Autumn Maple - The Bruery

beershrine

California

1.98/5  rDev -48.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Just had this beer on thanksgiving dinner along with a several 6 or 7 other belgian styled beers.
Beer has a rich dark color and pour's nice, settles with no head quickly.
Smell is sweet strong like an extract
Taste: is a very heavy sweet taste with an overload of flavors. I kept smelling a compost pile in my glass with an offending aftertaste of shoe polish, alcohol
Mouthfeel: almost to much to grasp, balance is weird it's all sweet maple syrup... yams?
Overall: I didn't like this beer and I could not get anyone to drink more than half a glass, I think its got to much going on at once. We enjoyed lots of other belgian styled beers and we like them but I won't buy this one again, If you buy this beer do not open it > Wait at least 1 year. This beer is not aged.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 00:50:45 | More by beershrine

BeerGut4Life

Indiana

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

Pours a dark auburn color with lots of frantic bubbles. A nice dollop of foam appears with decent retention, but leaves little lacing.

Lots of spices in the nose...mostly cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Notes of brown sugar and dark malts combined with a hefty whiff of yeast remind me of fried sweet plantains.

Taste pretty much follows the nose...lots of yeast and spices. Sweet potatoes, molasses, and mulled wine flavors. Some definite booziness. Mouthfeel is light to medium with lots of carbonation and finishes dry.

Had this after Thanksgiving dinner with some pumpkin pie, which made for a great combo. The Belgian influence makes for an interesting take on the pumpkin/autumn beer genre.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 20:53:39 | More by BeerGut4Life

joeseppy

Illinois

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

Not going to drivel on here.

Bought a bottle for the Thanksgiving dinner.

WOW...excellent compliment and balance to the turkey and mom's dinner.
This will be at every Thanksgiving dinner to come.

Yams culminate this Belgium style brew into what could be tradition for this time of year.
Notes of banana and caramel...not too sweet though.

Bruery has a winner here!!!! Kudos

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 02:35:24 | More by joeseppy

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

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

Poured from 22oz bottle into wine glass for thanksgiving desert. Pours a hazy burnt orangey amber with a half finger of head. Smell is sweet Belgian malts with a hint of banana and clove. Taste is super sweet Belgian malts with a ton of sugar...almost over sweet but has a good molasses and banana note. Its a good brew just a bit over sweet. Nice looker though...

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 01:48:22 | More by DrinkSlurm

alexgash

Connecticut

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

750 ml bottle. Served with Thanksgiving dinner at cellar temp.

Dark orange to burnt sienna. Skinny finger of dense, creamy, light beige. head. Caramel, brown sugar, pumpkin pie filling, molasses, and some faint cooked carrots on the nose. Plenty of spice and yeast too. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and maybe cloves. Very nice.

Singed caramel and toasted malt up front. Palate quickly fills up with sweet caramel, molasses, rummy fruits, and pumpkin pie filling. Warming toward the finish. Mulled wine and pumpkin pie spices around the edges. Lingering overripe fruit in the finish. Warming, but not boozy. Medium-full body, with a smooth, lightly carbonated feel. Tasty and a very good beer to pair with Tday dinner!

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 20:53:46 | More by alexgash

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

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

This beer pours a nice brown color with a big tan head. There is a very sweet matly aroma with some potato notes. There is a a full flavor with sweet potato flavor some sweet maple syurp lots of yeasty flavors. Good full flavor more sippable then not. Overall a very interesting beer novel taste very enjoyable worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 19:33:28 | More by vette2006c5r

dcloeren

Texas

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

Pours a ruby red with a finger of sandy head

The aroma is very vegetal with the yams making up the majority of the aroma. All spice, cinnamon and molasses make up the rest of the scent.

The taste follows the nose to the T. Yam forward, full of spice, molasses and vanilla. Getting some heat from the booze on the back end.

Full in body with a touch too much carbonation. It doesn't ruin the beer by any means but it could stand to tone it down a bit...

Overall, this was a really good beer. The Bruery has made yet another interesting and delicious beer. Very glad that I got to have this beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 02:02:10 | More by dcloeren

jmaharaj

Maryland

3.6/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Not bad. Orangey pale hue, like unripe mango. cloudy with a white head that lingers thin on top of the beer. Belgian yeast comes through first on the nose followed by warming alcohol. there is some sweetness, not so much maple, maybe brown sugar and a strong scent of unripe jackfruit. The taste is pleasant but relatively one dimensional. spicy belgian yeast, some powdery fruit and not much maple or yam, which is what got me excited about this. A little thin and undercarbonated for me. All in all not bad, but somewhat dull.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 01:13:37 | More by jmaharaj

Chris_Cali_2o9

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

From a bomber to a sam adams cup

A- murky brown, i got a 1/4" off white head with a hard poor that quickly faded to a lacing atop the brew.

S- smells just like a pumpkin ale with all the usual spices that accompany that style, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, but an awesome hint of yam occasionally hits me as i search, setting this brew apart from anything else i have tried.

T- I snuck a sip as i was reviewing the smell and the yams hit me hard and the mouthfeel was almost creamy, but as i continue to sip, the belgian yeast rears it's ugly head, and turns the brew sour. Spicey, green apple comes to mind and if i take a couple minutes between sips, the sourness lingers on my tongue. Though i wish for the yams total come back, the mix of a pumpkin ale type brew and belgian yeast is interesting and i've never had anything like it.

M- Medium body that coats your tongue and leaves a numbing/tingling feeling

O- Didn't someone mention something about maple? Maybe if the yeast hadn't taken over, i'd be able to find more layers to this beer, but after splitting the bottle into two servings, and racking my brain both times, my review remains the same. On the other hand, without the belgian yeast, maybe this brew falls in line with everything else, leaving it boring and passed over. I have never tried a beer that taste so different then it smells. If i were blind folded and asked to name the style of the brew by smell, i would say pumpkin ale, if asked the same question by taste, i would say a farmhouse/saison. This beer is very interesting, not too many brews lately have left me wondering.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 01:12:47 | More by Chris_Cali_2o9

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

JesseLara

California

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

Had this at Liquid Bread in DT Campbell.

Smelled wayyyy better than it was. Good, but not awesome. Way too sweet for my taste, but it has its place. Breakfast beer maybe? I'd try it with my waffle/pancake breakfast.

Had to have been 29 pounds of yams!, super sweet. Way more so than a typical barley wine, and those I have trouble with at times.

Good beer if you like sweet sticky beer.

Would give it another shot, this time with breakfast.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 03:41:20 | More by JesseLara

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

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

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

obywan59

Virginia

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

Cloudy. Coppery amber in color with a huge 4 finger light tan head that leaves thick, sticky lacing.

The aroma is of sweet potato pie. Yams, pumpkin pie spices, light molasses and maple syrup, Belgian yeast and alcohol.

Taste is sweet, but for me the alcohol overpowers the added flavorings though I do get a bit of the pumpking pie effect in the aftertaste. I also get the perception of rye, as in in the end, the beer seems to be more tart than sweet.

Medium to medium-thick bodied with light carbonation and a light alcohol burn in the throat.

The taste, perhaps, suffers a bit from the high alcohol content, but having said that, it might be a good idea to grab another one, and hold it for awhile, to let it age.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 03:48:23 | More by obywan59

Brandywine

Washington

3.88/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: beautiful blood orange color. Almost no head to speak of. Nice alcohol legs and big lacing around the glass.
Smell: nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, spicy esters, pumpkin
Taste: a little boozy, mild sweetness, spices are well balanced but the yam doesn't really come through except to give it a richer mouthfeel. Molasses too. There is a nice roasty, spiciness from the belgian yeast although it tastes like rye. Yams really start to come out as the beer warms up. There is also a nice breadiness without any of the yeasty notes characteristic of many belgian beers.
Mouthfeel: medium bodied with light carbonation.
Overall: a first the booziness was a little off putting but it's only appears at the tip of the tongue and actually melds very well with this well balanced beer. None of the spices are too aggressive. This makes for a very nice take on the pumpkin beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 01:12:02 | More by Brandywine

pkalix

California

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

poured into my duvel tulip a darkened, hazy burnt orange with some decent loose foam on top. smell is BELGIAN. like a belgian, some fruitiness, some spiciness. as i leaned into it to drink i got a blast of alcohol smell.
taste is laced with alcohol. the spice is secondary. some sweetness.
overall, i didnt realize it was classified as a "fruit/vegetable" beer. i suppose it would be. it's not as novelty as some of the others i have tried in this category and the 10% abv makes a statement that it's a serious brew, regardless. and you will begin to feel it on a cooler autumn evening...

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 23:42:00 | More by pkalix

cindyjeffsmith

Georgia

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

First time trying this one.
Appearance: hazy, orange. Looks like an autumn beer ought to. Fairly full head on the pour that recedes but still lingers in swirls. Lacing is messy but doesn't stick around.
Smell: spices are more up front than the maple but that's there too. Nutmeg is prominent. The maple and molasses provide a nice backdrop.
Taste: the prominence is reversed here. Molasses and maple up front with the drying spices keeping it from being cloying. Very nice.
Overall: Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 22:25:24 | More by cindyjeffsmith

Blackwolf

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

Poured from a 750 into a tulip.

A- Poured an apt autumn deep reddish orange body, very little head that dissipated quickly, no carbonation seen in the hazed body.

S- Very decent aroma! Belgian yeast, honey yam, maple, you can pick up some nuttiness/spice too but it is very subtle and blended well. A bit of alcohol as the beer opens up.

T- A "seemingly" complex flavor of belgian yeast, molasses roasted yam, nuttiness, very subtle maple. Great blend with excellent balance! I really enjoyed the flavor. Again, a subtle booze as the beer opens up.

MF- Light-medium bodied, light-medium carbonation. smooth/slick drinkability. Decent but not par for the style.

O- The flavor is there but it only hangs around the palate just enough to make this a fast sipping beer . Great for the holidays! The spices really accent fall/winter. I can see myself grabbing this a lot for a ham/turkey dinner!

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 04:54:08 | More by Blackwolf

Florida9

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Not sure of the year, either a 2009 or 2010

A: Murky grayish medium brown. Forms a small light tan colored head that fades to just a thin ring around the edge. No lacing.

S: Reminiscent of pumpkin pie, but with more complexity. Sweet maple and brown sugar, roasted sweet potatoes, autumnal spices.

T: Damn sweet. Too sweet. Maple syrup, brown sugar, baked sweet potatoes, turbinado sugar, and currants. Residual apple juice flavor. Flavor is surprisingly thin with a dominant sweetness that I just can't get past.

M: Medium bodied, but feels thin for the style. As noted previously, this one is sweet, sugary, and comes through on the mouthfeel as well. Mild bitterness, though there is a slight spice astringency.

O: I'll admit I'm biased against pumpkin beers and I was hoping the substitution of yams might make for a better beer. It doesn't. Not only does this beer have the characteristic cinnamon-clove-nutmeg spice component, but it is exceedingly and unenjoyably sweet.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 22:53:03 | More by Florida9

Gatch

Massachusetts

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

Vertical from '09 to '12.

A pleasure to try four years of this unique, tasty brew. Out of the four, the '09 and '11 stand out. As expected, the '09 is the best of the bunch. In the '09, every flavor blends to create a very intriguing fall brew. And of course, the alcohol is completely subdued. That's the issue with the other vintages. Too much burn from the alcohol as well as less-developed flavors. Especially the '12. Way too much booze. But, overall, the spices, yams, molasses, and Belgian yeast all play a part unique to each year. Nothing spectacular, though. Just a well-crafted, enjoyable seasonal brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 01:49:46 | More by Gatch

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pouts a deep brown with a creamy head that lasts. Some lacing on the side of the glass. Smell is boozy with some sweetness mixed in from the maple. Taste is great with thanksgiving flavors coming through via spices, maple syrup and others. Taste is a stronger oktoberfest than others. I really enjoyed the flavor of this beer for a chilly autumn day.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 22:54:32 | More by Oakenator

jtd1969

North Carolina

4.23/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - dark, murky amber Medium carbonation, no lacing

S - Belgian yeast, sweet honey

T - Belgian burnt sugar (caramel), sweet, some yam, lightly crisp hops, nutmeg/allspice/vanilla

M - medium bodied, good carbonation in the mouth

Very good beer. Bruery is really putting out some unique and tasty beers. This is one of them! I recommend it!

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 04:49:55 | More by jtd1969