Avery Fourteen

Formerly brewed at Avery Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
Boulder, Colorado USA

Poured from a bomber to a snifter. A: Pours a very dark brown that appears black. Very large light-brown head with good retention and some web-like lacing. S: Very sweet malts with lots of dark fruits (raisins, cherry and berries) with a bit of chocolate and some hops. Smells very good. Kinda has the smell of a barleywine more than a BSDA. I never would have guessed the style upon smell. T: Just like the scent, lots of dark fruit, chocolate, molasses, maltiness and hops. Hits sweet and leaves a raisin taste on the finish with a note of chocolate and malt. Not as hoppy as it smells. I’m really loving the taste, but it’s not very consistent with the style. M&D: Mouthfeel is perfect, medium-heavy bodied with a great amount of carbonation, but not so much that it’s distracting. It’s pretty drinkable, the alcohol doesn’t come out much. A bomber is perfect for one person. Overall: Although it’s not consistent with the style I really love this beer. It’s very unique and hard to find these days. It’s drinking great now, so get it if you can!

Draft at Blind Tiger. More of a black IPA than a strong ale imo. Great hoppy characteristics, both in aroma and flavor. Very enjoyable.

22oz. bomber. Pours dark brown with a one-finger off-white head. Retains a cap down the glass. Big aroma starts with citrusy hops then molasses, raisins, and vanilla. Flavor is excellent, chocolate, molasses, brown sugar, dark fruits, cherries, some hoppy bitterness, a touch of caramel and toffee, and a little something else I can’t quite put my finger on, some spice? Quite complex. Mouthfeel is full with moderate carbonation. Alcohol taste is present, even with two years on the bottle, but it doesn’t surprise me coming from Avery...they never try to hide the alcohol content of their brews. I really love Fourteen, out of the numerous Avery offerings I’ve tried, this is my favorite. Buy it if you can find it!

16th May 2008. Smooth chocolatey start with a faint molasses tone. This leads quickly to fruity hops that are not bitter. A little like a barleywine but this is something different.

Dark brown/black with a dense and large yellow beige head. Huge chocolate and roasted malt aroma. Great malt and hop balance for such a big beer. Great chocolate flavor - love it.

Bomber. Poured deep reddish-brown with a dense cap of tan head.. set up nicely and left pretty lacing as it descended. The aroma picked up toasty redder fruits, toffee, and molasses with accents of brown sugar and vanilla.. oxidation is starting to set in, and the hops have faded, but some earth and citrus remained.. soft overall and very enticing. The flavor found even more molasses along with raisins and other assorted dark fruit at the core.. some toasty vanilla and brown sugar were laced throughout.. light earth and citrusy bitterness paired with prickly, warming alcohol on the edges.. finished long and mostly malty. Medium-bodied and warm on the palate with moderate carbonation.. spicy and warm, but well-balanced. This is breaking down, but it’s still tasty and interesting.

DØE Valby 09. Pours dark redbrown with a light beige head. Aroma is vineous, dark caramel, light hop. Flavour is vineous, heavy hop, citrus and grapefruit, and some dried fruit.

Bottle. Pours near black with a light brown head. Aroma is sweet and malty with notes of raisin, dark fruits, a bit of chocolate and caramel. Flavor is full of raisin, dark fruits, a slight alcohol burn, caramel, milk chocolate and perhaps even a bit of chocolate.