and nuts along with light hops and some vanilla -- smells a bit too sweet but not bad. Flavour: Not bad, maltier and hoppier then expected (not very hoppy, just more then expected), a bit nutty and chocolaty and with a short dry finish. Average bodied. I’ve had worse beers from these guys, this isn’t bad, it’s decent.
caramel, hay, chocolate, coffee, toast, dough, red, clear, light sweetness, light body, creamy,
Roasted malt with a hint of raisin Black body with a slim coat head. Heavy dark fruit taste. Black bodied. Drinkable dark bodied brew.
Pours dark brown body with thick brownish head. Nice lacing. Aromas of toasted malt, caramel with hints of some metallic aroma. Taste is sweet caramel, slightly bitter.
Tallahassee, Fl. - Trader Joe’s - 12 oz bottle. Dark brown pour, quicly fading off-white head. Aroma is nutty with some light chocolate accents. Flavor has some earthy potting soil notes, some light chocolate, a touch of licorice. Mouthfeel is thick enough. Enjoyable.
12 oz bottle with a BB date of July 2015.
Pours clear, very dark brown, with a large tan head.
Aroma: mild medium and dark roasted grains with a lighter roast than the appearance suggests. Faint hint of coffee.
Flavor: mild medium and dark roasted grains with a neutral bitter/sweet balance.
Feel: medium-light body; very smooth
O: enjoyable dark ale that straddles the brown ale / light porter categories.
12 oz. bottle from Trader Joe’s. So many of the brown ales are on the lighter, washed out side and, hence, not memorable. This one is stronger, porter like, with a nice roasty molasses flavor that hides the alcohol and is only moderated by a rich malt base. No floral hops flavor here. Very drinkable, enjoyable and at $6.69 a six pack a real steal.
Poured from 12 oz bottle. Dark brown cola color. Good tan head eliminates to thin film but a little gathers in corners. Trader Joes best brew in my oppinion. A very smooth but flavorful ale, with roasted coffee notes, nutty body. Sweet yeasty aroma
355ml bottle Cola-colored pour, frothy slightly tan head. Aroma is earthy soy with just a hint of spicy coffee. Falvor is a bit roasty, some roasted chicory notes, roasted spices, some yeasty esters. Its definitely not a run of the mill brown ale.
"maybe i’m splitting hairs here, but this is more like a black lager than a porter or brown. solid, roasty tones, in the nose and flavor, if a little thin. nice dry finish. so-so mouthfeel."