Dawn Ascent
Aurora Brewing Co.

This one pours black with a two inch beige head. When put to the light, it appears to be very dark brown (SRM 34-36). A loose head holds for a couple of minutes before suddenly collapsing to a ring and a thin blanket. Streaks of lacing are left on a Pretentious Glass Company tulip glass.

The aroma opens with charred malt and malted chocolate. Maple comes and goes, while ground coffee holds the middle and builds with warmth.

Charred malt is strong in the flavor and there is no initial hint of maple. Coffee is as expected from the aroma, showing up in the middle and quickly taking center stage to perform a duet with the charred malt. Moderate bitterness and light sweetness form in good proportion. The strong finish won't let go.

A medium body and watery texture with alcohol as expected. Carbonation is modest. Astringency comes out with warmth and works nicely in the finish.

This is a mild Rauchbeer that reminds me of cowboy coffee. The smoke is subdued in the aroma and nearly absent from the flavor. I found it works well with a Pecorino where the beer elevates the cheese and the cheese has no impact on the beer.

its beers like this that make me so thankful for friends and family who love it (almost) as much as i do, like, this is something i never would have ever heard of, let alone get a chance to drink, without a generous beer exchange with my brother, small town beer, no hype that makes it this far west, i was flying blind, but this ends up as one of my favorite beers in a lot of spaces that ive had all year, lager, smoked beer, maple beer, even coffee beer. its a lightly smoked, low alcohol, dark lager, with cold brew coffee and maple syrup, and its dynamic and amazing. the color is close to black with a matte luster, over an inch of khaki foam on top with great retention (although i admittedly drink this one pretty fast), pretty lace, loads of bubbles, it looks awesome. the aroma is subtle in some ways, its not forced maple to the extent it seems fake even when it isnt, a common pitfall with the ingredient, the coffee is fresh, no acid or green pepper or oxidation there at all despite the long trip west, and not too much smoke either, but its there. last nights camp fire, raisin, dry baking cocoa, rich from the earth maple, natural as it gets, and a real appealing lager yeast character that somehow pushes through all of this. its there in the taste too, and while its maybe the last element that really warrants comment, i also feel like it kind of makes this, keeps it grounded and beery and organic, and the lagering itself is just expert here. maple and coffee go great together, the maple seems high end and even the locally roasted coffee seems unique to me here, mabye african, ethiopian, not sure what they use, but it has that earthy depth to it to my palate, and more of that as it warms. the maple lingers a little, but the beer overall is pretty dry, the smoked malt gives it an ashy soil and compost sort of vibe, in a good way, some european character there too, really impressively well integrated overall, everything in its place. mouthfeel also on point, light but flush and super effervescent, creamy, and fast. top notch stuff here, worthy of national recognition in my opinion. big thanks to my bro! hope to check this place out someday...

edit: just as good the second time, perhaps a touch sweeter than i recall from the first go, but its all in service of the maple profile. it also seemed a tad more flavored overall, like it could be approaching too much for some palates and like the drinkability was a little lower than the first time, but its all minor deviations and i am leaving original scores in place. this is wonderful stuff!