Avery Salvation

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

Undated 22 oz bottle from Table and Vine in Northampton, MA (September 2006) quaffed at cellar temperature from a Duvel glass. Completely opaque dark amber-gold body (despite my witholding the yeast pour....somehow seems shaken up) with a smallish quick-diminishing white bubbly head and no lacing....fairly tart, somewhat cidery and quite yeasty aroma, bit of caramel but the overwhelming thick dusty yeast overawes everything....on the palate, initially quite sweet though tartness shows up almost immediately, somewhat buttery with an caramel-apple touch, sour orange-grapefruit emerging and engaging in a mystifying battle with their sweeter cousin that results in a fairly difficult to define or enjoy mishmash of sour, tart, sweet, syrupy flavors....syrupy peach-apricot takes over the fruit duties towards the finish, adding another layer of....what? Carbonation a bit too low, mouthfeel sticky and often cloying. Nope.

Pours a clear gold color with a long lasting good sized head. Aroma hits you with a peculiarly strong grass. Beyond that though, there’s some honey, pear, and grapes, but the strong spicy grass (?) aroma is the most dominant. Taste starts slightly tangy, but then is immediately sweetened by honey, and some sort of sugary bread malt. There’s a spicy tingle to this beer as well. Intense bread flavors on the finish, and when I breath a bit, that grassy hop quality comes back. It’s also the last remaining characteristic of the finish and is quite pleasant. Mild, but present bitterness and the texture and thickness of the beer is good (medium), but it’s not creamy enough to me. A bit cloying and not enough yeast presence to be convincingly Belgian, but it’s a good beer on its own merits.

First big american micro i have bought in bottle in arkansas (shitty distribution for this state). Aroma is spicy and peppery hops with candy sweetness. flavor is surprisingly peppery with some sweetness behind but is in general light for its alcohol. lots of hop for a belgian style.

Nice golden color, good lacing and carbonation. Aroma is a little "thin". Peppery and spicy flavor, with plenty of fruit overtones as well. Not as complex as I was hoping, but a good Belgian ale.

Clear, bit hazy, golden orange color, short head. Aroma of hop, fruity, citrus, bit herbal, floral. Very sweet, bit hoppy taste, honey, bit dusty. I expected some more of this brew. Not better than average.

Clear golden. Strong alcohol aroma with lots of sweetness. Spicy yeast taste.

22 oz bomber. Pours a light copper with very active carbonation and an off white semi-thick head that leaves clean lacing behind. The nose is full of fruit, smoke, alcohol, and an earthy grain. The taste starts with an apple/apricot fruit combo with a background of hoppy kicks throughout the flavor through to the malty sweet yet earthy finish. There is a very spicy quality to this brew, which offers an unusual balance to the hops. The palate is thin and bubbly, leaving a slightly dry mouth. Although the bubbly feel and these types of hops aren’t my favorite qualities in beers, this beer is complex and interesting, with many fruity hues throughout the temperature changes.

Bottled, UDRBG. Aroma of hops, oranges and mandarines. Hazy, yellow coloured with a medium, off-white head. Taste is way too sweet, makin it nothing close to a belgian style beer. Even Leffe is not this sweet. Oranges, honey and hops. It is tea with too much honey. Very disappointing.