BigLeaf Maple Autumn Red
Anchor Brewing Company

BigLeaf Maple Autumn RedBigLeaf Maple Autumn Red
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From:
Anchor Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
American Amber / Red Ale
ABV:
6%
Score:
81
Avg:
3.56 | pDev: 12.08%
Reviews:
209
Ratings:
984
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jul 07, 2020
Added:
Aug 09, 2013
Wants:
  33
Gots:
  154
BigLeaf Maple Autumn Red is a quaffable, well-balanced red ale with character. Its malty complexity and coppery color come from a combination of two caramel malts, pale malt, and a hint of maple syrup. To complement these flavors, we used three additions of Nelson Sauvin hops in the brewkettle and a unique blend of Nelson Sauvin, Citra, and Cascade for dry hopping. The result is a distinctive fall seasonal with extraordinary depth and intriguing aroma.
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Ratings by Jeffreysan:
Photo of Jeffreysan
Reviewed by Jeffreysan from Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +26.4%
12 oz bottle, poured into a pint glass

Appearance: Pours a very pretty, opaque, deep, dark, amber/mahogany color, speckled with reddish highlights and two and a half fingers of white-colored head that quickly dissolved away into a thin lacing of foam that completely covered the top of the beer. As the beer is consumed, there’s some gorgeous lacing of foam that clings to the sides of the glass.

Aroma: Very aromatic, with notes of bready, toasted malt, imparting aromas of freshly baked French Baguettes and English muffins, followed by some maple syrup and caramel, as well as some piney, grassy, hops.

Taste: Very nice! Lots of the bready, toasted malt up front, imparting biscuit-like flavors, followed by caramel, honey and maple syrup-like sweetness, a touch of lemony citrus, and some spices of black pepper and a touch of clove. The beer finishes with some beautifully balanced, grassy, piney, ever-so-slightly bitter hops. Delicious!

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and nicely effervescent as there is quite a bit of carbonation in this beer. With an ABV of 6.0%, there is no alcohol on the palate.

Overall: This is another damn good beer from Anchor Brewing. Malty, slightly sweet and balanced beautifully with some piney, slightly bitter hops, this beer is an excellent beer for the autumn season, and a unique one too, as it’s not a pumpkin beer or an Oktoberfest beer, which are the typical beers for this time of year. Delicious!
Sep 11, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.29/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Pours a dark brown color, tan head, 1/4" deep. Aroma was kind of light on everything the namesake and commercial tug job speaks of. Maple, nah not really, maybe a little bit of fall caramel note. Nelson Sauvin hops, weird to use them in a beer like this, but they're so pungent, and yet not here. Nothing smells bad, there just isn't a bunch of smells going on. While I'm here, Citra, yeah this doesn't smell or taste like that hop either.

Taste still leans more on that caramel and falling leaves vibe. The lightest hint of maple here, perhaps evocative of everything else fall going on with it. It isn't sweet, which I almost always think of with maple going on in a beer. Body isn't super heavy, I guess its just the kind of malt they used giving it the color and whatnot, not necessarily the quantity of malt here. Its not a terrible beer, its just more of a beer that Anchor tried when they got sold a few times in recent years. Just a tick, not a repeater.
Jul 07, 2020
Photo of maddogruss
Reviewed by maddogruss from New Jersey

3.45/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Based on a review from 2013. Had this on draft.
A: pours red amber body with small white head with ok retention and lacing
S: floral, hop smell with some sweet, underlying caramel smell
T: sweet, floral taste with some sweet, malty aftertaste; interesting, very floral aftertaste
M: light and pretty smooth; pretty good
D: nice mouthfeel and taste combo; ok drinking beer
Dec 21, 2019
 
Rated: 3 by Kolb from Montana

Apr 24, 2019
 
Rated: 3.5 by Griffith from Connecticut

Apr 04, 2019
 
Rated: 3.02 by Georgiabeer from Georgia

Jan 01, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by Half-full from Illinois

Apr 19, 2018
 
Rated: 3.25 by DoctorRobert1969 from California

Feb 07, 2018
Photo of dcotom
Reviewed by dcotom from Iowa

3.56/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured from 12-ounce bottle into a tulip glass. Dark copper-amber color, with two fingers of white head that settles into a thin ring with a spotty cap. No lacing to speak of. The brewer's notes are spot-on. Very malt forward, with big aromas and flavors of caramel, dark bread, and a little tart fruit. Quite bitter, with a dry, resinous finish and an odd, slight caramelly aftertaste. After doing a little research on Anchor's date code, I was able to determine that this sample was over two years past the bottling date. I'll be looking forward to revisiting this if I ever find a fresh one.
Jan 06, 2018
 
Rated: 2.5 by 1971bernat from Virginia

Dec 28, 2017
Photo of BucBasil
Reviewed by BucBasil from Rwanda

3.7/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
A: Poured from a 330ml bottle into a tulip glass at Blue Marlin in Shanghai China. The beer is a dark reddish orange color with a light tan foamy head, 2 fingers with good retention.

S: Sweet, but not in the expected way, with a hint of fruit - apples or apricots almost - with just a slight brown sugar or honey sweetness.

T: There's the maple, but not super strong. This turns out to be very balanced with even a hint of bitterness.

F: Smooth

Overall: I was surprised by this beer. A very good fall beer indeed, maybe better than a lot of the seasonal pumpkin beers.
Sep 28, 2017
Photo of Lone_Freighter
Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont

3.99/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into an English pint glass, the appearance was murky dark orange/close to amber color with a nice sturdy rocky foamy white head that settled at a decent pace. Sly roaming lace in rings.
The aroma cued up a nice blend of sweet maple, light honey, some caramel/toffee malts, light biscuits and fair dose of sweet earthy hops.
The flavor was moderately sweet underscoring the earthy portions to a sustained balance. Aftertaste was smooth malty sweet.
The mouthfeel was about medium bodied with a fair sessionability about it. Carbonation felt good. ABV appropriate.
Overall, really nice amber ale well worthy of it's seasonal status.
Jun 22, 2017
 
Rated: 3.84 by generallee from Virginia

May 01, 2017
Photo of nick_perry
Reviewed by nick_perry from North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Cloudy orange color, lots of carbonation. No real pronounced aromas. Strong hop flavor at first, mellows out to a well-balanced malt character. Hint of maple syrup on the finish, but I was expecting to taste a bit more of it. Still, great to taste a fall seasonal that doesn’t involve pumpkin. Love how the artwork on the bottle varies from year to year.
Mar 11, 2017
Photo of cyclonece09
Reviewed by cyclonece09 from Wisconsin

3.57/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. Pours semicloudy red with a fluffy white head. Smells of sweet malt and not much else. Tastes of roasted malt with caramel and candy notes. Beer is light bodied and easy drinking, decent carbonation. Overall a slightly above average beer.
Mar 04, 2017
 
Rated: 3.71 by SebastianMandeville from New Jersey

Feb 21, 2017
 
Rated: 3.73 by cliff1066 from Virginia

Feb 07, 2017
 
Rated: 3.52 by EdFed from Illinois

Dec 09, 2016
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

2.21/5  rDev -37.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75
Unknown vintage; drank 9/27/14 @ the Yarchives.

Poured from the bottle into a glass.

Semi-opaque orange/red hue.

HUGE cream head; strong lace.

Herbal Essence shampoo & a hint of honeyed grain notes on the nose. Not appealing.

Medium mouthfeel.

Herbal Essence shampoo up front; pickle juice finish. Cigarette ash as it warms. Nearly undrinkable.
Dec 01, 2016
Photo of larryarms847
Reviewed by larryarms847 from Illinois

3.65/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours a slightly rusty amber red with a thin half finger of off-white foam.

Slightly piney and grassy notes, a subtle hint of sweet caramel malts, and a bit of earthy/woody notes.

Pine, citrus notes, caramel, toasted malts, and earthy hops notes.

Light-bodied, medium carbonation, bitter, dry finish.

Overall, I was expecting more from this, not much maple to speak of, need work.
Nov 25, 2016
BigLeaf Maple Autumn Red from Anchor Brewing Company
Beer rating: 81 out of 100 with 984 ratings