Avery Fourteen

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

other then a really good appearance this beer was rather mediocre. Poured a nice brown opaque hue with a tan head which lasted forever. Aroma was of mild caramel notes and some hops. flavor was similar. Alcohol seemed to be well hidden.

Bouteille de 22 oz dégustée en compagnie de Dmac621, Dickinsonbeer, Cathschlag, MartinT, Beerbuzzmontreal et Glouglouburp. Arôme: Odeur de malt fruité avec une pointe de résineux. Apparence: La couleur est brune rougâtre. Présence d’un mince col mousseux et d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût de résineux et de caramel avec une pointe de poivre. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement huileuse. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. Légère présence d’houblon en arrière goût. (Rating #1250)

Bottle (650ml) shared with tupalev, jerc & mabel -- courtesy of jerc & mabel. Pours a murky deep ruby with an average size foamy somewhat-lasting tan head. Aroma of green hops, toasted malt, caramel, some alcohol and fruit. Flavour’s a little boozy with a weird but likable spicy/hoppy/sweet taste -- it’s hard for me to describe. Medium bodied. Not awesome but it is interesting and I did quite enjoy it.

Bomber.

What a bizarre beer! Pours like cola but darker, red highlights, reddish-tan head. The aroma is apples and grapefruit hops, some yeasty spice as in a dubbel. Nothing in the aroma prepared me for the overbearing sweetness refined-sugar sweetness on the front end of the flavor, and though the powerfully hoppy finish was foreshadowed a bit more, it too comes on harder than expected. Add a third pinch of alcohol burn, and you’ve pretty much got the dominant attack from the flavors. A strange style, and perhaps one that is not often brewed for good reason. But there’s a lot of complexity under that, and these are both enticing and interesting. Ample dates, some interesting spices, syrupy mouthfeel.

I can’t say that this one is a favorite, but I have to give Avery credit for trying something interesting with their fourteenth anniversary brew. That’s what one should do, after all, with a special edition beer.

In short: A very fruity and very hoppy (floral) big dark ale. Could almost be called an Imperial India Dark Ale. Very good.
How: Bottle 22oz. Many times.
The look: Dark brown body with a medium beige head.
In long: Medium roastiness level, cake malts, rich caramel, lots of dark fruits (raisins, figs and such), flower petal juice, some alcohol presence, tasty bitterness. Very good. Yet another big american IPA part of this new trend of India Dark Ale except that this one is very over-the-top. Following a new trend and having an attitude… that’s what happens when you’re Fourteen.

Aroma is very hoppy, with scents of fresh hops coming right of the bottle upon opening. Color is a deep ruby amber with good carbonation and a thick, tight, tan head. Taste is bold, piney and roasted. Starting with a full body it goes down with a some what sharp feel that leads you to think it is going to be rich. Finish burst out of this with a citrus hop flavor that has a bold pine flavor coming out. All of this turns to a full bitterness then somehow morphs into a roasted malt flavor that leaves you with an almost coffee like taste. I feel this may be the most complexly flavored beer they have done. It seems to change flavors as you drink it and is bold and rich yet easy to drink. The more I drink the more I like it. This is just an amazing beer.

Bottle. Very dark brown body with a big foamy beige head. Weird aroma at first is an odd blend of sweet dark malt underlying strangely green hops. Dominant flavour is hoppy bitterness with a sweet sticky malt in the background. Dark, lightly fruity, light molasses character. Average to medium palate. This was actually pretty good, and the alcohol is surprisingly restrained for an Avery product, but there was a certain clashing of flavours that kept me from getting entirely comfortable with it. Perhaps a larger more contemplative sample would have had different results, I don’t know.

Dark brown pour, ruby edges, and creamy tan head. Smells of sweet malt and hops . There are also hints of belgium yeast. Carmel and chocolate flavors come to the front in the flavor. Well balanced. Nice on the palate, slight warm bitter finish with slowly building heat. This would be enjoyable on a cold winter.