Avery Brabant

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

12 oz bottle courtesy of my Secret Santa Summer ’09, rustychiles. Thanks a bunch, Rusty! Pours an opaque blackish brown pour, dark with a decent brownish head that laces a bit, dies to a film eventually. Nice. Aromas are bretty funk, sourness, wet oak, some darker red wine character that throws oak, dryness, a touch of chocolate and faint smoke. Sourness and brett are the dominant factors however. Initial is brett forward, considerably less sour than anticipated. Bretty funk coats the mouth with oak and wet wood, faint smoke, good dry bitterness in the body and finish. A bit tart, moreso further in, with some light red wine character, a touch of darker faintly chocolate malt, a little roast, and smoke, good bitterness in the finish that feels like some tannin character, perhaps from the remains of the barrel. A bit chalky, funky, medium bodied, with brett coating the palate. This is good, but certainly isn’t a favorite in my Wild Ale preferences

Chocolate vinegar nose, dusty barnyard hints, some bitter orange. Dark brown with orange hues, small medium soapy head. 90% pure cacao bean bitter chocolate sweetness, tart horse sweat bitterness, intriguing balance. Stinging and tight carbonation, medium syrupy body, peppery liquoricey, vanilla Port finish with a solid burn. Deep and complex flavors that are very young. This is going to be awesome with some aging.

Pours a dark,dark brown with a well formed beige foam. Sour aroma with tones of red wine, chocolate, wood, tobacco, vinegar, leather and floral notes. The initial flavor is of a tannic red wine followed by chocolates. As the beer warms, more chocolate and earthiness come out along with a slight alcohol presence on the throat. This is a tasty sour ale with an agreeable personality.

feb 09 bottle. pours dark brown, beige/mocha head. Aroma, light hints of wood, Zinfandel is present and adds some kind of freshness to the aroma, barrel, brett, hints of chocolate. Flavor, wood barrel, Zinfandel adds a nice sweet red wine mouthfeel. Malt does come through with some chocolate and lingering sourness. Brett is also felt with hints of fruits that add a certain raisin, grape and some wine sweetness leaving an overly sweet palate. An interested Belgian strong ale, sour remains mild and the Zinfandel adds a nice sweet touch to the beer.

Rating #1005, I am getting over the post 1000 lull. Pours dark brown with a small, well-retained khaki head. Nose is malt, balsalmic vinegar, some booze, and yeasty pepper. Flavor is tart vinegar, malt, brett, a bit of funk quickly leveled by the wine barrels and finishing with more funk and some barrel. Drinking this beer produces a physical awareness of the different parts of the tongue that sense different tastes... they all are working at once. There is sweet, sour, and even a bit of funk in this beer. Interesting sour.

12 oz. bottle from Plaza Liquors - Pours a deep brown color with a one and a half finger thick light tan head. Light lacing. Aroma is sweet and sour esters. Flavor is much of the same with the addition of some malt sweetness. Thankfully the brett hasn’t taken over this beer completely. The finish is actually palatable, but the tart esters linger. Medium to full body. A nice beer.

The Avery Brabant is an exceptionally unique beer. It’s not my favorite, I wouldn’t have it with a meal, I wouldn’t invest in it again if there are other untried beers, and in fact, I may never drink it again at all. But it’s worth at least one try. It’s an eminently intense brew, and profiles a lot of unique and rare flavors. I wouldn’t have it again not because I dislike it, but I’m not sure I could ever think of a situation where it would be appropriate. The Avery Brabant’s head occupies a light brown shade of the color spectrum, but there’s little time for observation. The Brabant’s aroma wastes no time in rushing out of the glass and up your nose, almost like a bully rearing somebody’s head up with two fingers in their nostrils. It’s at once sour and spicy. White wine, raisins and fig spearhead the aroma, sharp and pungent, and yet the Brabant retains a steady accent of sophistication, like an expensive cologne or perfume. This might come from the slight hint of chocolate. The taste does not parallel the aroma’s sourness, save for the mild Brettanomyces quality, whose pungency, mixed with the distinct flavor of bourbon and an aftertaste of scotch, makes this one of the most intense beers I’ve ever had. Really, I’ve had little or nothing else quite like it, and I like it for it’s exceptional flavors. I’m just not sure I have the fortitude to drink another beer so heavily laden with the tastes of hard liquors - the very liquors I’ve surrendered in my preference for...well, beer.

12 oz in Chimay Trappist glass. Pour is deep brown with a ruby tinge, and almost opaque. Appears to have a moderate, fine carbonation, creating a thin but lasting tan head. Aromas of grape lollipop (seriously), red wine, and tart fruit. Soft, creamy texture. Fruity flavor, followed by a funky sour aftertaste. Red wine flavors come through in the finish, ending with a tart sweetness. I would have considered this a sour if asked to classify. Really interesting brew that I would encourage any serious beerologist to try.