Avery Salvation

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

Bottle to glass: Aroma is that of bubble gum and of wheat malts; Appearance is a deep golden yellow; Flavor is a sweet alcohol with a spicy after taste; Palate is clean, crisp and smooth...

Pours hazy brass with thin white rocky head. As I drank a nice lace followed the liquid down the glass. Some fruity esters led the aroma parade with some peach/apricot/nectarine/plum complex, with yeast, alcohol, grass, earth and peat. Tastes included a nice maltiness and an earthy, sweet fruity, spicy notes with notes of nutmeg and mace. The Styrian Golding hops lent a nice herbal character with low acidity. The flavor was quite complex and would take several tastings to completely unravel. Unfortunately, over a pint of 9% ABV tends to cloud the judgement but, on the other hand, a simple pronouncement of "damn good" suffices. Who cares why it’s good? I digress. Mouthfeel is creamy/silky. Good American stab at a Belgian mainstay.

Bottle. Golden color with a big billowy white head that lasts. Aroma is fruity, cherries, peaches with some funky belgian yeast notes, almost a cough syrupy aroma. Quite flavorful and very easy drinking and quenching for the ABV. Again, fruit with a belgian character, some spicy notes, candi sugar; semi dry with a crisp bite. Full to med body. Very flavorful, very good.

One of my favorites. Nice fruity aromas with light spice mixed in. Lucious body. Not for the timid, and not for guzzling either.

Salvation came tonight in the form of a 22 oz. brown bomber, with gold foil around the neck, and a label evocative of medieval Christian art. The beer poured out into a tulip glass, looked gorgeous golden yellow, with active carbonation. Compared to most other beers in this style, the head was rather small at half inch thick, and there was not much lacing left along the sides of the glass.

The smell was dead on, with sweet malt, spices, and the unique earthiness typical of Belgian yeast strains. The taste was big on malt, with pear, green apple, and apricot like fruitiness, and was closer to a Tripel than a Belgian Strong Pale Ale. There was also a noticeable level of hop flavor coming through. Not an overpowering hop flavor, but a little touch of citrus and hay complimenting the sweetness quite nicely.

Thick and sticky mouthfeel accentuated the feeling of consuming a big special beer. The alcohol was well hidden, and there was almost no burn. The aftertaste was peppery, citric, and sweet. A big beer that does not feel harsh and aggressive, but instead is like a gentle giant carrying you along on his back.

Bottle at KØ07. Weak, but good, sweetish hop aroma. Clear golden colour, small white head. Very malty flavour, in perfect balance with pepper and alcohol notes. Caramelly flavour also going well with the alcohol. This is really good.

On draft at the Drafting Room, Spring House, PA. Deep gold pour with medium white head and great lace. Aroma of malt, hopcit, fruit (apricot and peach), perfume. Tastes malty, fruity, rich, with hopcit, some candi sugar. Very complex and nicely balanced. Very solid, rich, smooth finish with some Belgian ale.tripel qualities. This one is just delicious. I haven’t had the bottled version, but the draft kicks major ass.

Another tasting at the Salida brewers gathering. All beers are out of small kegs. Hold the glass up to the light, hang out in the park with your friends, and enjoy brews as they should be taken. This is a lovely creation, light, with high alcohol nicely hidden. It had a big head. Was the last reviewer unfortunate enough to have had it from a bottle?? Even my wife said it tasted GOOD!!