Avery Anniversary Fourteen

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

Serve in Snifter, Trappist glass

Bomber.

What a bizarre beer! Pours like cola but darker, red highlights, reddish-tan head. The aroma is apples and grapefruit hops, some yeasty spice as in a dubbel. Nothing in the aroma prepared me for the overbearing sweetness refined-sugar sweetness on the front end of the flavor, and though the powerfully hoppy finish was foreshadowed a bit more, it too comes on harder than expected. Add a third pinch of alcohol burn, and you’ve pretty much got the dominant attack from the flavors. A strange style, and perhaps one that is not often brewed for good reason. But there’s a lot of complexity under that, and these are both enticing and interesting. Ample dates, some interesting spices, syrupy mouthfeel.

I can’t say that this one is a favorite, but I have to give Avery credit for trying something interesting with their fourteenth anniversary brew. That’s what one should do, after all, with a special edition beer.

UPDATED: JUN 2, 2009 In short: A very fruity and very hoppy (floral) big dark ale. Could almost be called an Imperial India Dark Ale. Very good.
How: Bottle 22oz. Many times.
The look: Dark brown body with a medium beige head.
In long: Medium roastiness level, cake malts, rich caramel, lots of dark fruits (raisins, figs and such), flower petal juice, some alcohol presence, tasty bitterness. Very good. Yet another big american IPA part of this new trend of India Dark Ale except that this one is very over-the-top. Following a new trend and having an attitude… that’s what happens when you’re Fourteen.

Aroma is very hoppy, with scents of fresh hops coming right of the bottle upon opening. Color is a deep ruby amber with good carbonation and a thick, tight, tan head. Taste is bold, piney and roasted. Starting with a full body it goes down with a some what sharp feel that leads you to think it is going to be rich. Finish burst out of this with a citrus hop flavor that has a bold pine flavor coming out. All of this turns to a full bitterness then somehow morphs into a roasted malt flavor that leaves you with an almost coffee like taste. I feel this may be the most complexly flavored beer they have done. It seems to change flavors as you drink it and is bold and rich yet easy to drink. The more I drink the more I like it. This is just an amazing beer.

Bottle. Very dark brown body with a big foamy beige head. Weird aroma at first is an odd blend of sweet dark malt underlying strangely green hops. Dominant flavour is hoppy bitterness with a sweet sticky malt in the background. Dark, lightly fruity, light molasses character. Average to medium palate. This was actually pretty good, and the alcohol is surprisingly restrained for an Avery product, but there was a certain clashing of flavours that kept me from getting entirely comfortable with it. Perhaps a larger more contemplative sample would have had different results, I don’t know.

Dark brown pour, ruby edges, and creamy tan head. Smells of sweet malt and hops . There are also hints of belgium yeast. Carmel and chocolate flavors come to the front in the flavor. Well balanced. Nice on the palate, slight warm bitter finish with slowly building heat. This would be enjoyable on a cold winter.

Small tan head with excellent retention, lacing is sweet, hanging around, very attractive. Clear brown color with ruby red edging. A real looker. Nose is lightly sweet malts, funkily fruity and grainy. Med/full body, chewy and creamy with a slick carbonation. Medium sweet malts, faint chocolte notes, juicey fruit gum, caramel maltiness is great and enjoyable. Sweet? Nahhhhh, just right. Spicey, lightly swet finish. Groovy little brew. Bomber procured @ statelineliquors.

Bottle… Very dark crimson ale with a small, creamy, khaki-colored head. Decent retention. Loads of phenols and esters in the aroma. Notes of campfire smoke, tobacco, fig, chocolate-covered banana, pine and light molasses with just a hint of vanilla and a whisper of lactic acid. Moderately acidic and fairly sweet up front. Heavy, metallic bitterness on the backside. The alcohol isn’t overbearing. Medium to full-bodied and lightly oily with fair carbonation. Lightly acidic, stunningly bitter finish. Creative, but confused. A touch too bitter for my tender palate.

Bottle from cbkschubert; Nose an unusual combo of light piney hops and dark fruits with toffee; clear cherry brown with a big beige head that laces nicely; falvor of caramel, coffee, toffee, pepperiness, and some hop bitterness, which combines with some fruitiness fro the finish! i think the Stone 11th tried to follow this one!