Last Leaf Maple Brown Ale

Last Leaf Maple Brown Ale by Starr Hill Brewery is being evaluated as an Alternative Sugar Beer (Category 31B) from the 2015 BJCP guidelines.

This beer pours a light brown color with slight chill haze. An ample and sustained tan head lasts throughout the beer.  The aroma when poured is noticeable with maple being the most prominent and noticeable aspect of the aroma.  Light toffee and nutty aspects derived from the malt hide behind the maple.  There is no hop or fermentation notes in the aroma.  In the flavor, like the aroma, the maple is the first aspect noticed with toffee and nutty flavors that follow.  There is a sublime chocolate flavor in this beer that is not picked up in the aroma.  Moderate, bordering moderate-high, neutral hop bitterness grounds this beer out.  Fermentation and hop flavor are at a minimum and do not play much of a role in this beer.  Maple, slight graininess, spicy notes, and light alcohol linger in the aftertaste and finishes moderately dry.  The medium body of this beer is slightly creamy with medium carbonation and a slight alcohol warmth.  This was overall an enjoyable beer which had a well-executed maple addition (noticeable and complimentary, but not overpowering) and is a beer to savor for the upcoming fall season.