Avery Anniversary Fourteen

Formerly brewed at Avery Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
Boulder, Colorado USA

Serve in Snifter, Trappist glass

Bottle pours a deep brown with a light tan head. Aroma of dark carmel and some spicy yeat notes. Flavor is rich and lithly toaste malts with some over ripe pitted fruits and slight sour yeast slants. Moderate body, lively carbonation and a fairly srtong sharp bitterness. I was thinking a bitter hoppy dopple-weizen-bock. Interesting.

Bottle sampled. Pours a very dark brown with a small tan head. Aroma of caramel, roasted nuts yeast, and some spices. Flavor is caramel, light fruit, molasses, and a hint of smoke with a lingering bitter finish.

Dark reddish chestnut-brown body. Large, foamy, light tan head with good retention. Sticky sheets of lacing coat the glass. Aroma shows strong, sweet burnt sugar and molasses malts. Hints of dark fruits appear on a deep inhale. The flavor is very malty and primarily sweet, Dark, burnt white sugar and scorched molasses comprise the bulk of the flavor. Mild spices accompany figs and raisons as complimentary flavors. Moderate citrus and floral hops add a slightly bitter balance. Medium body with a smooth consistency. Sweet fruity finish. Nice, quality brew. A little too sweet for me.

tried on tap. smooth malty slightly fruity aroma. rich dark brown color. Smooth drinking rich malty, somehow chocolaty, with a satisfying toasted malty finish. Really an american strong ale with the smoothness and rich malty flavor of a belgian strong ale.

Brown of color with a brown head. An aroma with raisins, hops, metallic notes, nuts, spice, chocolate, hints of liqurice and sweet malty notes. A flavor of chocolate, liqurice, nuts, spice and malty notes.

Bottle: Deep brown pour with ruby tints in the light, topped by a tan, creamy head. Aroma shows some sweet rye malt hints. There’s also some spicy/peppery hallertau suggestions, plastic-y, and sweet fruits of berries & plums. Creamy, velvety mouth feel. Flavor has some big spicy malts upfront. There’s also some fruity character of dark berries, nutty/brown sugar hints, and toasty toffee. The finish has a great roasted character which is almost coffee-ish. A bit less hoppy than I like my ASAs, but the malt depth is quality and has a balancing roastiness. No sign of alcohol in the flavor, and just a nice tasty Ale.

UPDATED: OCT 31, 2007 Draught tulip at Sunset Grilll on 9/16/07
I just don’t get this brewery. It’s hard to put my finger on exactly what is always my problem with their beers. The main problem, of course, is that they’re too sweet because they are brewing in such humongous quantities and don’t get great attenuation, I think. But beyond that, even the malt flavor itself is very simple and devoid of any suppleness/depth. Very hard mouthfeel. The hops are rarely pleasant either. Forceful, bittering hops are boring and simplified grapefruit/pine. Granted, with this one, I will admit there is some tropical fruit/pineapple flavor and aroma, but it’s pretty marginal when taken with the bitterness and sugariness. Washed out texture from excessive filtration and alcohol apparency to boot. These Anniversary beers should be small batch beers, or unfiltered or something. I just can’t take these things any more. Barely choked my glass down.

Poured a deep reddish brown color with a medium sized, light tan head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of citrus fruits, floral hops, light toffee malts, some caramel, with spices, and a bit of fresh baked bread. Taste of nuts, molasses, nougat, anise, caramel malts, roast, a bit of chocolate, light tobacco, citrus, pine, moderate bitterness, and some oxidized cardboard already present.