Autumn Maple - The Bruery

FridayDave

North Carolina

4.6/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Tripel in Playa Del Rey served in a tulip glass. First pours off a fresh keg, not cold.
The hazy brown color bode well, a yam ale should be unclear. The smell was lightly spiced.
The taste started lightly spiced like the smell, then the sweet maple flavor came thru and it was warming, wonderful and washed over my taste buds like syrup, not the mouth feel but everything else I like about it. Each sip was better and better as it warmed.
We had 2 more and each was better but I wouldn't recommend doing that again as the 10% abv in this libation had us feeling very festive.

Serving type: on-tap

01-01-2013 21:20:14 | More by FridayDave

denver10

Colorado

3.43/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a burnt orange/brown with a slight brownish head. Smelled sweet and vegetal like some brown sugar and molasses coated yams. Some alcohol showed itself. Flavor followed suit. A medium bodied mouthfeel, not much life to it. Overall, I enjoyed the beer but not sure I need to try it again.

Serving type: on-tap

11-18-2012 02:48:45 | More by denver10

AgentMunky

Alabama

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a tulip glass at Gourmet Haus Stadt.

A: Light tan head. Murky amber auburn. Translucent.

S: Spices. Boring malt. Distant fruit.

T/M: Honestly, it tastes a lot like a pumpkin beer. The spices (clove? allspice?) are similar, as is the general flavor. The yams might be a tad tarter? Puckery and moreish. The mouthfeel is a bit smooth, but the body is substantial. I really enjoy it.

O: Another great Bruery experience. Recommended. Would have again, especially as a pumpkin alternative.

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2012 03:19:02 | More by AgentMunky

360logic

4.1/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

O: A maple syrup brown with a very light translucence. Thick off-white head forms that lingers for quite a while leaving delicate lacing. Looks quite a bit like an American Brown Ale.

S: Pumpkin pie spices initially, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves. Then a very malty, starchy background follows. All those yams make smelling this reminiscent of sweet potato pie. Rich and substantial aroma here, perfect for fall.

T: A touch of sweetness up front, followed very balanced hops. The spices are clearly evident but not overwhelming. This all gives way to a very malty backbone that covers your palette and fills your mouth. The finish is honestly like swallowing a bite of chilled sweet potato pie.

M: Medium to heavy body. It does wash down your throat fairly cleanly, but there's a little chewiness to it as well. A good balance.

O: A nice balanced, moderate brew for Bruery's more typically bold style.

Serving type: on-tap

10-30-2012 17:53:30 | More by 360logic

aleric

3.73/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a snifter at the Root Note in La Crosse, WI.

A - A dirty reddish-brown. 1-finger eggshell head.

S - Malt, yeast, ester. I can't smell any discernible maple or spices.

T - The alcohol has a strong presence in this beer. Yeast, but lacking some of the harsh phenol tones. Biscuity malt. Very sweet, in some ways similar to Kombucha tea. A hint of spices. The yam becomes more present as the beer warms.

M - Medium weight with a sticky feeling from the sugar.

O - At 10% ABV this is a serious beer. A bit too sweet for my tastes, but it plays the part of a fruit/vegetable beer well without tasting like a dessert.

Serving type: on-tap

10-29-2012 14:04:07 | More by aleric

beertunes

Washington

3.18/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in 10oz goblet. Poured a lightly hazy mahogany color with just a thin cap of light tan head that had low retention and OK lacing.

The aroma was on the sweet side, a nice base earthiness, with a tinge of yeast and a faint veggie aspect. I didn't pick up any maple in the scent. The flavors were basically the same, there were some hops poking through, the yeast was a bit bolder, and a certain sharpness at the back. Again, I didn't pick up any maple in the taste.

The body was nicely medium and very smooth. Drinkability was good, but I probably won't have another. Overall, I was a bit unimpressed with this bee, but you may like more than I did. Worth a shot if you see it.

Serving type: on-tap

10-27-2012 22:07:00 | More by beertunes

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on 2012-10-03 in York, PA at the Holy Hound Taproom.

A - Very hazy brown with some dark orange highlights around the glass edge. 1/2-finger tan head with mild lacing.

S - Allspice, yams, alcohol, mild roasted malt and fruity Belgian yeast.

T - Thanksgiving pumpkin pie spices, candied yams, some caramel, very light touch of maple, alcohol. Nice, lingering spicy yam flavor. Sweet but not overly-so.

M - Medium-heavy body and light carbonation. Slick and clingy but not cloying.

O - A very nice alternative to the Southern Tier Pumking I typically have this time of year.

Serving type: on-tap

10-03-2012 22:23:47 | More by Tucquan

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Deep ruby amber color. Light passes and reveals a cloudiness to the brew. The head is modest, leaving some streaks of lace.

An autumnal smell of nutmeg, clove and cinnamon. Quite sweet with darker toasted malts--think cinnamon toast.

Starts with toasted (dry) malts. Slightly sour. The swallow brings out a strong alcohol warmth, along with the spices of black pepper and what I would think to be pumpkin, but I guess is yams. (Blindfolded, I would never come up with that). The aftertaste has an element of homebrew here.

The body is rich and the carbonation is low. Overall, this is a big beer, worth seeking out.

Serving type: on-tap

09-23-2012 16:32:34 | More by smcolw

UCLABrewN84

California

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at The Bruery in Placentia, CA.

Pours a hazy orange with a foamy beige head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots and streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, yams, brown sugar, and spices. Taste is much the same with a mild spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty and easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

09-18-2012 01:53:45 | More by UCLABrewN84

mhaugo

California

5/5  rDev +30.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

On draft. 4 ounce pour in mini-snifter.
Appearance: Brushed copper with a thin ring of foam.
Smell: Smells like fall. Nutmeg and pumpkins. Imagine a pumpkin pie before it’s thrown in the oven.
Taste: Sweet caramel, nutmeg, allspice, with a little whiskey bite at the end. I love the soothing warmth it leaves. Like a liquid blanket on a cold day.
Mouthfeel: Sweet, smooth, and soft.
Overall: I love fall beers and this is one of my favorites. It’s not just pumpkin spices thrown into a brown ale and distributed for the season… it’s carefully crafted to compliment this time of year. Well done.

Serving type: on-tap

09-13-2012 04:00:31 | More by mhaugo

jbakajust1

Oregon

3.98/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into 8oz tear drop @ Bier Stein

A - Pours a hazy deep red w/ small prickly beige head that fades quick to a ring and leaves no lace

S - Smells of brown sugar, maple syrup, pumpkin pie spices, prunes, fruity esters, sweet malts, light floral notes.

T - Tastes of Cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spices, sweet potato pie, caramelized sugar, dried fruits, and floral alcohol

M - Alcohol warmth, prickly acidity from high carbonation, spicy heat in the semi dry finish, smooth

O - Very rich and deep, complex, fruity esters play well with the spices and maple. Very drinkable, warming, hints of floral from the alcohol. Nice beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-16-2011 22:25:00 | More by jbakajust1

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

on tap at pope in philly

Pours a dark mahogany brown color with some deep burnt orange hues. Light beige head dissolves, leaving little lacing or retention.

This smells like thanksgiving. Yams and roasted malts with caramel and syrup. Vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg create a cornucopia of spice. Light alcohol heat, but not too much.

A bit sweet up front, very distinct notion of candied yams. Spice everywhere with cinnamon and nutmeg at the forefront. Caramelized sugar with a burnt edge, burly malt backbone. Sticky syrupy caramel with some more yams towards the finish. Soft boozy warmth.

Fuller body, decent carbonation, sticky and coating on the tongue. This is a pretty tasty seasonal beer - I was expecting the 10% to be too much, but it managed to stay out of the way enough so you can taste all of the unique flavors. A bit rich, but definitely something I'd have again.

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2011 18:08:17 | More by xnicknj

DarthKostrizer

California

3.98/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap @ provisions

Look: Copper in color with only a 1/8 inch head and no retention at all

Smell: Caramel, allspice, and yams

Taste: Lots of caramel malt upfront with very subtle but nice notes of maple syrup, cinnamon, and yams maybe a hint of molassess

Mouthfeel: Medium body with medium to low carbonation

Overall: I would say overall the beer is a bit of a let down I was expecting big bold flavors of the fall and I did not get that. The fall flavors are there but are subtle. Good beer for what it is. Definitely worth a try and I will drink this again

Serving type: on-tap

11-01-2011 01:11:55 | More by DarthKostrizer

pmarlowe

California

3.68/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Bruery Provisions on 2011 Black Tuesday. Taster tulip glass.

Pours reddish brown with a cap of tan/off white foam, some lacing and decent retention. Smell is very yam forward (never thought I'd say that), cinnamon and allspice and faint syrupy/molasses. Taste is big on yams again, some malt but the spices and syrup barely come through. Taste is off dry. Slight off taste lingers on the tongue, with the ingredients not quite coming together. Medium body and medium-light carbonation are fine.

Overall, big on yams, which I enjoyed in the beer despite not liking yams much in real life. Some nice supporting spice aroma which doesn't quite appear enough in the taste to really make the beer come together. Not very much maple either, considering the name. In any case, a nice beer to remind you of Thanksgiving, more so than pumpkin beers.

Serving type: on-tap

10-25-2011 22:50:08 | More by pmarlowe

Cinderbike

Nevada

3.78/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Had on-tap at the Bruery Provisions in Orange.

A - Murky copper to light brown, light orange/tan head. Pours about a finger's worth and it sticks around for a while.

S - Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg. Your typical pumpkin pie/beer spice combo. Not really picking up on the ginger. Some malt and faint esters also present.

T - Mmm. Yams instead of pumpkin, and it works. This was actually the first Bruery beer I'd tried, last year around this time. The 2011 version tastes better than I remember. I can pick up on the maple syrup, but the spices dominate. Somewhat belgian. A little sweet.

M - Not a lot to say here you probably don't already know. It's like every other pumpkin ale, but with yams. Smooth, medium body.

O - Not really a pumpkin beer, per se, but still amazing. I can't wait to try the BA and 100% brett versions.

Serving type: on-tap

10-25-2011 22:17:25 | More by Cinderbike

thekevlarkid

Maryland

3.35/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Off-tap this beer was a cloudy copper color with a head that displayed nice retention and left spots of lacing. The aroma was of caramel malt, yams, and spices. The flavors were a bit odd in my opinion, semi-sweet malts, alcohol, light esters, hints of maple and a lot of spices in particular nutmeg that seemed to sit on top of everything else. I didn’t get the subtleties I was hoping for due to this element. The mouthfeel was good, the body medium and the carbonation a little low.

Serving type: on-tap

10-14-2011 00:04:58 | More by thekevlarkid

fatmcb1

Texas

4.08/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at The Bruery Tasting Room

Pours an amber color with a light head. It is very hazy.

Smells like pumpkin pie. Tons of nutmeg and cinnamon. Vanilla is feint.

Tons of spices. Belgian yeast combines to make it very complex and interesting.

It is well carbonated, and quite creamy.

I really enjoyed this beer, and hope to try it from a bottle as well.

Serving type: on-tap

10-11-2011 22:44:24 | More by fatmcb1

JonathanG

Colorado

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled on-tap at Hops & Pie. Compared side-by-side to Upslope's Pumpkin Ale.

Cloudy light orangey-amber color, with a little noticeable particulate. Sort of looks like unfiltered, fresh apple cider. Minimal head, light carbonation. Some may not like the cloudiness, but I feel it suits the beer nicely, as it's a bit rustic in nature, in a good way.

An intriguing nose and palate that is a bit earthy and subtly complex, with a nice rawness to it, like opening up a fresh can of pureed pumpkin or yams. The spice is nicely integrated, at least when I tried it, and not overblown by any means (although the Short's Huma Lupa Licious IPA I had beforehand could've skewed my tastebuds a bit).

Like comfort food, this is comfort beer. A wonderful Fall seasonal.

Serving type: on-tap

10-08-2011 14:04:27 | More by JonathanG

rhong187

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

4oz flight that I had as part of a fall beer lineup

A - hazy deep, dark, orange/brown color. appears very much like pureed yams... about a finger head, even with the smaller glass

S - Amazing aroma, really captures the yams and molasses well. It has a sweet, but not over sweet consistency to it, and you can't detect any alcohol whatsoever.

T - Instant sweetness hits your palate, with a very refreshing and clean finish. It's really unbelievable that this beer is 10%.

M - moderate carbonation, with a light body to it. Surprisingly crisp.

Once again the Bruery comes through with another fantastic offering. This may be best served in smaller servings, perhaps 4-8 oz pours would be ideal.. Nonetheless, a great autumn beer, and one that should be enjoyed with Thanksgiving dinner.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2011 00:11:39 | More by rhong187

david18

New York

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Below is a previous review of a bottle version.

I'm not sure what to make of this beer. I wasn't aware this was a belgian strong, more of speciality. Given the alcohol by volume, it's surprising not hot. The malt however is a little intense and the maple flavor and character in particular are a little more intense than they need to be.

---

Agreed with the top assessment. This is really a beer for a specialty beer afficianado.

Serving type: on-tap

10-04-2011 19:30:46 | More by david18

illidurit

California

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at burger. in Santa Cruz. Pours a rusty brown color with a creamy egg nog head. Aroma is full of spice and alcohol, dark fruits and pumpkin pie. A little solventy too. Flavor has plenty of garnet yams and brown sugar, some earthy notes, a slightly acetic tartness, pepper, cinnamon. Overall on the sweet side, but it would make a good digestif for sharing. Thick and sweet on the palate, with a light astringency that helps dry it out.

Serving type: on-tap

09-22-2011 08:19:22 | More by illidurit

notchucknorris

California

3.78/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Provisions

A: Amber color that seems to glow in the glass with a thin soapy head.

S: Candied yam, pumpkin pie, cinnamon, nutmeg and some orange peel. Definitely reminds me of fall.

T: Brown sugar and some sweet potato upfront with some cinnamon bread following. A slight hint of hops and belgian yeast on the finish. I wanted a little more from this taste wise. It seemed like it should have been a bit sweeter.

Serving type: on-tap

09-15-2011 16:22:19 | More by notchucknorris

socon67

New York

4.03/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours reddish brown with a slight head on top. Minimal lacing.

S - Smells of fresh maple syrup, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. Scent of a perfect Thanksgiving beer.

T - Taste is sweet with notes of pumpkin spices and maple flavor. The sweetness takes the form of molasses; rich and very sweet.

M - For a high ABV this is masked well. Extremely drinkable. Feels medium bodied, and is easy to have a second with food. The sweetness made this a great appetizer beer.

O - A fun fall beer that is a good change of pace from all the pumpkin beers. Would like to keep a bottle for the holidays.

Serving type: on-tap

09-08-2011 01:42:35 | More by socon67

Chico1985

Massachusetts

3.15/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a deep brownish-red, pink highlights. 1-finger beige head quickly forms to a thin ring, no lace.

Smell is a bit odd but intriguing, dark fruit, dark bread, some spice and tartness...only a hint of what's to come.

Taste has alot more to it, but is quite bizarre... dark fruit, licorice, tons of fall and winter spice, potpourri, a bit of funky tartness, medicinal notes. Not really my cup of tea but the complexity/oddness kept me sipping.

Oily mouthfeel, high carbonation, some booze but felt lower than 10.5%.

I can appreciate this for it's originality, I've never had a beer quite like this. But this is pretty wacky, and overspiced in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap

09-06-2011 11:24:04 | More by Chico1985

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Vintage 09 on tap at Tap & Table. I had this from a bottle once before and it's better this time around. The color is a really nice autumn brown and very clear. From the bottle it was cloudy and brown kinda muddy. The spices are really well done in this beer the usuage of yams in the batch is great idea as well. It's slightly sweet but mostly spiced. This beer is awesome for the thanksgiving season! Definitely try it.

Serving type: on-tap

03-31-2011 22:15:26 | More by Knapp85