Avery Oak Barrel Salvation

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

On draft @ Falling Rock during ’06 GABF weekend Citrus, floral aroma as well as some brown sugar and spice. Mild oak aroma as the beer warms. Initial taste is brown sugar, yeast, and spice followed by some chardonnay. Finish is tart, lemon, and spice. As the beer warms, it shows a moderate bitterness. Cloudy gold color. Moderate to full bodied.

Tasted on tap at the 2007 Bistro West Coast Barrel Aged Beer Festival. This Belgian Strong Ale poured a medium gold color. Small sized white foamy head. Aroma is fruity and sweet with a touch of brett sourness. A medium bodied Belgian Strong Ale. Malts are fruity and sweet, with some cherries and apricots. There is a nice sweetness to this beer, yet there is also a nice understated sourness and oakiness as well. Nice balance. Smooth and clean, this beer does not have that Avery alcohol hotness character to it. Very drinkable beer, kind of understated, but very nice. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly sweet.

On Draft at the Bistro’s BA Fest 07- Billed as Salvation Crucified. Murky copper pour with white head. Fruity aroma of peaches, grapes, watermelon and strawberries with a pronounced sour note. Fruity malt flavor with subtle tart woody notes. A very enjoyable yet understated beer.

Draft at the Bistro’s West Coast BA Fest, 11/10/07; called Salvation Crucified! Nose of white wine, spices, and oak; gold with a small off-white head; flavor has some wine, tartness, and light fruit!

Draft at Avery, June 02 2007. Apparantly this spent two years in the barrel? Wow. Aroma is of light spices, wood, grapes, cinnemon, ginger, and has none of the peppery qualities of the normal Salvation. Tart grape flavor with some gentle wood and pear qualities. Also finishes very smoothly and woody. Very soft velvety mouthfeel. Full, with no trace of stickiness. This is a pretty amazing metamorphesus from the original Salvation and shares very few similarties to the original beer.

sampled on tap at the 5th Boulder Strong Ale Fest. lots of white wine in the nose. tasty, white winey flavor, but pretty good. i this is really improves salvation.

First beer of EBF ’07, on draught on 2/9/07
Medium-sized white head is shows moderate retention. Sparkling golden-banana colored body shows plentiful carbonation and moderate lacing. Clear, but I do see a chill haze (served too cold to start).
Very soft, but aromatic wine notes interwoven with pears, dry peaches and nectarines. Light, somewhat oilly oakiness is fantastically aromatic and not tannic at all (no heavy nuttiness or graininess). Strong, moderately tart ending crackles with Belgian yeast, light pale malt sugars and some green grape and something like starfruit (a dry, crisp, yellow fruitiness, with a little bit of juiciness to it). Frankly, not much like regular salvation. No obnoxious fusels or heavy peachy sweet-and-sourness. Very smooth, soft but noticeable barrel character is very well-done. It must take the edge off of the normal Salvation aroma.
Tart fruits, but with a dainty pale malt backing, bring on a lively and tight flavor in the mouth. Pears, nectarines, white grapes and a dry oakiness slowly give way to controlled Belgian yeastiness that isnt full of the usual brutish Avery flavors. Alcohol is not heavy or sharp, no clove or heavy peach/banana. I almost thought I tasted brett, but that must just be the crisp/tart fruitiness from the barrel. Soft, actually engaging carbonation is surprisingly nothing like the real salvation. Light biscuits and pale grains linger on with the fruity and oaky barrel character. Medium body, some alcohol warmth with warming, as well as a bit of phenolics and chewy tannin on the end, but fine stuff overall.

Nice golden color. A bite in the after taste but you can really taste the Ale aspect of this beer. Nice smooth beer otherwise and a great wind down and relax drink.