Avery Collaboration Not Litigation

batch 3 bottle thanks to boomer0813. poured a hazy amberish orange color with a white head. aroma of caramel, orange, spices, cinnamon, and clove. flavor of caramel, spice, alcohol, some bitterness, and a slight hint of orange. body was medium-heavy with medium carbonation. i wanted to rate this higher but it just seemed to be missing a little something for me.

orange with large white head and high carbonation. mild nose for the style, very few yeasty esters present. flavor is somewhat muddled with yeasty esters giving off some spice and orange flavors, but not distinctly. the alcohol is noticeable at well, slightly aggressively. long lasting finish. this could benefit from some aging and i would like to try an aged version some day, but for now, this is not the paradigm of belgian golden strongs

Dark mahogany with a thin white head. Rich yeasty aroma. Flavor is nicely layered with malt and dried fruits, cherry and plum. Clean finish. It’s not as outrageous as one might hope from this collaboration (a fairly straightforward strong ale) but very enjoyable.

Cloyingly sweet dark ale whose components are possibly inspired by the wrong Belgian beers. Dark hazed amber color, thick beige head. Nose is sweet cola, tootsie roll, and those gummi coke bottles. Tastes quite caramel-sweet with mild bitterness. Body surprisingly thin for the sticky sweetness. Just too sweet to be very drinkable or very serious.

Batch #2 from February 2008 poured into a large snifter. This beer took some time in the glass to warm up and flourish. A bubbly white head on top of an orange-copper colored body with heavy carbonation and very good lacing. Aroma is sugary and yeasty with some mixed fruits. Sweet and tangy with a light to medium body. Lots of fresh bread and dark fruit flavors balanced by a touch of citrus and a big sugary boozy kick. A good sipper, glad I shared it with a friend.

Batch 2 bomber. A nice hazy amber-tan with a little white head that sits for quite a while. Peaches, banana, a little clove, a fruity spiciness, and the sugars in the aroma. Hits the tongue fairly rich and malty with a nice complex sweetness and a spiciness that reminds me a bit of Duvel. Hops are limited, unsurprisingly, and the 9% is pretty well hidden. First time I’ve had this one, and I’m looking forward to doing a vertical sometime over a couple years.

Location: 22 oz bottle from Gilly’s, batch # 3 (Feb 2009) 8.97% ABV

Aroma: Banana, clove, some bread, yeast, sugar, a pretty complex and interesting nose
Appearance: Hazy dark orange/red color, decently thin white head
Flavor: A pretty complex sweetness that works pretty well, but not great...
Palate: Decent mouthfeel here, medium to full bodied
Overall Impression: I really like the idea of this beer and the story.
As of today (5/19/09) I’ve never had anything from Russian River, though I have heard good things, and I’d love to try something fully made by those guys. I have had a few others from Avery and I like what they are trying to do most of the time...

batch #2 -- nose is ultra candy sugar sweet, a bit off putting actually. candy sugar gives way to sticky malt -- very American, not belgian at all. appearance is very pretty, dark rust and very cloudy. flavor is of belgian spice first and foremost, cloying malt sweetness in the aroma is not so pronounced at all in the flavor. some esthers but no outright belgian yeast character or funk. flavor evolves over time into strange unknown esthers that combine (or are caused by....chicken or the egg?) with the alcohol into something that beguiles me. this beer is a thinker...seemed to be a disappointment on many accounts from the start but caused intregue later.