Just to expand on what others have said, NB is still selling the exact same malts as before -- same companies, same varieties, all sold under the banner of "Maillard Malts." Maillard Malts is just a packaging/branding thing they are doing so that they can sell quality malts from major maltsters under the Northern Brewer name. In their description of what Maillard Malts is, they don't describe it as a malt producer, but rather as some sort of specialized grain crushing service (with a nod to the fact that they ever-so-meticulously put those grains into a bag for you). Kind of ridiculous, if you ask me, but I guess I'm happy for them that they got some fancy grain mills... Here's the quote, straight off of their site.
"Maillard Malts™ is committed to offering the best malt selection in the homebrew business.
Maillard Malts™ sets a new standard for crushing. Our high performance European made grain mills feature dual drive, large diameter, slotted rollers. These mills produce a consistent particle size so you get a more uniform crush with a lower proportion of under crushed grains and flour. These mills also leave the husks more intact than traditional knurled, single drive roller mills. A finer crush provides better extraction efficiency, without sacrificing 'spargability'.
Each bag of grain is processed to exacting standards. We process in very small batches, measuring by hand. Our grainery staff fills, seals and labels every bag with a level of care unrivaled in homebrewing."
EDIT: I do like Northern Brewer, for the record. Lots of good stuff. But sometimes they can just be downright silly.
