Autumn Maple - The Bruery, Placentia

I've had this beer once before, and it cost me $40... Well, I think the check actually got split at the end of the night, but there was definitely a charge on there for one (1) $40 bottle of The Bruery's Autumn Maple on there somewhere. It was after a long drive from Kansas City to Denver, followed by more than a couple rounds of beers at Falling Rock and then another round or two at Euclid Hall... so my recollection is a little hazy, but I remember thinking this was the best fall beer I'd ever had. That was a year ago, almost to the day. This bottle of Autumn Maple has been in my basement for a couple weeks now and I've been eagerly awaiting a 60 degree fall day so I'd have a good reason to crack it open.

Autumn Maple pours a thick brown with copper highlights and kicks up a brief white head that can't be bothered to hang around long. This beer is nearly opaque and looks a bit like a bronze Weizenbock. The aroma is also a lot like a big German Weizenbock or Weizen Doppelbock. Weizenbocks are one of my favorite styles of beer, so this aroma really excited me. There's a super yeasty sweet banana funk to this beer that smells amazing with a hint of maple syrup and sweet potatoes.

When I last drank this beer I was eating pumpkin spice prawns with it. I'm still convinced it was one of the best food pairings I've ever had. I was anxious to open this bottle of Autumn Maple and drink it by itself to see if it was as good as I remembered it being with those prawns. I'm convinced it's just as good now. This beer tastes amazing, it's still very reminiscent of a Weizenbock but definitely leans toward Belgium with the added sweetness and complexity.

There's a tendency to pick up on the familiar flavors in beer and draw a connection to a style you've had before, so I'm trying to avoid that as much as I can... but I keep coming back to Weizenbocks. I'm curious to know how similar the yeast and grain bill of this beer are to a traditional Weizenbock. Regardless, this beer is amazing and I'd recommend it to any of my friends who are able to find Bruery beers at their local package stores. This beer has a lot of unique ingredients, with yams and maple syrup, but it's a beer that just feels familiar and very autumnal. If you're able to enjoy a bottle or two of Autumn Maple this year, count your blessings and share it with a friend.