Autumn Maple - The Bruery

elgiacomo

Georgia

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

16oz Growler. Served at around 50F.

Pours clear brown/copper/red with a one finger light brown head that leaves some spotty lacing and recedes to a wispy cap and ring.

Aroma is spicy, with nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, etc, definitely picking up the yams and some notes of maple syrup and vanilla, mild fruity esters deep underneath. Very good strength.

Flavor is nutmeg, cinnamon, spices, moving to the yams, maple syrup, vanilla, finishes with strong fruity notes and quite sweet. 10% ABV is well hidden.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, oily, a little sticky, good carbonation.

Interesting and overall pretty tasty beer. I’ve never been big on pumpkin beers, but this one always caught my eye every year, but I never could pull the trigger as I knew 750ml would be just way too much. With a recent opportunity to purchase a 16oz growler, I couldn’t pass it up.

Serving type: growler

10-28-2012 23:47:28 | More by elgiacomo

scootny

New York

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

This is a great follow up to the traditional pumpkin ale at the Thanksgiving table. A very clear garnet brown with a decent light khaki head. Light to moderate lacing on the glass after a quick fade. There is some stickiness apparent in the liquid. A deep rich nose full of sweet malts and Belgian yeast. The yams add a thick layer of decadence to the dark breads and malt. Banana is enhanced by them. Dark fruits are sitting on top of them. This is so pleasing to my nose I could smell it for days and still want more. A bit of earth balances the thick sweet breadiness, a light touch of alcohol adds a flourish. Taste is in line with the nose. Dark fruits and large slices of sweet brown bread in the front. Some notes of maple syrup. Earthy mellow hops to balance and bitter the finish. Complex spiciness that makes you wonder if it is spice or the basics. The usual holiday bouquet is here but is so well integrated you just enjoy it without focusing on it. Feel is supple with a light syrup consistency. Moderate carbonation is spot on and just a bit short of creamy when fresh poured. After a bit of time however the bubbles take on a gentle personality and add just enough movement to keep the beer from getting heavy. A nice experience overall on balance. Drinkability is surprising for a BSDA. This went down like a lager almost and with good food a real winner. A great beer for the holiday table as well as anytime Belgian dark urgings. Really good stuff here.

Serving type: growler

11-29-2010 07:27:38 | More by scootny

Nesued

South Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A wonderful growler from the great staff at Green's on Piney Grove Road in Columbia, SC. Kudos for their continued efforts on bringing outstanding offerings to Columbia!

Appearance - Toffee/amber in color, clear with a moderate carbonation and a moderate head as well. Good to see a balanced carbonation from a The Bruery product! Great thin head retained once the brunt faided.

Smell - Spice greets your nose. Some allspice, caramel and nutmeg round out your first impression. True to the expectation of this "harvest" ale.

Taste - Rich molasses and maple lead you into a very smooth initial presentation. Sweet middle with the alcohol making an appearance. Not as "boozy" as you would expect for a whopping 10.5% offering which adds to the drinkability. The finish again is filled with the sweet maple presence. Not much hop bite to temper the malty sweetness.

Mouthfeel - The carbonation fades over time to make this a bit thicker than expected. That combined with the malty/sweet body is a down tick for me. The linger is long on this beer.

Drinkability - I found myself coming back to this growler after the first glass. Drinking this cold seems to improve this offering, as this adds to keeping the CO2 in solution longer. A sipper? Sure. The ABV is high enough.

Serving type: growler

11-27-2010 23:49:22 | More by Nesued

bmacx1082

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours a hazy copper color with a tan head.

S- Lots of spice and dark fruit scents of yams

T- Spice, maple, and caramelized dark fruit flavors. Yams are even more evident than in the smell.

M- Medium bodied with a decent amount of carbonation.

D- This is a nice brew that's easy to drink. It's definitely a change of pace from your usual fall seasonal pumpkins. I had no problem finishing off a 64 oz. growler and was left feeling nice with the 10.50% ABV.

Serving type: growler

11-18-2009 03:58:27 | More by bmacx1082

KALIKGOLD

South Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Went down to the Charleston Beer Exchange in downtown Charleston, SC. They have "Rare Beer Tuesday's" which happens to be today, 09/29/09.

I poured it from the growler and noticed the dark hazy color, almost like sweet tea. There was no real head on the beer, maybe 2 fingers at most and off-white in color, which had a very short retention time.

It smells like grandma's house on Thanksgiving. Immediately my nose was greeted with cinnamon, clove, maple syrup, brown sugar, almost like a candied ham or yam for that matter.

The taste is an orchestra of cinnamon, brown sugar, clove with an aftertaste of candied yams and vanilla icecream mixed together, you know when you burp up candied yams after Thanksgiving dinner. A very Southern taste!

This is definately very drinkable, especially when in good company, and a beer to share for sure. The alcohol leaves a perfect burn in the back of your throat, very nice on a cold day.

I highly recommend this beer for the fall. The beer creates a perfect equation for fall and winter, all you need is Autumn Maple(+)Friends(+)A Fire(X)Cold weather and you will be sure to have a good time.

Serving type: growler

09-29-2009 23:28:40 | More by KALIKGOLD

AltBock

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Capone's during the St. Somewhere promo on 9/5/09. Since it was so good and it was one of the most reasonably priced growlers, I had to take this one home with me. I thought a beer like this deserves a special glass, so i poured this "Pumpkin Ale" into my Maudite Snifter.

If you think this beer is going to pour a yam or pumpkin orange, then you don't know The Bruery very well. This beer poured an extremely hazy dark amber orange that was clearly more amber than orange. This beer was so hazy that I couldn't even catch a glimpse of the silhouette of my fingers on the other side of the glass. Like I said in a previous review, you gotta love the hazyness! There was no head of foam at first, but then out of nowhere, up rises a great looking pale maple brown colored 1 1/2 creamy head of foam. It had fast retention, but it managed to leave behind a string of foamy rings and just a few tiny spots of lace around the glass.

If you take your time to smell this beer, you're going to find a wide range of aromas. My nose was able to find the scent of yams, a hint of roasted malts, a drop of baker's chocolate, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, a touch of maple sugar, and a subtle whiff of vanilla beans. Swirling it around will only increase the scent of the yams, but it won't let through any other aroma? How could it not? There were more than enough aromas to satisfy any beer's lovers sense of smell. Why a perfect 5? How could I not? There was so much going on in the smell that every time I put my nose to the beer there was another new aroma for me to smell.

The taste of this beer started off dry with dry roasted malts and a touch of baker's chocolate. After that, this beer shows off that it was actually brewed with yams. It was a dry yam taste and it didn't last all that long. After the yams, this beer rolls into the spice part of the taste that contained a subtle spice taste of cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. After all the spices, this beer finishes up with a pinch of maple sugar, a drop of molasses, and more dry roasted malts. As you can tell, the taste wasn't as complex as the aroma, but not much can compare to that.

10.5% ABV? Yeah right! There was no way that it could possibly this high. if it was that high, then all the alcohol must have been hidden by the yams and all of the spices. The aftertaste was that of dry roasted malts, yams, baker's chocolate, cinnamon, maple, and nutmeg. 10.5% ABV? Are you sure? It just can't be!

Although it's brewed with yams, this is one of the better Pumpkin beers I've had. Is it a must try? Not really. It's more of a must smell type of beers. This beer was so good that I could really see me opening a bottle or drinking another growler of this in the fall or early winter.

Serving type: growler

09-07-2009 06:20:19 | More by AltBock

Halcyondays

California

4.45/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Approximately 400 mL on-tap at The Bruery and a growler, a yam beer, but brewed in the style of a pumpkin ale,

A: Pours a deep burnt orange, before trying it I expected it to be lighter, but I think the deep colour goes well with strong nature of the brew. Fair head retention. Edit - The growler I had of this brew had excellent head retention, it looked really good so I'm upping the score.

S: Fall spices galore, definite nutmeg and cinnamon, allspice is used here too, but it's tough to pick out everything.

T: Spicy upfront with a bite of cinnamon. Yams come into play with a sweet finish with their characteristic taste, some marshmallow and an undercurrent of molasses and maple syrup throughout the whole drink. As close to October in a bottle as I've found so far.

M: Mouthfeel is spot on, the perfect amount of carbonation for a beer of this size. Full-bodied, viscous and spicy, no booze to speak of.

D: A beer that drinks as if it had much lower alcohol, but it still contains some heaviness making it more of a sipper. Best of the style I have ever had, I can't wait 'til it comes out in bottles, I know what I'm drinking this Halloween.

Serving type: growler

09-21-2008 18:22:34 | More by Halcyondays

RyanCave

Virginia

4.04/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: dark amber, earthy brown, a bit hazy
Nose: fig, plum, dark fruit, hint of booze/maple
Taste: sweet but not cloying, plums, raisons, root vegetables like carrots and rutabaga
Mouthfeel: Light to Medium body, nothing remarkable, but what you'd expect from the style

Overall this brew was great. This was a brew from 2011, was cellared properly, and was overall a great beer. Not too long ago I had this fresh, and was impressed. This was different, but still good.

I would not seek this out, however, I enjoyed thoroughly

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 21:10:10 | More by RyanCave

rand

California

3.66/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

From 750 mL bottle to nonic pint glass

Picked this up last year primarily for my girlfriend because she loves pumpkin beer, and this is supposed to convey that 'holiday feel' without any actual pumpkin. Instead, they used sweet potatoes (the label says they used yams, but what Americans think are yams are actually sweet potatoes...Google it), and a lot of them. First, I don't get the West Coast aversion to a good pumpkin beer. Second, although this does have a late fall/winter holiday feel to it, it's a little too 'experimental' for standard holiday comfort. That being said, it got tastier as I worked through the bottle. The specs:

A: The title says it all - a brown, sort of rusty color, not unlike the deciduous leaves you'd rake in the fall. Cloudy, opaque, and there's apparently plenty of carbonation as it forms a nice, frothy, 2-inch head.

S: The sweet potatoes and the Belgian yeast combine to make a light, earthy aroma, like a garden after the rain. Bready, sweet; the maple and molasses are readily apparent. There's booze in there but not as much as you'd guess.

T/M: The molasses hits the palate first...hard. Where some beers (especially big stouts) infer their notes of molasses, this beats you over the tongue. Upon further sips, the flavors unravel a bit as the big, ripe, fruity esters of the Belgian yeast strain play nicely with the maple syrup. The sweet potatoes not only lend their flavor, but make the brew chewy, a little chalky. Thankfully, there are ample scrubbing bubbles because it's a lot to take down - even with the carbonation there's plenty of sticky residue between swallows. The booze pops in mid-sip to break things up a bit, but man, the molasses really sticks around throughout the sip. I'd definitely tone down the molasses next batch. Finishes long and sweet.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 05:24:30 | More by rand

kylehay2004

Florida

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

A: half finger head with minimal retention on a hazy amber with slight orange hue body. Minimal lacing.

S: lots of spices for the season including cinnamon, maple, candy apple, nutmeg and yams.

T: nice caramel malt base with nutmeg and red apple up front moving to yams finishing with mostly cinnamon and fresh pumpkin. Minimal brown sugar for sweetness.

M: medium slightly chewy body and moderate carbonation.

Overall: the spices aren't overwhelming and although I describe them in sections they run together except for the cinnamon in the finish which lingers for a while. A very nice and complex brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 01:32:04 | More by kylehay2004

nickfl

Florida

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

A - Pours with a smal head of tan foam on top of an amber body with light haze. The head settles fairly quickly and else's little lace.

S - Lots of brown sugar, clove, maple, and spices.

T - Intense brown sugar and molasses up front. Lots of nutmeg and clove in the middle with a finish of cinnamon, more brown sugar and caramel.

M - A thick body, moderate carbonation, and a fairly sweet syrupy finish.

D - Not bad, it is certainly a different take on a fall beer and one that is exactly what you would expect from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 01:31:17 | More by nickfl

Immortale25

Florida

4.05/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter. No freshness date.

A- Pours a somewhat murky medium brown color with a 1/2 inch light tan head that retains decently before . Sticky lacing spackles are quite resilient.

S- Rich aroma of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and allspice with some vegetal quality in the back from the yams. Smells like a sweet potato.

T- Spicy, somewhat sweet flavor of cinnamon and nutmeg but has a metallic aftertaste that's kind of off. Alcohol is extremely well-hidden as multiple sips are taken without batting an eye. The yam/sweet potato taste isn't as apparent as in the aroma which saddens me. The booze becomes more noticeable as it warms.

M- Soft and not so lively from the medium-low carbonation. Heavyish body.

O- Was expecting a bit more from this one but I must give it extra points for how incredibly drinkable it is for a 10% beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 03:27:00 | More by Immortale25

Gravelost

2.69/5  rDev -29.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

This beer was my first experience with a yam brewed beer. I must say that while the beer description was great, the beer its self was not to my liking. I drank this beer on a cool winter day, and I just could not enjoy this beer. The smell was defiantly a tuber brewed beer, smelling sweet and earthy, but the flavor was peculiar. On initial taste, the beer is overpowering. I suggest letting the beer breath for at least a few minutes. Again, earthy and sweet, not a regular flavor for beer. I believe the intent of the brewers was to have you enjoy one of these after thanksgiving dinner with a piece of pie. Best of luck in your adventures, Z.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 19:32:32 | More by Gravelost

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.56/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750 mL bottle poured into a snifter. Bottle for $3.99 on clearance. Can't beat it.

Appearance - Murky deep orange/brown. Billowing khaki head that nearly overflows the glass. Settles quickly, though. Thick collar.

Smell - Very spicy. Distinct Belgian character to it. Bright light malts balance with a deep brown sugar and maple aroma. Inviting.

Taste - Maple comes out much more here, with the spice being subdued into the finish. Dominated by caramel malt, detracting a bit from the complexity. Lingering sweet finish, but not cloying.

Mouthfeel - Well carbonated. Nowhere near as sweet as I remember it. Boozy.

Overall - I don't love the style, but I enjoyed this. Tough to distinguish the yam base. Tasty combination of extraneous flavors.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 03:10:49 | More by Alieniloquium

BeerManDan

California

3.13/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

When poured, a dark, hazy maple brow with very little foam and absoutle no lace. The smell had a sour/sweet aroma, with maple and spices. The taste had a sweet/sour/salty flavor of sweet/sour/salty spices, maple and candy. This Fruit/Vegetable Beer was to sour/salty for my palate. The flavor was short, but the saltyness just stayed to long on the aftertaste. For me a waste of money and time!

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 23:28:47 | More by BeerManDan

Hex92

Virginia

4.13/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tasty. I have tried a few different beers from the bruery and I have liked most of them. This was no exception. Before it warmed up it just tasted like a real nice dubbel I thought....as it warmed up the flavor became more complex.

The carbonation is a bit higher than I like, but the overall mouth feel is pretty good. The taste is hard to describe as it warms up. It definitely changes , but I don't get the taste of yams, maple...maybe a bit of spices.

I would buy this again. I would like to set a bottle aside and see how the flavor develops over a year or two.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 02:06:47 | More by Hex92

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

purdueflyguy

Colorado

3.33/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2012 Vintage poured on 27DEC12

Poured a nice reddish brown with about 2 finger head that dissipated quickly.

Don't really get the yams, get a little fall spices and some maple flavor. Get a spiciness from the yeast.

Taste the yams molasses and syrup really come though. Definitely sweet start that lingers throughout the finish. Don't taste any of the alcohol and don't get any warming so it was hidden well for 10%.

Feel a little thin would have preferred for it to stick around a little bit longer.

Overall a decent beer but probably won't buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 00:25:17 | More by purdueflyguy

MarioM

California

4.33/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 ml poured into tulip

A: First of all, great looking beer, almost seems thick. Cloudy and copper like but almost slight red in color. Carbonation was obvious with a lot of noise coming from the bubles building themselves up to a single finger tan head, built up quickly with small bubbles, but didn't linger long with no lacing after a few seconds to a minute. This is my first brew from The Bruery and let me say, I am excited!

S: Belgian yeast, slight sweetness, malt, brown sugar, dried fruits, cherries and some pumpkin spice notes. This beer smells great! Reminds me of winter and the holidays.

T: Oh damn! Alcohol is there but is perfectly balanced with brown sugar, its sweet but just right, pumpkin spice, molasses and definitely some maple syrup like the bottle says. The Belgian yeast makes all the ingredients come together and become a unique, special and tasty brew that packs a punch!

M: This beer smells, looks and tastes great but also feels really good. Its really smooth, warm feeling. Spices and alcohol work together, linger together and makes for a great aftertaste that leaves you wanting more, and more and more.

O: This is a great holiday brew! Its very balanced even with all those wonderful holiday flavors, looks great, smells and feels good. I've only heard of good things from BA community about this brewery and now I get it! Will buy again and share with others, people need to know whats up and I will make sure it happens! Yum!

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 05:55:49 | More by MarioM

rodlavers

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I actually had to edit this because it changed some much as it warmed a bit, which influenced my perception of the flavor and mouthfeel more than anything. The intriguing aspect, the maple, comes out much more and as a result, renders the feel much smoother and creamier. Not as bad as my initial response below. Definitely worth a try.

Poured from 750ml bottle into a stemmed wine glass. Cloudy caramel in color, with a very thin tan head, recedes pretty quickly. No lacing. Smells very belgiany, with spices and a blend of the other elements supposedly used in the brewing process: yams, molasses, and maple syrup. Taste is similar, but with some dark fruit added. Mouthfeel is sharp, crisp, and somewhat refreshing with a buttery/pastry aftertaste. It's definitely rich. Overall, not a huge fan of this beer and I suppose I hyped it up myself because I was so interested in the maple aspect. I would be interested in trying this with some age on it. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 22:21:20 | More by rodlavers

sommersb

Tennessee

4.13/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Tasted On: 12-19-2012
Freshness: Bottled on 09-11-2012
Packaging: 750ml brown bottle, pry-cap
Glassware: Tulip
Purchased: Single from Brawley's Beverage, Charlotte

Pours a dark orange-brown and hazy beer. The big off-white head has a fair level of retention, with little lace to show. Aromas are very spicy and highlight cinnamon and clove. Other smells are of pumpkin and yam fruit/vegetables.

Taste is rich and malty sweet, plus lots of spice notes as in nutmeg, allspice and cinnamon. Other flavors include vanilla and woody notes, plus a smooth alcohol warmth. Bitterness is low.

Thick mouthfeel, with medium to high carbonation. Finish is of spices and is sweet, malty and fruity. Overall this is an excellent dessert beer -- very rich, sweet and spicy. Recommended

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 04:13:46 | More by sommersb

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Rust red color with a bone head of meager height. Small pour in my glass offers only so much to criticize.

Maple and cinnamon and nutmeg in the nose. Malty sweet, with a slight hop brush. Vegetable quality reminds me of pumpkin, but I get that it's yam.

Sweet and bitter, spicy and with some hops. Lots of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, yam, and muted maple flavors that merely peek out. Hot heat. Slight citric hops offer bitterness and complement the earthy yam flavors.

An imperial pumpkin-like feel with medium carbonation and a hefty body.

Good beer. Happy to have tried it.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 02:10:13 | More by thecheapies

matttttYCE

Arizona

3.8/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Very hazy looking dark ruby brown mixture, that has a nice light tan head which sticks around for a while and decent lacing. Aroma is like pumpkin pie mixed with yams and holiday spices. So it's big on pumpkin pie with yams, molasses, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, brown sugar, sweet potatoes, and Belgian yeast/candied sweetness. The flavor is on par with much of the same pumpkin pie, yam, and spices, with the light twist of the Belgian yeast. The mouthfeel is light overall. Light-medium consistency and body, medium carbonation, and a light finish.

Overall this is a very nice pumpkin/spice/holiday type beer. A bit high on the ABV for a beer of it's type, but still enjoyable and definitely a different and original take on the pumpkin style beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 03:49:35 | More by matttttYCE

scottfrie

California

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

750ml bottle provided at Thanksgiving by our host.

A: Pours a deep murky caramel color with a very short lived and fizzy light brown head that faded into nothing. Sits like iced-tea in the glass.
S: Yams, citrus and fall spices on the nose. Hints of molasses and nutmeg as well. Smells rather sweet.
T: Follows the nose with very sweet notes of molasses, caramel, sweet candied yams, lemon peel and lightly tart green apples. Spices are present with nutmeg, cinnamon, lemon zest and pumpkin spice. Finish is drying with a good dose of green apple and cranberry tartness. I get a hint of buttery doughy malt, caramel, tobacco and brown sugar in there as well.
M: Medium body, lowish carbonation with a slick, lightly tart, mouthfeel.
O: Interesting flavor, drinkable, with a refreshing light tartness. Solid all-around.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 02:22:26 | More by scottfrie

DocJitsu

California

3.65/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nearly opaque, cider amber color. Not vibrant, but certainly not dull. A short caramel colored head appears, but fades just as quickly. The nose is interesting. The obligatory spicy raisin for this style, but I easily detect sweet potato and pumkin pie as well. The cinnamon is nearly overdone. The mouthfeel is pleasant, with a light syrupy consistency without being viscous. Some light carbonation toward the finish provides some balance. A lot of sweet raisin and cinnamon up front. Competing bitterness and tartness at the finish. After the tartness, it falls flat on the rear of the tongue, wihich spoils the experience a bit. There's some warmth left in the palate following the finish. I think more maple syrup would've helped how this beer finishes. I wonder how much of the sugar in maple syrup is fermentable. Perhaps too much. If there is enough time between sips, I can taste sweet potato. Interesting to a degree, but not enough to make it a great beer.

ADDENDUM: As the beer warms, the flavors blend much more nicely. I'd recommend enjoying this beer after it has warmed in your glass.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 00:12:38 | More by DocJitsu