As we move into the end of the summer, the days are at their longest, the humidity is at it’s highest, the mosquitoes are at their buzziest, and the summer beers are about to fade away. But before kölsches, saisons, and lawnmower beers clear the shelves to make way for pumpkin and Oktoberfest beers, I thought we would send of summer with one last Farmhouse style beer. Fulton’s Maitrise is an Imperial Farmhouse Style beer. It weighs in at a hefty 9.5% ABV. So let’s dive into this beer.

Maitrise pours thick with a rich foamy head. Aroma of forest fruits waft from my glass, and I am pouring this from at least a foot away. It has a thick, ample, white foamy head. The color is on the dark golden spectrum. A sharp hoppy nose is the first thing I smell on this beer. A deeper analysis brings up some dried apple, white grape, and apricot. The mouthfeel on this beer is thick. This might be one of the thickest beers I have ever drank. The sharp hops on this beer are a predominant taste. The strong fiery alcohol doesn’t come through at first, but as the beer warms up, it does become present. It also has a great fruity presence similar to that of the aroma. Carbonation is preset, but almost a non-factor. That is to be expected with a beer with this high of an ABV. Maitrise leaves a little bit of a bitter after taste, but not overwhelming.

Maitrise is a big beer, with some bold flavors and it needs some really heavy flavors to pair with it. For cheeses think along the lines of a good blue cheese, or a roquefort; the more pungent aroma the better. For meats I would recommend pairing Maitrise with thick roasts with lots of umami. This heavy beers will need some heavy flavors to go toe to toe with this beer.

Overall I am very impressed. Farmhouse is a hard beer to capture, and even harder to pull of an imperial version, but Fulton’s comes through with flying colors. So before the leaves start changing, head on out and grab one of these great end of summer beer.

Until next time. Prost!

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