Beer of the Weekend #855: Baba

The beer of the weekend is Baba, brewed by Uinta Brewing of Salt Lake City, Utah.



The color looks black, but I think it is very deep brown. Either way, it is not opaque. A finger of tan, buttery, tight head leaves a bubble-spotted skim and a short trail of lacing.

(Paragraphs! I don’t know why I was lumping my beer descriptions into one paragraph for so long, but I won’t be doing it any more.)

The aroma is dark and roasted. It is smoky, too. There are scents of toasted malt, dark chocolate, and smoked malt. Though the overall aroma is light, it is rich and inviting. It is coffee-like, but coffee is not the first thing that comes to my mind; the coffee element is not strong or prominent enough to make me think of coffee.

The flavor is smoky and the roasted malt provides a bitterness that coats the taste buds. The bitterness fads in prominence, though, but still lingers on the uvula and the back of the throat. There are flavors of smoked malt, dark chocolate, and a touch of molasses. It’s creamy and smooth, and the chocolate is reminiscent of the dark chocolate candy my aunt offers on Christmas. There is a coffee element, but it is not very prominent.

Fun facts about Baba:

• Style: Black lager.

• Price: $9.99 for a six-pack of 12-ounce cans at the New Pioneer Food Co-op in Coralville, Iowa.

• Alcohol content: 4 percent ABV.

• IBU: 38.

• Color: 52 SRM.

• Here’s a fun fact about Salt Lake City: Its population (estimated at 190,884 in 2014) is smaller than Des Moines’ (203,433 in 2010). Salt Lake City’s metro area has a much higher population than Des Moines’, but it amazed me that more people live in Des Moines than Salt Lake City.


The Quiet Man’s grade: B-.

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