Avery The Reverend

If I had a reverend like this, perhaps i’d go to church. Pours a reddish amber. Aroma is of fruit (apricot and banana, mostly), belgian yeast, spice, and bread. Taste is full of fruit, banana bread, yeast ethers. Nice full mouthfeel, good carbonation. This is good for an American version of a quad, but is nothing like the authentic belgian ales.

This beer pours a deep amber color that yielded very little head. What head remained after the pour was thin and tan. This brew had been stored a bit cold in the fridge so I let it breathe a bit before imbibing. The glass quickly gathered a lot of condensation on the snifter so I knew it was cold. Once I wiped the sweat form the glass I could see that this brew was mostly clear with perhaps a slight chill haze. The initial aromas gave me a hint of fruit, perhaps cherries mixed with other spices with a definitive Belgian yeast aroma. There was a fair amount of malts detected in the smell as well. The first taste was surprising as the higher alcohol gave it a bit of a medicinal taste yet without a warming burn. It is malty and mildly carbonated but not overly so. I was getting a sense of a flashback to their Avery Fifteen but without the funky brett taste. This quad is lightly bitter with a crisp dry finish. You get the feeling that this beer is in a class above the common beers. It sips like a foreign brew with an American twist. Avery’s web site describes this beer as having hints of dark cherries, currants, and molasses, complimented by an underlying spiciness. I detect the cherries but I don’t eat currants often enough to tell you what that tastes like. As for molasses, I’d probably not describe it that was. I give that distinction to more of the darker and thicker stouts rather than in this quadrupel ale. This beer does taste a tad sweet yet I drink it with just a bit of discretion. First because it is high alcohol and second, the taste is just spicy enough to make you want to drink it slowly.

Bottle from BevMo in Vacaville, CA. Poured a copper color and right away I could smell the malty goodness. I usually a big fan of big malty beer, but this one just seemed too sweet. Very full-bodied beer that sticks to your mouth. All in all a good beer, just be ready for all the malts.

Bottle from BevMo in Vacaville, CA. This brew was a malty version of a lesser Rochefort. It reminded me of BJs Grand Cru, but much sweeter. In fact, DTM said it was almost too sweet. I liked it, but that may have been why. High marks here, as it was the culmination beer of the evening.

Poured copper with a short lived head. Full bodied with a carmel taste, slightly sweet and malty.