Avery Fourteen

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

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)

Very belgian-style aromatics with a complex roasty spicy head. Excellent beer with just a wonderful complex taste. One of my current favorites, just great!

Wow. This is what it’s all about. at 9.46 ABV this one is has all the gravity and thick malt sweetness of a barleywine. What really separates it is the use of dark malts. It has a rich creamy chocolate taste, which compliments the strong malty and hoppy overtones. Could be considered the first true dark barleywine. Absolutely recommended for strong beer afficionados. Superb stuff.

Bottle at RBESG 2007. Ruby colour with lasting beige head. Intense grapefruit aroma. Awesome malt in mouth. One of the beers of the day.

22 oz. bomber. Pours an extremely dark brown (almost black) with dark amber highlights and a thick, pillowy, unevenly-bubbled, short-lived, tan foam that leaves thick streaks and spots of lace on the glass. The aroma is very strong and is an interesting mix of alcohol, cocoa powder, vinous malts, and green, grassy hops. The flavor starts malty and sweet with lots of chocolate intertwined beautifully with the smell of sticky, earthy hops. The middle of the tongue picks up lots of dark fruit (prunes, chocolate-covered raisins) and molasses. The finish is full-bodied, is strongly alcoholic, and combines dark roasted, pungent malts with an interesting, fruity hop bitterness. The mouthfeel is seductive: it is full-bodied but lightened by luxurious, creamy bubbles. There is a touch of oiliness around the middle of the tongue. Overall, this beer rocks. It is even better than their past two anniversary beers (which I thought were quite pleasing, too).

I always look forward to the new anniversary release from Adam Avery. He makes big beers, and doesn’t shy away from experimentation. I respect that. The meek need not apply. This one pours dark brownish ruby with a 2-finger khaki head and tons of lacing. The aroma is heavily piney hoppy, with a smattering of spicy and floral notes, plus a solid dose of roasty scotchy malt and chocolate syrup. The flavor is rich, very chocolatey malty, with a huge resiny hop bill. The palate is hefty, does get a tad hot toward the finish, yet does seem to smooth out a bit. This one at times reminded me of both Alpha Klaus and Gonzo, and that duo is great to be reminded of. I think 2 parts Gonzo, 2 parts Alpha Klaus, and 1 part Rogue chocolate stout would approximate this one very closely. This is an excellent beer that you need to acquire now!

Deep, dark brown with ruby-red highlights around the edges. Cappuccino-like head; frothy, with tight and small bubbles. Residual lace. Smooth, soft, creamy texture. Dark roast. Multigrain, dark bread. Fresh nuts. Aromatic citrus, perfectly in the background. Dark chocolate ... even had that "sour" quality that high-percentage dark chocolate has. Nice hop presence, and just enough bitterness to cleave off the subtle molasses sweetness. Alcohol hints were welcome, even though it was hidden pretty well. Warming and cozy. Love the image of the Flatirons wearing their winter coat. I see a lot of Flatiron images, and the angle of this photo is unique. The timing on this beer (and its label) couldn’t have been better, as I just made my first outdoor climb last weekend on the First (the Flatiron on the right side of the label).

What an oustanding beer, opaque color, very dark brown, couldn’t see through the glass, modest tan head with great lacing, very sweet nose with notes of honey & molasses, lots of body, certainly more of a sipping beer, one to be enjoyed, rich & complex flavors, a hint of dry & hoppy notes to add balance, flavors of honey, molasses, caramel & burnt toast, bitter & hoppy finish with more malt to follow, a fantastic brew