The Bruery's Autumn Maple

Back for yet another review in a single day, we have Autumn Maple. This beer is not an anytime beer, but nor is it strictly a mood based beer. More of an eclectic "I need to try this" and then whenever it finds you again {rather than you seeking it out}. I admit that this beer was not mine and I stole sips here and there, but it left enough of an impression to want to do a review. Interestingly enough, those who watched DBZ as kids will get the nickname we came up with for this beer {scary how we're over 21 now, huh?}, it was dubbed: Tree of Might. Thanks to Luke for letting me try enough of it to review while we were out.

Stats:
Appearance - It was Belgian for sure, but it didn't look like a traditional Belgian ale when poured because it had a much deeper color. It looked almost like if you mixed the inside and outside of a sweet potato and got a sort of orangish brown.
Smell - You can smell the oak and maple syrup in this beer and it's overpowering. The difference is, it's overpowering in an amazing way. I wholeheartedly believe that the smell is the best part of this beer and it is the thing I will remember best. Those with a better nose than I have noted its hints of yams and Belgian spices. I can't say I noticed them right off the bat, but I also didn't have the whole thing to myself.
Taste - One of the more interesting beers I've ever been exposed to. The flavor of this beer was by far a mixture of flavors. While I couldn't smell it, the taste of yams and spices were prevalent under the tone of a fairly normal beer. Beyond that, there are hints of maple syrup that are hard to pin down for the darker feel of this relatively light beer. The other thing of note is that this beer really does have a very strong kick to it. It's not so much alcoholic as it is simply there. That being said, it does have an ABV of 10.5, which does lend to the kick. It's really the maple and oak that add to it though. That's the reason we gave it the name Tree of Might.
Feel - There is definitely a kick in the teeth here. This beer could have been amazing, but because of the kick, it loses the smooth feel it ought to have.
Drinkability - I'm not entirely sure what to say here. This beer is smooth as can be, but the kick it's got definitely detracts from the general pleasant oak / maple dynamic it's got going on with the undertone of spices. It just makes it hard to enjoy the richer aspects of the beer.


Drew's Ratings:
2 - This is a solid two simply because of its abnormal flavor. Honestly, I wouldn't recommend this being the first beer of the night, but unless it is, you'll miss out on what it has to offer. It will be a one of a kind experience that you rarely find in craft beers. X usually can be compared to Y, it might be my inexperience with Belgians, but I don't believe it is.

AND

E - This beer has so much going on that if you enjoy it's strong taste, you probably won't be able to pay attention to what's going on around you until it's gone. I loved this beer, but not in the way that I would for a G or F. The reason for that is that I couldn't keep getting more of these at once. I feel like I need a few bar trips in between ordering one of these, but when you feel like having one, it is fantastic.


Overall: B+

Bright the cheeks and warm the heart,
-NEO-BS