Which of the following flavors is most likely to come from malt?

The flavor that is most likely to come from malt is toffee. Malts are responsible for providing many of the sweet, rich, and complex flavors in beer. During the malting process, grains are soaked, germinated, and dried, which develops various sugars and flavors. When malted barley is kilned at specific temperatures, it can produce a range of flavors from light caramel to deeper, more robust notes like toffee.

Toffee flavors, characterized by their rich sweetness and slight caramelization, arise from the Maillard reaction and caramelization during the malting and roasting process. These flavors contribute to the overall profile of a beer and are commonly found in styles such as brown ales and porters.

In contrast, hops primarily introduce bitterness and aromatic qualities, citrus zest is often a characteristic derived from hop varieties rather than malt, and spicy pepper notes can be linked to certain yeast strains or adjuncts rather than malt itself. Hence, toffee is the flavor most directly associated with malt.