Avery Ale to the Chief

Brewed by Avery Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
Boulder, Colorado USA

a slightly hazy amber/orange under a small white head. a watered down citrus hop aroma. flavor is citrus hops(lemon, grapefruit, orange), melon, and really bitter. not much malt balance. i’m definitely getting a lot of the aforementioned watermelon and other melons as well. not sure i’m diggin’ it though. needs some more balance. burning warm palate.

They may not want to call this an IPA, but it’s a sure dead ringer for one. They really got the right ratio of hops to malt on this one. Piney, citrusy nose. Great flavor that is reminiscent of Maharaja (surprise, surprise). Mouthfeel is crisp and elegant, and the finish goes on forever.

22 ounce bottle purchased at the Davis Food CO-Op. Aroma has a nice hoppy, orange citrus tone. There is a light herbal, hempy hoppiness in there, too. The more I smell, the more vegetal aromas come out and it becomes a little unpleasant. Transparent copper body with a small to medium white head present. Scant lacing. This has a weird watermelon-like flavoring to it. It is quite sweet and sticky. Pretty full bodied. Lightly hoppy. I don’t know...I cant get a good read on this. Just has a lot of fruity berry like flavors. Not a huge fan.

Appearance was a gold, sparkling, clear, brilliant body with a fine but short-lived head. Aroma was distinctly bitter and hoppy, with some sweetness which struck me as not being very fruity or citrus-like. This dry hoppy smell reminded me of Avery Maharaja, which might be no accident. Flavor was very dry and very bitter with a lot of hoppiness and no sweetness. Mouthfeel was quite astringent. Probably the best beer of the night.

22 oz – Perfect Pour. Dark amber, off white creamy head. Big aromas of toasted pine and earth play on undercurrents of ripe melon and toffee. Room temperature brings out soft swirls of orange jam. Grassy cantaloupe and spicy spruce hop flavors up front balance on hints of sweet caramel malt throughout. Full bodied and slick, soft carbonation, bittersweet finish. Great brew that I really wish was available more than every 4 years. ;)

It pours a beautiful clear pale copper color. Has a small dissapating off white head. Smells of sensational citrusy-floral hops. No real malt aromas. The hops are just fine for me. Seems like more than Cascades to me. Average to pretty nice lacing. The flavor is of spicy, piney, citrusy hops and a little bit of malty goodness. Pretty smooth on the palate, a little alcohol sting. A nice bitterness that lingers nice.

FIRST TRIAL: Golden, pale orange in color; great citrusy, grassy hop aroma that’s incredibly complex without being over the top; bitter, tongue-bruising flavor... a complete hoppy mess, but a delicious one at that, filled with grassy, citrusy, floral hops (again without being cloying); delicious finish that clears the palate with bitterness and a touch of alcohol. Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve been blown away by an Avery beer. They were one of my favorite brewers when I was just getting into the craft beer scene, but to be honest, their recent offerings have done little to impress me. This beer bucks that trend and stood out against a hop-packed IPA tasting session.

Pleasantly surprised by this beer...a bright copper-colored brew with a white meringue head. Aroma is of freshly cut pine trees and orange groves. Flavor is sweet but exhibit citrus, douglas fir, and spice. A little syrupy but enjoyable.