Pancakes by Campfire
Timber Ales

Pours black and settles onyx black in the glass, propping up a rich, creamy tan head that lingers and provides moderate lacing. Beautiful beer.

The features some milk chocolate and a LOT of maple, and there’s a bit of banana and a smidge of coffee.

The banana is actually more pronounced on the taste, as is the roasty coffee, providing balance to the maple syrup. Delicious stuff.

The mouthfeel is rich and creamy, way beyond what I’d expect in a 6% ABV beer. This is really good, IMHO.

Can dated 12/30/22, courtesy of @roguer from early '25 BIF:

Pours a murky black with ample head and no lacing as it drinks down. Smells immediately of maple syrup and I'm thinking I'm at breakfast with a plate of pancakes before me. Faint banana and the very faintest of coffee remain but the maple overshadows the others by a very dominate degree. Taste is maple-forward, very sweet--could come off as a dessert beer with the sweetness and turns a bit cloying as it warms. Banana plays second fiddle, coffee is a distant third but likely at over two years of age is a shell of what this was fresh. Mouthfeel is lightly carbonated, thin body, somewhat sticky. Finish is a lingering maple sweetness. I think this would improve greatly at a higher abv and/or an addition of oats for body--take it from a 6% abv to 10-12% and you likely end in a more balanced experience.

Deep brown pour with a sturdy, long-lasting two-finger tan head. If it smells like a pancake, tastes like a pancake, it must be a pancake (beer). Timber Ales does meet their goal with a full-bodied stout rich in chocolate and maple syrup flavor with coffee and bananas in support. Silky and somewhat viscous going down, this stout is modestly complex, smooth and breakfasty.

 

 

 

 

L: Dark, oily body, no head.
S: Sweet. Maple syrup, sugar cookies, coco, a few coffee notes.
T: Follows the nose. Chocolate and roasty malt upfront, caramel, then maple and coffee notes.
F: Moderate carbonation, oily mouthfeel.
O: A delicious desert beer. I appreciate the lower ABV for a change.

 

Appearance is murky and unimpressive. Minimal head production, quickly fading to absolutely nothing.

Aroma is wonderful, and prominently features the maple syrup, coffee, and banana, along with notes of pecan, chocolate, molasses, and cola. The banana is a natural fruity smell, not the banana aroma you can often get from yeast.

Body is still plenty lively, and while it's not particularly thick (it's only 6% ABV), it's fairly robust and sticky. Plenty of sting; I recommend smaller sips to really try to enjoy the brew.

Flavor is really nice but lacks depth and richness - like the mouthfeel, expected, given the modest ABV (exceptionally low ABV for a flavored stout like this). Tasting notes match the nose remarkably well: maple syrup (lasting well through the finish, pleasantly), coffee (less strong than the nose, but fairly noticeable up front and with a nice bitter reminder on the aftertaste), pecan, banana, toffee, toast, honeycomb.

This is a delicious and restrained approach to a sweet breakfast beer (equally qualifying as a dessert beer). While the modest ABV approach does come with some drawbacks - notably in body and depth of flavor - it also results in a beer (12 ounce format, too!) that you can have early in the day without immediately crashing for a nap.

On draft at ITap. Poured an opaque, jet-black color with a small, light brown head of fluffy foam. It left sudsy trails of lace on the glass. It smelled of maple, coffee, light banana and rich chocolate. Sweet maple and chocolate taste with roasted coffee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An interesting find at the local liquor store that I wanted to give a try. Too many stouts over promise, but I'm happy to report that this isn't one of them. It isn't my favorite of all, but I'd absolutely have it again.

L: Dark, tan. The norm. TALL head with some larger bubbles.

S: Maple syrup is definitely apparent but not over powering. Some pancake essence the longer I take it in.

T: The maple syrup is more tempered on the front end, which is fine. Great. It isn't overly decadent as a result. Word to the wise, though, that the sweetness does build on your palate as you reach the bottom of your glass. It should be enjoyed beside a good meal (pancakes?) to continue tempering that build. That aside, the syrup is just nicely present with a mix of malt from the stout. It's a sweet beer, but not too sweet.

F: I'm happy with the carbonation level, especially because of the initial head that formed when I was pouring it. Some bubbles, but it's still smooth and soft. At 6% ABV, it's thin compared to other, heavier stouts, but it's definitely silkier than a porter. A nice, light stout.

Overall, I'm really enjoying this. With the mild sweetness, it's meant for certain occasions. However, that means I get to come back for more and savor my 4-pack.