Avery Fourteen

Pours a dark brown with no haze. Huge, creamy, frothy off-white head that disappears slowly and leaves a sticky lace all over the glass. Smells of sweet sugars and malts right up front, but you also get the tell tale citrusy smell of hops. Tastes big and sweet, a little chocolatey up front with a little coffee as well. Hoppy on the finish, sweet citrusy, orange. A bit thick, with pretty good carbonation. This beer is very, very tasty and interesting.

Pours an opaque, near black with ruby edges and a rocky beige head that dimples as it fades, leaving great lacing. The nose is very hoppy, with peppery, zesty citric hops, pine resin and rye malt, with a nougat-like, nutty malt backbone. The flavour is similar, with zesty orange-flavoured hops, fragrant phenolic hops, dried pitted fruits, pine, sweet caramel malts and nutty nougat-like notes. The finish is insanely dry, more so than many piney IPA’s. A creamy medium body complements the id-palate flavours, but the finish is overly dry and zesty, exhibiting hop bitterness over hop flavour. This is a nice American strong ale, and a really intense one at that.

Bottle. Pours near black with reddish highlights. Great light tan head which leaves its mark down the glass. Malty nose with a fruity hopped edge. Taste is pretty similar with a citrusy hop burn instead of the hop flavor that is expressed in the nose. Oranges, some roasted nuts, and molasses malts. Boozy and dry finish. Good representation of an American Strong Ale, yet nothing too eccentric or over the top.

Pours a dark brown, some ruby highlights, with a firm tan head. Aroma is roasted malts, dried fruits, plums, and mild spices. The flavor was big and complex. Lots of malt, plums, raisins, molasses and a great dry, citrus hop finish. This beer is one to be sipped and appreciated. Avery has outdone themselves.

Bottle: What a beautiful pour ... deep and dark with a rigid guard of bubbly top foam. The aroma is rich a dry. The drink is ambrosia ... rich, dark fruits like raisin, plum and full blood oranges, along with a richly roasted malt, all boiled together. Has Avery ever gone wrong? Me thinks not. Yet another homerun from one of the country’s greatest brewers. (#3255, 12/16/2007)

Bomber from Halftime. Huge whiff of malt as bottle is opened and poured. Thick. Color is very dark brown almost black. Smells great. Monster big beer, malty yet not nearly as sweet as expected. Hoppy ending but not an IPA. Really well balanced and well done. I wish I bought two!

Black with thick, rocky, dark tan head. Good lacing. Aroma is nice. I could smell it as I poured it. Chocolate. Malt w/ some roastiness and a slight sweetness. Cookies. Flavor is not as sweet as expected. Mostly roasted malt. Full bodied. A slight lingering bitterness that distracts a little.

Excellent Excellent Excellent . This is fine beer that has a nice hoppy alternative to regular beers. I won at pool while drinking this...is that enough for a recommendation?