Avery Old Jubilation Ale

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

Pours a dark deep red brown to mahogany with a healthy light tan head. Dark malt abounds not necessarily sweet or roasty though. Distinctively nutty. Some dry dark bitter chocolate and a god hint of alcohol. A light though creamy mouthfeel. Perhaps a bit soapy, low carbonation. The flavors are a bit more confusing than the nose. For starters, the roast is much more noticeable. A good bit of chocolate and nuttiness also in the flavor. Maybe some chicory or even light coffee? Rather dry, the alcohol is well hidden too though. Perhaps a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg, but only a hint. Something woody and maybe even a touch oaky, minus the cherry hints. Dry tannins linger on the tongue. Dry roasty finish, with a bit of charcoal. Lingers like a stout. Almost like a big in your face dry porter. This got better as I drank more of it. I could get used to this.

Rated 12/2/06: Burnt amber color poured with a towering light tan head that remained 1/2" thick for the entire time (surprising considering the strong alcohol content). Powerful carbonation inside the glass. Drinkable and lightly warming. Only wish it were fuller, but it’s still a hearty brew. Aroma has a thick malt scent with some grassy yeast. Taste is oh so slightly bitter at first soon mellowed by the thick malts with a tinge of alcohol burn. A touch of nuttiness. This one really gets bitter after a while, different but nice.

Bottle. Sweet, soft chocolate and roast malt aroma, porterish with wood, sweet ripe fruit in the bg, prunes. Good deal of malt with some caramel. Ruby body with a spoonable, lacing, creamy tanned head. Sweet malty taste with a wave of medium bitterness, warm ending. Dry, somewhat alcoholic aftertaste. Toffee and roast sweep in and out, wood lingers with the saltiness. Raisins and prunes and faint brown sugar behind dark, ripe fruit. Caramel and medium, late-arriving hops. Some earth and spice. Thick, almost syrupy full body, rich and smooth feel. Very robust flavor, a malt lover’s dream. Complex and delightful!

This was awesome, the black licorice flavors really shined and gave this thing a great complexity to the malts. I’m a big black licorice fan, so that helps. Dry and spicy with a warm toasty nutty malt start. Reading the description i’m amazed to see no anise or black licorice in there, I need to find that malt for when I brew that gives that strong flavor. Overall one of my favorite winter seasonals.

OK, I may have had a few beers at EBF2008, but by 11pm I actually quite enjoyed this, so notched it up a few points.
Rerate of (5-4-7-2-11=2.9)
355ml bottle (Black Door, Helsinki)
Sweet and beerlike. Malty with vegetable tinge. Sticky malt/hop combo, not very sophisticated.
Rerate of (5-4-7-2-11=2.9):
355ml bottle (Pikkulintu, Helsinki , American Week 2007).
Looks great, dark creamy head on dark red body. Smells sweet and sticky, some dried fruits maybe. I was unprepared for the taste - it’s huge. Very unsophisticated, and unbalanced. Even the unsubtle explosion of malt and hop tastes fails to cover the strong alcohol taste. Yet another US charicature of a UK style not done very well. Didn’t leave any though, so not that bad.

pours deep red with a beige foamy head that ligners for quite a while and leaves generous amounts of lacing. smell is of molasses, and for a fleeting moment I smelled chocolate and some dried fruits as well. taste is kind of flat compared to what I would hoped it would be. Has that sort of avery’s molasses brown sugar taste. dry hoppy finish with earthy taste. I get lots of spices as well, although not quite as spiced as anchors christmas brew I think this works in its subtlety. Love the discount price at beers of the world.

Bottle. Dark amber with thin beige head. Aroma of nuts, riped fruits, chocolate and alcohol. Malt, chocolate and some hops in the flavour, but not bitter. Low carbonation compared to other US microbrews. Nice winterwarmer, but not outstanding.

Dark fruits and some sweet malts stand out in the aroma.Pours a deep mahogany with a medium off white head.Caramel malt,dark fruits and a hint of alcohol makes up the flavor.Medium to full mouthfeel with a sweet,slight chocolate finish.