I know I’ve mentioned that I’m excited about fall brews, but I want to reiterate that I’m HELLA excited for fall brews. At this point, I’m ready to trade the crisp and light for the thick and malty. The beer I chose this time is The Bruery’s Autumn Maple Belgian Brown and is a great example of a unique seasonal. Brewed with yams, molasses and maple syrup it has the comfort of candied yams in sipping form.

This Belgian-style brown has a head that consists of a collection of hard little bubbles that quickly pop away and leave a decent amount of lacing, sitting on top of the murky brown body, which resembles well-steeped black tea. Maple and yeast pop out in the nose along with a subdued bitterness. Unsurprisingly, the flavors that dominate this beer are maple and yams with a hint of spice. The carbonation is very light and the body-feel has a thickness to it that makes it syrupy. The full body is all the better for this beer with it’s 10% ABV, so although it goes down smoothly it won’t be a chugger. Drink this beer with sweet potato pie, mashed yams, French toast or just about anything with maple or caramel (for the latter, think crème brulée).

Hands down, my favorite aspect of this beer is that the Belgian yeasts in this brown complement the yams and sugary maple and molasses really well. Think of this as a light dessert beer: pleasantly sweet and not overdone. It’s a perfect holiday brew to share with a loved one or two.

Photo credit: thedelightedbite.blogspot.com

• Tag: ale, autumn maple, belgian brown, craft beer, seasonal, the bruery