Sap Haus
Oxbow Brewing Company

 

This is fantastic —smoky, mapley, delightful all around. It’s a winner! I want more. I had this one at Brattle Theatre in Cambridge MA and since then have been looking for it at my local shops ever since.

 

 

 

RB transfer

Canned 11/21/24

It’s been a minute since I’ve had anything from Oxbow. They’re always damn good and this one especially excites me. I’m a sucker for both smoked and maple anything, so this is theoretically the perfect beer for me. Let’s crack it open and put the theory to the test

Pours a mostly clear reddish brown with 3 fingers of dense beige head that slowly fades to a thin cap and leaves decent lacing

The nose presents quite sweet, the maple dominates but it plays well with the smoky undertones. I’m picking up on aromas of maple candy, brown bread, molasses, beechwood smoke, black tea, golden raisin, orange zest, light leafy hops, and walnut

It’s less sweet in taste but also less smoky. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting brown bread, leafy hops, black tea, toffee, orange zest, campfire smoke, maple syrup, light brown sugar, and honey. The swallow brings notes of black tea, burnt toast, bergamot, honey, maple syrup, beechwood smoke, brown sugar, walnut, and grassy hops

A medium body pairs with gentle carbonation, resulting in a smooth beer. Finishes mostly dry with a tannic bitterness

I wish it was a bit more maple forward in taste but this is still a damn good one

 

 

 

At the brewery. Nice smoke, not much maple.

 

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Smoked flavors and maple syrup are both easy to overdo, but they're nicely balanced here, and complemented by a light, refreshing texture. The maple taste is more theoretical than actual: a hint in the aftertaste. Subtle nose, from which come the earth notes.

16 ounce can from half-time. Dark brown poor with a thin, creamy beige head. Malty aroma with hints of smoke and ash. Taste brings more of the malts, nutty, and more of the light smokiness. A little bit of sweetness from the maple syrup, but you really have to look for it.

 

Looks like a dark lager.

Smell definitely is quite roasty and has sweetness from the maple syrup. Due to the maple syrup it smells quite pleasant

Taste is light and grainy with alot of roasty notes, the maple syrup has a very pleasant, medium intensity, level of flavor. It mostly comes into the equation in the faster tatse. Smoke also lingers along with a bitter note.

The flavor is not the most intense in the world but it's very enjoyable especially if you like maple.

Feel is light and maybe a little velvety. Solid for the lager style.

Overall if you like maple this is a super pleasant beer.

Poured into a narrow imperial pint glass: color is dark brown, amber edges, head is tan and presents 2+ fingers thick, head lingers with a solid top and provides soapy lacing on the glass sides.

Smell is beechwood smoke, light roasted malt like note, touch of malt sweetness, earthy dry hops, maybe light maple syrup aromatics.

Taste is more beechwood smoke, some roasted malt notes, subtle sweet malt, maple syrup flavor is not provided but i think the drying provided by its addition allows the smoke to shine through and residual malty sweetness.

Mouthfeel is low/moderate carbonation, moderate sweetness, moderate bite from smoke and bitter backing.

Overall a very, very good smoked beer - smokiness permeates aroma and flavor but is not acrid, smoother lager flavor allows it to shine, mapleness is limited but its addition allows a dryer taste/feel.

(16 oz can, canned on 11/04/22(?) - the '22' is blurred out; purchased cold single at Beer Peddlers yesterday... poured into my Human Robot Tubinger mug)

L: hazy brown liquid; tons of tight tan foam on the pour, had to top up a couple times... the foam looks incredible, while the lack of clarity in the jucie is a concern... curiously little lace, despite the consistent splotchy cap

S: mmmm, love that smoke; beechwood variety, fairly bold, with a touch of underlying bready and toasted sugar malt aromas... soft hint of grassy, herbal (noble) hop cutting through?...

T: relatively richy malty upon first sip, brown ale-like... phenolic static comes to the fore midway, before ebbing out in the finish, giving way to a mildly woody, earthy smoke in the aftertaste, bit of almost-burnt bread crust in the near background... lacking enough sweetness or just malt clarity? maybe the maple syrup is what's exaggerating the malt intensity here, because there's no overt maple-ness to this, just a rounder malt with some depth and lasting intensity... it's interesting: the smoke is bold but just short of arresting the senses like a Bamberg import; I dig the restraint here... note of root beer by the end?!

F: plush contact up front with a silky swell, quietly fading away, giving way to a finely-tuned smoky and booze-ish stun... I don't really mind the soft sludge to its body, but I'm craving more of a crisp, cut finish

O: overall expressions are muddy, in need of more cut contrast and nuance... but, a smoked lager that also tastes like a brown ale?? - yes! I'll have another... good stuff (2106)

EDIT: had this on tap at their Portland joint on 24 Mar 2026; not much different than my description, just a touch more fresh, crisp, and vibrant