Avery Oak Barrel Salvation

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

Salvation on oak-on tap-pours a light tan head that’s rich and thick. Color is a cloudy orange. Taste is spiced and syrupy.

Draft... Mid-GABF ’06 at the Falling Rock Tap House, Denver... Mostly clear golden ale with a small, frothy, off-white head. The aroma is malty, spicy and fruity with all the usual suspects regarding tripel esters and phenols. Only now the nose is a bit more vinous and woodsy with a hint of vanilla. Moderately tart, moderately bitter, fruity, spicy flavor. Full-bodied and creamy with lively carbonation. Finishes watery and vinous.

Sampled at the second annual Bistro’s West Coast Barrel Aged Beer Fest as "Salvation Crucified": Clear golden bronze color has a nicely-lacing white head. Aroma of sweet biscuity Belgian malt and a hint of mint and orange peel along with a light fruity tartness. Body starts with a nice oaky chardonnay complexity and sweet Belgian maltiness with a good balance of coriander and clove spices toward a crisp oaky vinous finish. Nice choice of barrel and good balance throughout.

2008 GABF week @ Avery. 2005 vintage. Cloudy unfiltered honey orange color, soft white head. White wine nose, crisp notes of grapes and sweet mead. 9% is easily noticeable, comes across slightly boozy and hot. At times it’s too sweet, but the cider and mead character is quite nice... some melon and orange fruit notes present as well.

2005 Boulder Strong Ale Fest. Body is dark yellow. Aroma is moderately malty (cookie), lightly hoppy (flowers, lemon), with notes of banana, clove, grapes, and wood. Flavor is moderately sweet, moderately acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, moderately acidic, moderately bitter. Medium body, watery texture, lively carbonation, moderately alcoholic. Still needs more aging time, but showing the most wine character of the three so far. I hope Adam is patient with these oaked versions, especially the Salvation and Reverend, which stand to gain the most from this process IMHO.

Draft @ Falling Rock: My favorite of the BA Trinity series. Hazy golden color. Great aroma of white wine, caramel and some light yeasty funk. A little sweaty. Nice balance of malt, fruitiness and chardonnay. Lightly tart. Warming with a medium body.

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.

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.