Avery Fifteen

Pours bright golden with a mostly receding off-white head, good lacing. Notes of funky brett, tart candy, grassy hops, herbs and pears. Medium to full bodied with lush carbonation.

Bottle purchased at Tiffany’s in Kalamazoo, I didn’t see any other there sadly. This one smells and funky, lots of wild grassy lemon scents as well as a tiny bit of clove spice. This poured with a considerable head, but it went away rather quickly. The flavor is very different that what I expected, but completely wonderful. I was expecting a sour funky flavors farmhouse-belgian style, but instead got a slightly bitter, lemon-tasting smooth and sweet ale. This has aged wonderfully.

Bottle provided by double D, thanks. Hazy golden yellow with an off-white head. Aroma of herbs, floral hops, fruit and funk and mild spices. Taste a mix of herbs, spices with a florally aspect that I’m assuming is hibiscus as well as some earthy hops and the Brett. Pretty good.

22 oz bottle, sampled July 2009: hazy straw, a generous off white cream diminishes into a thin film, eventually migrating to the edges of the glass. Sweet, bretty aroma with a strong melon component. Peppery bite right off the bat, softened by honeydew sweetness and a yeasty cushion. Complex and subtle while being assertive and straight forward...the yeast and melon and pepper flavours come and go as they please interspersing with a flowery funk and grassy sweetness. At the same time the raw dough is incredibly strong, coating the throat and overcoming the sweetness at times. One of the rare beers that never tastes the same twice and this is only a single bottle...most sips are wonderful, some overpowering. A real tribute to a great brewery. Nice work guys.

This beer’s got the funk. Having tried this several times over the course of over a year, I must say that bottle age does this brew a world of good. Tart and tang flavors have mellowed a bit. Brett may make for a flawed wine, but it makes for a truly unique drinking experience here. Salud. An under-appreciated beer, that deserves its due.

Appearance: Pours a yellow gold with a white head that subsides to almost nothing. The body is clear, with some tiny yeast particles flying around, and a few rising bubbles. Aroma: Of note, I could smell the funk from 2 feet away after pouring into my glass. Strong brett, including hoofy barnyardy goodness, hay and rain water, and wet dog. Getting closer to the beer, I smell sweet fruits, figs, citrus, and honeydew. I also smell a decent amount of spices, cloves and nutmeg in there. Taste: Bitter hops, metal, funky bready yeast, figs. Finishes really dry and rusty. I don’t eat as much rust as I used to, but believe me...rusty. Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, a little juicy. Overall: I enjoyed this a little more fresh last year. Some bitterness really popped out of this one.

On tap at Birreria Paradiso. Deep amber with pale head. Aroma of rising raisin bread and hay. Tastes of sour dark cherries with a bit of hops in the finish. Interesting and unique.

On tap at Papago. Pours medium gold with a 2 finger foamy white head that lasts and leaves decent lacing. The nose is barnyard funk, fruit and spice. The taste is fruit, peppery spice and yeast with mild earthy funk. Medium mouthfeel. Decent beer.