Avery The Reverend

Brewed by Avery Brewing Company
Style: Abt/Quadrupel
Boulder, Colorado USA

Bottled. Pours ruby red with no head. Very faint aroma- I can’t seem to make it out it’s so faint. My nose could be a little off tonight. Malty assualt at first sip! Tons of dark fruit notes and sweet, sweet, sweet. Did I mention it’s sweet? A bit of lingering sweetness on the tongue as well in the aftertaste.

Lending palpable skepticism, the promise of a "quadrupel ale" seemed rather illusory. I tend to have an innate fear of Avery - why? I’m not certain. Perhaps it’s the brash outset or frightful label-design, or likely the negative climate generated by our vocal community. It’s always with great tedium that a bottle is uncapped, even though my restraint has proven to reveal Avery’s more acceptable offerings. So perhaps I’ve been stereotyping the brewery all too much, and should have approached this effort with more excitement. The pour certainly wouldn’t prove me wrong: a clear, sap-like, apple juice appearance and creamy foam, unlike any of Belgium’s monastic creations. The aroma was far more enticing, exuding an well-blended mixture of fruits and vegetables. Turnips and artichoke joined forces with copious banana, pear, apple and hazelnut. Hints of bubble gum alongside sweet cinnamon and coriander provided ample complexity and though completely unrelated to the Abts or Quadrupels I’ve known, rather pleasant indeed. The palate is a decidedly subdued version of what I could smell, barely hiding the strong alcoholic tones. Banana, pear, fig, caramel and grains are otherwise prominent leaving a a sticky bubble gum aftertaste. A quite enjoyable ale overall, but not what I expected from the style - still a success for Avery.

Appearance: Pours a crystal clear, orangey-amber body with a well-formed, light beige head. Smell: Toasted nuts and bread followed by a distinct yeastiness and notes of sugar and alcohol coated fruits. Taste: Sweet, bready maltiness with a caramel and honey sweetness jacked up by plenty of candi sugar. A tad yeasty. Peach schnapps soaked fruit flavors of fig and dried cherries. The tiniest pinch of nutmeg. Spicy hops with a medium, resilient bitterness that joins the various other flavors bouncing around the palate. Very faint wood component. Finishes sweet, fruity, and quite warming. Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium carbonation. Slight stickiness to the mouthfeel. Drinkability: A fine, respectable attempt at the style, but comes up a bit short when stacked against the superior Belgian examples. Still though, it is an enjoyable sipper from the good folks over at Avery.

pours medium brown with a small head. smell is classic belgian. has a heavy rochefort 8 style taste. complex and the alcohol comes through a little bit. good stuff

Had this on tap at mad mex. I was unsure what kind of belgian this was when i ordered it but after the first smell and taste i knew it was a quad. The alcohol was prominent but it was still spicy and very sweet. Overall not to bad but i still have not had a great american quad.

(Draught at Akkurat, Stockholm, 12 April 2008) Reddish amber colour with frothy, beige head. Malty nose with dried fruit, caramel and floral notes of roses. Malty taste with notes of dried fruit, strawberries and red-currant. Full body, really sweet. Nicely balanced and tasty, maybe slightly too sweet, but still a nice beer.

from bomber to snifter. sour aroma (ubt not unpleasant, egg whites, powederd sugar. deep orange bordering on maraschino color, thin tannish head. Does various dances with my tongue Tastes of nectatine, corn, maple, alcohol, cherry. finsishing sweet.

Pours orange-red with very litte head. It smells good, of spice and orange and the flavor is sweet, and full of clove. Lots of flavor, very drinkable.