Garrison Brewing Company Sugar Moon Maple Ale Amber Ale at 6.3% ABV (C$5.99 at NLC Stavanger, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before)
Appearance: clear medium amber with one finger of light tan head, good retention and patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: strong maple, faint caramel malt. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, mild bitter. (5/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry bitter finish. (3/5)
Actually not unpleasant, and nowhere near as sweet as the aroma would suggest. Although it smells exactly like a stack of maple syrup covered pancakes, the actual taste is much more restrained: it’s actually not any sweeter than a typical amber, albeit with a fairly hefty dose of maple flavour, and a surprisingly pronounced bitter finish. Unfortunately, it’s not an unqualified success, since the maple aroma verges on overpowering, and the transition from the strong aroma to the bitter finish feels particularly sudden given the near-complete absence of sweetness in between. (11/20)
5.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
