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I was at the liquor store several months back and found this one. I remember their Nut Brown Ale being pretty good when we stopped by the brewery several years back. So, when I saw an imperial version, and when I read that it was, “Brewed with pure maple syrup,” I knew I had to give it a try.
I have no idea how old it was when I bought it, but it’s been in the beer fridge for about a year, so even from the outside of the bottle, I could see a lot of sediment in it.
Numbers: 9.8% ABV
Appearance & Aroma: It was deep, dark brown, almost black in color, and had almost no head. There appeared to be a little carbonation in it though. The nose was like sweet dark caramel with some raisin and prune like aromas.
Taste & Feel: The body was medium – a bit lighter than I was expecting from such a big beer – and was smooth and drinkable. There was a sweet, roasted caramel and raisin like flavors up front. That was followed with a bit more of a nutty, roasted caramel flavor in the middle. The nutty and roasted caramel flavors grew a bit in the finish.
Food Pairing: With such a big beer, food is necessary, and this beer would go perfectly with a bowl of Chili on these cold winter days. During the summer, this would go very nicely with BBQ ribs, and I think the toasted caramel flavors from the beer would play nicely with a sweet BBQ sauce.
Overall Impression: Despite being brewed with pure maple syrup, there was no maple flavor in it. This was a richer version of their Nut Brown, but it was very smooth. I never would have guessed it was so big in alcohol, because it was so smooth and drinkable. It did have a unique and interesting caramel flavor, as it really did tasted like toasted caramel.
My Rating: 
Reader Ratings[five-star-rating]
