Maple Nipple Ale - Lawson's Finest Liquids

rudzud

Massachusetts

2.84/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Enjoyed this beer at the dive.

A - Poured into a tulip a dark clear light brown hue with a light thin blanket that fades to leave a thin light blanket and left a thin halo.

S - Aromas of maple dog? Really maple acrid dampness. Ugh.

T - Taste is light maple, metallic, malts caramel, awful.

M - Mouthfeel is lightly carved and faintly drinkable.

O - Overall I was somewhat disappointed by this beer. Faint maple, more metallic than anything.

Serving type: on-tap

05-16-2013 23:52:31 | More by rudzud

JMScowcroft

Vermont

4.36/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Lawson's Finest Liquids - Maple Nipple Ale

Look - This poured a pink in the middle when held up to the light, red towards the sides, and an amber further on the edges. Not much head but lots of sticky lacing.

Smell - Smell is definitely a red style, deep malts and some faint maple, not overpowering, well balanced.

Taste - I would classify it as a red ale meets roasted maple. There is a push of red malts, a bitter red-style peak, then a settle down to a sweet maple.

Mouthfeel - It is sticky but not boozy at all. Quite drinkable and refreshing for this kind of brew, not overly sweet and I appreciate that, I am not a fan of Foley's, which is a sweeter brown ale variety of this category.

Overall - Solid brew. I think it gets a bad rap on here and frankly I disagree. To each their own! I personally think this is a great fusion brew.

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2013 02:57:55 | More by JMScowcroft

merc7186

New York

3.79/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Bomber into snifter.

A: Heavy Amber Hue, Passes Mild Light, Off White Head Ring, Some Lacing

S: Maple Syrup, Bready

T: Maple Syrup, Sweet Bread, Mild Crackers

M: Average Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Mildly Sweet

Overall, like a scaled down version of Maple Triple but without the sweetness or booziness....Im torn.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 03:08:26 | More by merc7186

Hendry

Vermont

4.66/5  rDev +25.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

I feel perfectly fine about my rating being the current highest on Lawson's Maple Nipple because a good Vermonter loves their maple syrup and a masterfully crafted beer! The ratings on this maple mélange are low for the very reason Vermont amber syrup (lighter and sweeter) is more popular than the dark syrup (richer,woodsier).

Hard to get any kind of head even with an aggressive pour. Color is a gorgeous rich dark maple syrup color: very enticing. Opaque in appearance as is the variety of the boiled sap employed. Nose offers a hint of caramel with maple overtones:don't look for hops in the nose and you won't be disappointed. Does Lawson's MAKE hoppy beers? YES, but the style being reviewed here is a Maple Ale, so onward.

Dark syrup is what Lawson's chose for this concoction & imbues a rich and hearty flavor: you really get a solid hit of that with each rich hearty sip.
Sweet? Yes, it is indeed, the way a dark Vermont maple syrup tastes, but blended masterfully with hops,yeast and spices. Notes of alcohol are slight as it warms,not overly hot as other reviewers have noted.
Medium to heavy body, perfect carbonation,similar to a rich Vermont maple soda,but with an interesting blend of malt and slight hop character.

I'm wishing that I had purchased more than one bomber of this gourmet Vermont ale when I had the chance, but with Double Sunshine and Peril taking up most of my budget at Lawson's 5th Anniversary celebration, that's just the way it goes. Guess I'll have to wait until next April to score multiples of this delightful elixir!

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 04:09:24 | More by Hendry

Teleweizen2

New Jersey

3.16/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - pours a deep mahogany brown color with bright ruby highlights. Two fingers of off-white foam dissipate to a thin fill with a almost a fingers thick of foam around the edge.

S - the nose is a bit muted but pleasant. Plentiful fruit esters in the form of figs, raisins, and cherrirs. Notes of toasted almond, brown sugar, chocolate shavings round out the nose.

T - sweet notes of granulated sugar and doughy bread on the forefront. Dusty brown sugar and toasty flavors as well. In the center the flavors all meld to create a french toast sort of character. There is a present yet pertinent american hop profile with an earthy and slightly citric bitterness. Finish is chocolatey but quick.

M - medium bodied with a slick and slightly watery texture. medium carbonation.

O - interesting ale. I was expecting something more from this ale but it was still decent.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 21:42:48 | More by Teleweizen2

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.14/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

650 mL bottle poured into a snifter.

Appearance - Deep copper with a decent off white head. Chunky collar. Clear body.

Smell - Bland aroma. Mapley. Slightly metallic aroma.

Taste - Much more mapley. Sweet and caramely. A little too sweet. No bitterness. No complexity. Kinda blah also.

Mouthfeel - Sweet and then dries out just a touch. Needs it.

Overall - Very uninspired. I like maple beer, but this is dull.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 00:35:18 | More by Alieniloquium

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

3.96/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Maple Nipple pours a clear dark amber with a miniscule tan head. What fizz there is fades quickly, but leaves a few spots of lace on the glass.

The aroma is faint but has notes of maple, apricot and caramel malt.

Each sip of this medium bodied beer is creamy with light carbonation. The flavor is very sweet. Caramel malt, brown sugar, light fruit (apricot) and a little maple. Finishes a little dry with a slight herbal flavor. Once gone the brown sugar and fruity notes linger.

Very tasty easy drinking beer. Not as mapley as I thought it would be, but the sweetness is nice.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 22:09:57 | More by WanderingFool

Treebs

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

Thanks to kevanb for the share. 750 ml bottle served in a FW mini snifter.

A: Pours a dark amber color with a thin tan had forming on the pour. It recedes quickly to a thin ring. Minimal lace.

S: Slightly hoppy with maple sweetness. Stale malts with a light cookie sweetness to it. Raw honey.

T: Lagery and kolsch like. Maple sweetness. Pale malts with a little blandness to them.

M: Medium to light bodied. Medium low carb. Slighlty sweet.

O: This was ok. Very odd style of beer. Wouldn't really want to try again.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 13:57:38 | More by Treebs

Lakemonster

4.15/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

This beer is the beer for maple lovers. If you love maple syrup then you have got to try this beer and really no better place for a brewer to make a maple beer than Vermont. After a vigorous pour this beer had a 2 mm head which faded to lace. There was a floating solid peace of something in the glass that I couldn't identify but it made me excited. First taste this beer screams maple syrup, even down the the mouth feel of the beer. It is smooth and ohhh so tasty as you continue to drink the maple falls to the background but the smoothness stays with you. Overall a delicious and uniquely Vermont experience.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 22:26:32 | More by Lakemonster

Vonerichs

Illinois

3.74/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Opaque caramel-amber body with 2" of off white head.

The smell is bready with caramel and maple syrup.

The taste is undeniably maple syrup. It's sweet but cut with a earth bitterness.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with good carbonation.

It's pretty basic but still very tasty. I enjoyed it very much.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 03:08:07 | More by Vonerichs

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A-medium brown color with an off-white head and some lacing

S-maple, light roasted malt, hint of dark fruit

T-light roasted malt, brown sugar, light maple flavor, minimal bitterness in the finish

F-medium body with moderate carbonation, smooth

O-pleasant enough, but really lacks a kick of spices or maple that would make this much more enjoyable

Serving type: on-tap

01-20-2013 02:37:53 | More by MDDMD

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.71/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours a medium amber in color with some orange, copper, and red highlights along with a light amount of visible carbonation. The beer has a finger tall light tan head that slowly reduces to a couple of small patches with a very thin film covering the majority of the surface and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light to moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Overall this is a light to medium aroma with some sweet bready malts with a touch of caramel, toffee, and maple syrup. Just a touch of woodiness.

T: There is a moderate to strong amount of malty sweetness to this brew including brown sugar, caramel, and maple syrup with just a touch of toffee. The beer is sweet but not cloying at all and there is a bready backbone to it all. Slightly earthy...

M: Slightly less than medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Slightly creamy with a touch of alcohol heat in the finish.

O: I was a little disappointed, I was really hoping for a lot more maple presence to this beer (especially with it being called maple nipple). It was an interesting and fairly unique beer but nothing out of this world. Alcohol is fairly well hidden for this big a beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 02:38:45 | More by dbrauneis

Pinknuggets

Vermont

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

Bomber into a rock art pint glass bought the bottle from the man himself at the warren farmer's market

A: There is a dark brown red coloring with a thin tan head i can't help but say it looks a lot like maple syrup

S: There is a wonderful smell of roasted maple goodness it is not as strong as I would like but its there with some malt in there too I think. I can smell a little bit of the alcohol which isn't a good thing but its not overpowering.

T: Well its definitely one of the sweeter beers that I have tasted its almost a weird flavor in a beer but it is maple syrup in it. Which I'm kind of disappointed about as its not a strong flavor but its definitly there. The roasted malt is there too but theres only a hint of it.

M: It is pretty thin on the outside but there is definitely a thickness too it. It is much more of a sipper then I expected it to be. It has an oiliness to it as well but is still enjoyable

O: I love Lawson's but this is not one of their best offerings, its not bad by any stretch of the imagination though. I like the flavors here, but I wish they were more robust or maybe overpowered by sweetness which isn't to say its not enjoyable, I liked it. I did not love it, worth a try in my opinion especially if you have an infinitely to maple syrup and hey he's in the middle of maple syrup country so why not do it up.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 23:53:45 | More by Pinknuggets

jaasen64

Massachusetts

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

22oz bottle purchased at the Lawson's farmer's market release a week and half ago. Poured into Lawson's tulip and consumed right after Maple Tripple.

A- Dark mahogany brown with some translucency (definitely darker then the tripple), slightly below average carbonation, about a half finger of yellowish head.

S- Sugars, light maple syrup, malts, toffee, caramel, a bit of yeast. Smells almost like a watered down version of the tripple being slightly less sweet, not as aromatic, and not as much maple syrup.

T- Sweet caramel malts, a bit of yeast, a little bit of sugar, and a light maple syrup finish with a hint of booze. Fairly pleasant, maple syrup is definitely toned down compared to some of the other Lawson's maple beers. Could be a little bit more flavorful, but still very enjoyable.

M- Medium bodied, low carbonation, smooth.

O- This was a decent offering from Lawson's which is very good, but definitely a little bit toned down on the maple syrup compared to his other offerings. The maple syrup still adds a nice sweetness which in my opinion goes well with the beer. While this wasn't anything mind-blowing and definitely not one of Lawson's best offerings, I still definitely enjoyed this and in my opinion it is under-rated. I would definitely have this again and I recommend checking it out if you get the chance.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 03:09:31 | More by jaasen64

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

bomber into 2011 SAVOR snifter. no bottled on date.

A: slightly hazed. very amber, more like copper body. slightly off-white head, small bubbled. retention is good. tight lacing left behind.

S: sweet. burnt caramel. raisins. bubblegum. popcorn? hard to tell if the sweetness is from syrup or the malt. regardless, big, sweet, things i would expect from a maple syrup ale.

T: super sweet start. chestnuts. sugar in the raw. lots of unfermented sugars here. or maybe it's the maple? the finish definitely reinforces that maple was used somewhere.

M: moderate carb on a medium, almost full body.

D: sweet, cloying, a big beer indeed. if you like sweet, maple syrup, i highly recommend. more of a holiday brew for me, but since this was consumed so close to Christmas i cant say i mind.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 02:38:07 | More by Jimmys

UCLABrewN84

California

3.5/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to queens1130 for sharing this one at drewone's tasting.

Pours a clear dark orange with a foamy khaki head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Tiny dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, maple, spices, and alcohol. Taste is much the same with a mild spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but the maple doesn't really come out all that much in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 21:48:11 | More by UCLABrewN84

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

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

First had: bottle from Warren Store, Warren, VT

Poured into a Heady Topper stemless snifter, a clearish maple brown color (appropriately), with a finger or so of foamy white head that receded to a wispy layer, leaving some short-lived lacing on the glass. Woody aroma, bready, with hints of maple. I've learned from homebrewing that maple is an extremely difficult sugar to work with, and after the yeast noms it up, it's hard to get any maple aroma or flavor remnants, so all things considered, the maple in the nose was adequate. Taste was similar to the smell, woody, bready malts, caramel, maple was more subtle at first, but came out more as the palate adjusted, moderate earthy hops, and a decent booze kick for a dry finish. Medium body, tasty, very good overall. Just don't go in expecting to get a pure glass of gooey sweet maple syrup booze.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2012 04:44:55 | More by Rifugium

Kinsman

New Hampshire

3.7/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Grabbed this bottle at the beverage store in Winooski this morning. Fills the glass with a nice chestnut colored body and a creamy ivory colored head. Sweet but not overly syrupy on the nose. Maple blends nicely with the malts and theres just a hint of medicinal-cough syrupy sweetness in the background.

Maple adds a nice touch to the palate but it doesn't play as nearly as strong a role as it does in some of Lawsons other maple beers (Faystons stout). Biscuity and toffee malt flavors pair well with it. A bit of a full bodied feel to it makes for a nice drink on a cool fall evening.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 23:59:55 | More by Kinsman

celfan

Vermont

3.95/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

well i went into this with low expectations, so it's no surprise I was happier than most. i was expecting a drink with big maple flavor and perhaps a cloying sweetness and I got neither.
the maple syrup is a nice sweetening agent, but if i tried this blindfolded i wouldn't even know there was maple in it. however, the sweetness is smooth, and as i said not cloying at all - a very nice balance not often attained. the result is just a nice slightly sweet dark ale with a nice carbonation fit for a cool fall evening. is it overpriced? many would say yes. I'm glad I bought it, but moneywise, when it comes down to this or three cans of heady, well you know....

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 22:34:32 | More by celfan

oline73

Maryland

3.28/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into a goblet.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy orangish amber with a half finger of off white head that fades to a ring with very mild lacing.

Smell: Quite sweet and malty. I'm picking up some brown sugar and a mild apple smell. There is also some alcohol.

Taste: Malty and a bit sweet with a fairly strong bitterness throughout. The finish contains some brown sugar and maple as well as some alcohol. Not bad, but not nearly as interesting as I had hoped.

Mouthfeel: The body is on the thick side of medium and a little bit sticky. The carbonation is tingly and the finish is dry.

Overall: I wanted this to be spectacular, but it was just alright. Oh well, still not bad.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2011 02:05:47 | More by oline73

womencantsail

California

3.45/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Bottle thanks to Todd.

A: The beer pours amber in color with an off-white head.

S: Sweet maple and bread are pretty much it on this one. It's exceedingly simple. There might be a touch of apple and pear, maybe some woody notes and toffee.

T: Like the nose, most of the character is just sweetness. A fair bit of sugar, toffee, and brown sugar with perhaps some toasted bread. Despite being so high gravity, it's a little bit watery.

M: Medium in body with medium carbonation.

O: Nothing offensive or repulsive, just boring, bland, and uninteresting.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2011 18:32:33 | More by womencantsail

sholland119

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A-Pours a rather opaque brown with a fluffy mocha head.

S-Hints of graham cracker and brown sugar.

T-Malty, sweet, with notes of brown sugar that must be the residual of the maple syrup. Actually pretty nice, and much better than my memory of an earlier bottle I opened.

M-Medium bodied, nicely rich, not cloying, lightly carbonated.

O-Well, this is a pretty decent beer. My main gripe is that I paid a lot for it, and it does not measure up. Not what I expect from this brewery.

HV

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 01:04:16 | More by sholland119

Arenbeer

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle into a Goblet glass

Batch #165 Bottle #64

A- Pours a nice golden copper with a thin 1 finger bright white head. Not much head retention

S- Really sweet candy like sugar and maple syrup. Also getting a slight bit of graininess and hops from the beer itself. Really light smelling but gets straight to the point.

T- Tip of the tongue your immediately hit by the beer itself, paler malts, graininess and slight hops but after it goes down the creaminess and flavors of the maple syrup and sugars jump out and blend really nicely. Not very complex but like the aroma its gets it's point across and creates a really smooth and easy drinking beer.

M- Medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation and a nice slightly bitter yet slightly creamy finish.

SkÅL!

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 19:00:04 | More by Arenbeer

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Review from random scribbled papers I thought I lost. This sampling took place at the same time mentioned by Ffej. Thanks to Jason for sharing on 4/2/11. Bottle 21, batch 152 poured into a mini snifter.

This brew appears a hazed orange, almost brown color. A creamy head retains fairly decent and provides a coating of huge, leggy lace that finds a place to stick all over the glassware.

The smell of the brew was quite sweet which to me initially smelled very candy-like. After thinking more about it, maple makes sense but it didn't have that specific scent about it that screamed maple. The grainy aspect of this brew comes across very fresh and enjoyable.

The taste of this brew again is quite fresh and grainy with a sweetness I associate initially as being candy-like but again, a maple incorporation makes sense. A little toasted malt comes through as it warms with a light spiced aspect that is somewhat like orange zest.

This is a medium bodied brew with a nearly full feel. It boasts a light level of carbonation but is easy drinking. It is my understanding that maple sugar is highly fermentable, that didn't seem to be the case with this beer. If it was a little more attenuated I couldn't have easily drank more but as-is, it lends itself as a very sweet desert offering.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2011 18:28:55 | More by stakem

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to clockworkorange for sharing a bottle of Batch #152 Bottle #21 on 4/2/11.

A - Poured a hazy carmelized orange liquid with a bubbly off-white head that dissipated into a cloudy, patchy retention and very sparse lacing.

S - Smells like a sweaty stack of pancakes. Maple syrup and caramel candy abounds.

T - Initial flavor is really sweet and syrupy with lots of maple character and just a hint of herbal hop bitterness. Kind of one-dimentional, actually. Sweet and dominated by a strong maple character.

M - Medium bodied with a syrupy texture and mild carbonation. Perhaps a little thin overall. Not much bitterness of which to speak, although there is an abundance of residual sweetness left on the palate.

D - I must say that I was a bit underwhelmed by Maple Nipple. This is one nipple of which I was quick to be weaned off.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2011 18:36:51 | More by ffejherb