Maple Strong & Free
Caledon Hills Brewing Co.

I seen a new beer Maple Strong and Free Brown ale at the LCBO in Ontario Canada so I bought one can at 473ml 5% ALC.
Poured into glass with a one finger head leaving a lace as you drink it which I like.
Nice and tasty brown ale full of flavor like orange Maple and vanilla medium bitterness level.
It's actually easy to drink and enjoyable I'm glad I picked up one can I should go back to get more .
Cheers

 

473 mL can from the LCBO; no discernible packaging date. Served barely chilled.

Pours a clear copper-amber colour, briefly fitted with an inch of foamy, off white-tinted head. It fizzles within two or three minutes, leaving behind a modest collar and a patchy film on the surface; no lace initially, though there is some deposition after each sip. Maple candy on the nose, together with hints of sponge toffee, toasted grains, bread crust and molasses cookies.

The flavours are alright, though somewhat lacking in depth. Toasted grains, toffee and biscuity, bready malts lay the groundwork, with maple sugar taking over by the midpoint of the sip. Hints of leafy hops and doughy sweetness on the back end; maple continues through the finish, persisting momentarily into a sweet, malty aftertaste. Medium-light in body, with low carbonation levels that interact meekly with the tongue; feels smooth and a little slick on the palate. Surprisingly drinkable, maybe even borderline sessionable if you enjoy sweeter light ales.

Final Grade: 3.77, a B+. Maple Strong & Free is the first Caledon Hills beer that I've had the chance to try, and I found it pretty easy to enjoy for what it is: a maple-flavoured brown ale. I haven't necessarily had a ton of maple beers, but my recollection is that very few of them are beers that I would purposefully buy again: sometimes they're way too sweet, sometimes the maple doesn't come through effectively, or just clashes with the rest of the profile. Strong & Free manages to find a happy medium - you'll certainly notice the maple, but it does maintain some semblance of balance, i.e. it's not tooth-rottingly saccharine. I think I'd buy this again, but only if I were in the mood for something light & sweet.

Look: Pours a clear bright copper with a tightly bubbled gritty white one finger head. The head pulls back to thin full cover after 5 minutes.

Smell: Slightly earthy and damp, with orange pekoe and black tea, dry grass and thistle and a touch of maple sugar.

Taste: Lightly tastes of Dare maple creme cookies on the front end. Toffee and cracked wheat bread in the middle. Dark tea, with a earthy presence at the tail end, with a soft bitter ending.

Feel: Light to Light Medium bodied, playing at the sides of the tongue. The beer opens up becoming noticeably round in the middle only to condense with a tight bitter ending.

The maple infusion makes this sweater then the typical English brown ale. The mouthfeel and complex middle to finish experience cement this as a reasonable B, with promise.

Poured a 473ml can into a pint glass. A two finger fine off white head on a clear light brown. The head diminishes to a layer.

Some maple in the nose. A strong maple flavour in the first sip. Some burnt sugar in the middle. Toffee and nuts. A distinct but mild hop finish.

A smooth, medium body. good carbonation. Overall a fine, sessionable American Brown Ale. The addition of maple syrup makes an interesting addition. You have to like maple though.

Oct 13 2025

At my lady Pamela's house; canned and chilled, 473mL in a pint glass. From The Roundhouse Centre LCBO in nearby Windsor. No date stamp or lot number. My first beer from the Palgrave, Ontario brewery. With Sundae the cat...