Avery Fifteen

Deep golden color......a tad hazy. Fluffy head......floral aroma, with a few hints of fruit and spices. Front slowly opens up with a mild spice flavor and a pretty crisp, though not overpowering, mouthfeel. Spicy flavor slowly morphs into the sour taste of a classic farmhouse ale, with a few subtle fruit notes......finish is long and laced with a peppery aftertaste. Definitely a unique and extremely complex ale.

Light orangey-rose color with white head. Definite farmhouse aroma, with something different...hibiscus maybe. Moderately carbonated with a medium body. Very spicey (not picante), peppery. Subtle stone fruit flavors with light tartness. Very drinkable.

(22oz bottle from Whip-In at home with weeAnaP) 11 ounces in my snifter… the other 11 in my wee Ana P’s. My first beer in over two weeks! A relatively clear bod with the typical orange Belgian color, its frothy white head bubbled away in about 4- minutes, leaving no lacing at all. Its aroma was hard to place. It reminded me of hand soap - the industrial kind scented like whatever it is that the threw into Fifteen’s boil. Maybe it’s (alcoholic) hibiscus? Its taste is tart (or is that the dryness?), feel it straight down the gullet with a soft tingle on the middle of the tongue. The underside of my tongue is tearing up. You can tell from a mile away it’s a Belgian-style, and a musky one. Nothing too out of the ordinary there. Its body is light and on the verge of syrupy. Lively, but hard on the throat after a while. Too dry and too sweet for my taste. But maybe I’m being too critical.

On draft at O’Brien’s. Appearance is translucent light orange hue, thing layer of white foamy head, moderate lacing on the glass. Smell is funky bret, musty horseblanket, tart and sour fruits. Taste is dominated by the farmhouse fun and sourness, opens up to light fruits (pears and apples), slight chalk, light tartness, finishes with alcohol warming and sweet fruit syrup. Medium-bodied, thick and oily texture, highly carbonated. Depending on whether you are a fan of this style, carbonation is overdone, but a good solid example of a wild ale that is best in small quantities.

Pours a transparent deep golden bronze with a small, frothy white head. Aroma of dry toasty biscuity malts and grassy hay with a touch of cheesy funk, earthy hops and floral spices. Body starts slightly effervescent and fairly full with a good light sweetness and some drier, bready, funky character toward the finish. Doesn’t have much tartness, which would give it better balance, but is still pretty complex and drinkable.

Pours a two finger white head that fades slowly to a thin layer leaving some lace. Cloudy amber color. Good carbonation and medium bodied. Apple cider nose. Flavor is almost sweet cider, figs are hidden, tart finish. $9.49 for a 22oz bottle from Yankee Spirits South Attleboro, Ma. Bottled Apr 2008.

Tap at Blind Tiger. Aroma of sour citrus fruits, notably lemon, some pineapple funk, more sour fruits. Flavor continues along the same line until some odd oaky sweetness and some melon rind come into play. Still though, lots of good stuff going on in there, I’m rather shocked by just how low the ratings are.

Bottle. Aroma of port-a-potty, yeast, and spice. Medium gold hue with a very large mostly lasting head that left great lace. Flavor is sweet, sour and spicy with malt, yeast, and caramel malts. Palate is lively and medium bodied. Not bad but was hoping for something a little more interesting than just another Belgian.