Long Trail Harvest Vermont Maple Brown Ale

I believe I have written this before but if I see a beer with maple syrup in it, I am going to buy it. Not all the beers I have had with maple syrup in them have been winners, but like coconut in beer, I can’t seem to pass them up. When I saw Long Trail Ale Harvest, a Vermont Maple Brown Ale, I had to give it a try and write about it.

Over the years, I have become a fan of Long Trail Brewing’s catalog. The VT IPA in particular tastes fantastic and is very reasonably priced for a 12-pack. I also really enjoy their Cranberry Gose, Limbo IPA and their flagship Long Trail Ale. I had high hopes that their Harvest Ale would become a fall staple in my refrigerator. From the moment I got a whiff of Long Trail’s Harvest, a Vermont Maple Brown Ale, I thought I found a beer that was going to do just that. Chocolate, maple syrup, caramel, toffee, coffee, earthy hops all seemed to beautifully come together in the aroma.

Before I took my first sip, there was something that kept my hopes in check-- the 4.4% ABV. That is light beer territory and for a Fall beer that is extremely low. Not only did that give me concerns about the flavor but it also gave me concerns about body. I think it goes without saying but the cooler weather of Fall demands a beer with a bit more body and warming alcohol to it. I wanted Long Trail’s Harvest Ale to prove me wrong on all of these fronts but it sadly did not. It had the mouthfeel of light beer. There is decent flavor there but it is extremely watered down. The dark chocolate, coffee, maple syrup and toffee are muddled together before an earthy hop finish. The beer finishes clean, but what would you expect from a light beer masquerading as a brown ale for the Fall season?

While Long Trail’s Harvest lacks the flavor and body one would expect from a Fall beer, I did not completely hate it. As I said earlier it by no means tastes bad, it is just incredibly average. I would love to see this beer with at least a 5.5% ABV. More body would give this beer a chance to let its flavors shine. I have a feeling that would dramatically bring my overall rating up.

Overall rating: 2.75/5


Rating Scale:
1. Repugnant and undrinkable
2. Acceptable but forgettable
3. Good, worth a purchase
4. Excellent, a step above the norm
5. Truly Exceptional. Drop everything, BUY IT NOW!

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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!