Two Brothers Avalon Spiced Ale

Brewed by Two Brothers Brewing Company
Style: Fruit Beer
Warrenville, Illinois USA

22 oz bottle. Very bright amber beer. This white head. Aroma is really interesting. Bright spiciness, clove and cinnamon and a bright apple fruitiness. There is a light berryish aroma as well. There is a kiss of maltiness underneath the apple character, but this is mostly about the apples. Floral and a little bit minty with a soft fruity character. Flavour is a little bit disappointing. Sweet and fruity but there is a weird plasticy component that I don’t really care for. It improves substantially as it warms, but it’s still got something strange going on in it.

Pours a brilliant clear ochre and amber, with a golden edge and a nice real soapy off-white head. Aroma carries a fresh spice cherry pie, almond paste, and wet apple aroma. Nice. Flavor gets weird. From a fresh cherry apple pie its all down hill until a light lick of fresh, canned pineapple. Some weird acids, spices and phenolic fruits that easily finds a home amongst potpourri. Along the way, a real fruit cocktail. Just like those cups. With the bits of old pear, papaya, and pineapple. Weird to have this flavor here. A lot of that candied apple ring flavor. Just not really in beer land. Not too sweet, not too try. Overall, a real meh.

Had on tap at Jacks bar in downtown Chicago. Poured to a reddish yellow with thin off white had that dissipated quickly and left little lacing. Nose was a very pleasant malty apples and cinnamon and a mouthfeel that was a little tingly. Flavor was muted, but a follow-up of the spicy apple found in the nose. Alcohol never did make itself known, but all and all not a bad beer on a cold night.

Solid amber in color, clear, with no head. Very sugary, cherry-pie aroma, with baked apples, cinnamon, and cranberry. Aroma is mouthwateringly rich. I am not quite sure why I am picking up more cherries than apples in this, but I am (perhaps it is candied apples moreso than cherries, but I am sticking with cherries). Flavor is an interesting mix of apples, cherry puree, nutmeg, cinnamon and a bunch of floral notes. A bit thin bodied. Still, I quite enjoyed this, I would like to try it warm some time.

On tap at Capones. Poured a medium and slightly hazy golden color with a smaller sized off white head. Aromas of, drum roll please, spiced apples. Some citrus too if I dig deep. Tastes of the same spicy apples. If you put this in front of me blind, I would have said, yep, that is a cider.

Thanks to ajm for sharing this holiday brew. While I agree with him about the apples and potpurri, I have to admit that they worked more as disadvantages to me. A bit sweet and unbalanced to me, which seems to be a recurring problem with Two Brothers and I.

Bottle from West Lakeview. The first beer I have had that is distinctly a holiday beer and the apples play no small role. Potpourri and spiced apples are the main aroma and flavors. This cries for oak aging.

On tap at Capones. Pours a hazy golden amber with not much head. I just couldnt get over the rotten apple juice aroma and flavor on this one. I got some of the spices, maybe some toffee and other sweet malty notes. But man...those apples.