Your typical Michigan January is ABSOLUTELY FREEZING!

And that’s not hyperbole—that’s hypothermia.

IPAs don’t cut it for me in the winter. I don’t want something extra-hoppy, I want a beer with some serious flavor, a brew I can chew.

Short’s Brewing, which I have reviewed extensively of late, knows the Michigander mind pretty darn well. Their latest beer out for local distribution is Woodmaster.

Here’s the description from Short’s:

A high gravity American brown ale fermented with Northern Michigan maple syrup and toasted pecans. This dark brown, full bodied ale is rich with sweet malt and syrup flavors which are complimented by the presence of hop aromas and a faint nuttiness. The palate delights with toasted qualities of caramelized malt and an earthy pecan laced finish.

Note some key words there: Maple syrup and pecans. And not just any maple syrup, but REAL maple syrup.

Impressions

Woodmaster offers a delightful, rich aroma of sweetness. You can also detect the pecan. It’s an inviting combination of scents. You can’t wait to taste it.

On your tongue, Woodmaster starts like a typical medium-bodied brown ale, though sweeter. You will also notice the front end loaded with hops, though they do not come through as overly bitter. In its second act, Woodmaster transitions to the maple syrup that the label and aroma promise. This is absolutely marvelous, and is accompanied by pecans. To close, Woodmaster leaves you with more pecan and a darker, bitter malt, though not too bitter.

This is the beer I would want to drink at a pancake breakfast. I suppose this makes Woodmaster a pancake beer. Has there ever been such a thing? There should be. At any rate, there now is.

If you don’t like maple syrup, you’ll probably hate this beer. Otherwise, it’s definitely worth trying. You might even fall in love, if only during the cold winter months.