Review Date 12/16/2016 Last Updated 7/24/2017
Try? Re-buy?
Here’s a fun little story for you about Back Home Gingerbread Stout from the Golden Road Brewery. I saw it on the shelf at Total Wine, just before Thanksgiving. It was sold in 4-packs of 16-ounce cans, and the box label has, as you can see to the right, “Made in LA” printed on it. This being Georgia, and since I had never had a Golden Road beer before, I assumed the beer was from Louisiana. That was my first mistake.
You see, Golden Road is from Los Angeles, but being this is the south and Louisiana is closer, one hopes you will forgive my mistake. So, that over with, I bought a can. That was my second mistake. Not in the sense that the beer was bad, far from it. In the sense that when I drank that can the beer was so good, I ended up going back for more. The price was the issue, at $15.99 for four 16-ounce cans I was indignant, but after drinking a can I decided to pay it. The good news was that when I got back there, it was down to $12.99 a 4-pack. Maybe that was Total Wine’s mistake?
From the website:
Our dark, roasty Imperial Stout is balanced by whole and ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, and vanilla that signal the winter holiday season. At 8.5% ABV, we brew this winter warmer to be shared back home with your closest friends and family.
Ingredients from the same source:
Malts: 2-Row, Crystal Extra Dark,, Chocolate malt, Carafa 3, Roast Barley, Carafoam, Rolled oats
Hops: Bravo, Northern Brewer
Golden Road Back Home Gingerbread Stout has an alcohol content of 8.5% by volume with 25 IBUs. I already told you what I paid for it, were you paying attention? I still think $12.99 is a little high, but this beer is absolutely worth it.
Golden Road Back Home Gingerbread Stout pours to a jet-black color with a thick creamy tan head and a huge heady nose of pungent ginger. I could smell it as soon as I popped the can. Taking a sip, the beer is dark malty and cookieish up front, full of pungent ginger and a lot like a fresh baked spicy gingerbread cookie. The cinnamon and nutmeg complement the ginger to add to the gingerbread cookie impression. Finishes dry with spice.
Truly wonderful and along with Samuel Adams Merrymaker one of the best such beers I’ve ever tasted. Would I buy it again? Looks like I already did…..
Update 7/24/2017: Golden Road Back Home Gingerbread Stout is as wonderful for Christmas in July as it is for Christmas in December. A saved can is deliciously cookie malty and packed with ginger spice and cinnamon. This will be a holiday staple for me, and I hope to see it hit store shelves again this fall.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled, canned
(D)=Draft