Avery Anniversary Fourteen

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

Serve in Snifter, Trappist glass

Impressive,raisiny, root beer, chocolate cake, molasses, aroma, a real malt explosion,taste is sweet chocolates laced with dark fruit and anise,a hints of that root beer taste, faint but distinct hops in the aftertaste, thought body would be a hair thicker,with the 1.090 OG ,alcohol not that noticeable. Would classify this an old ale. Delicious

Big tan head and big molasses aroma with a little alcohol mixed in. Both are evident in flavor along with some chocolate flavor too. Would be really good if it weren’t for the alcohol heat. Seems like good flavors are overpowered. Typical for Avery. Bugs me with the unnecessary alcohol flavor.

Bottle shared with Hogtown Harry, his bottle. Very dark brown, huge thick foamy brown head - looks great. Smokey, peaty, some yeast in interesting aroma. Taste is also very interesting - smoky, sweet, hoppy, chewy, campfire like. Complex. Very original and hard to describe. I liked it a lot.

UPDATED: JAN 16, 2008 Pours a very very dark amber, almost brown color. Light only passes through when held up to a sorce. There was a two-inch thick light brown head that receded and left a sticky ring of lacing as it left. The scent...where to start? Raisins, malt, hops, yeast, caramel, roasted nuts, spice, floral tones...this has it all. It seems like a mix between a Belgian Strong, Dopple Bock and American Strong Ale, but the hops add a nice touch. The mouthfeel is tremendous and nicely coats the palate. The best thing about this beer is the sweetness up front with the hop bitterness in the back. I am going to buy about ten of these and cellar them...what a great beer!

I was rather surprised by this beer: the "strong ale" category is a mile wide but is usually pretty hoppy, and this beer is more grapey and Belgian tasting than American strong ale hoppiness. The beer pours a dark red-brown with a sweet malty dry roastiness in its aroma which was extremely pleasant. The flavor is big and sticky with a grapey mouthfeel upfront which transitions to a chocolate-y roastiness at the rather dry finish. Mouthfeel is clean and smooth. This beer is delightful.

Pours a deep, rich brown. Head is light tan and thick, holding on for quite some time. Aroma is beguiling. Candi sugar, pie spices, cedar notes, licorice, dark brown sugar. Flavor is on the sweet side, but does have a hop punch to try and bring some balance to this brew. Very odd, yet I seem to enjoy it.

UPDATED: AUG 25, 2007 I drank the Fourteen from the tap at the Avery tasting room and, later, from the bottle. It was equally good from both, a real treat. I had a tough time distinguishing all of the flavors; I’ve read licorice, plum, citrus, molasses, chocolate... I wouldn’t really disagree with any of those descriptions. Anyways, this is just a really inventive and tasty beer. RERATE: I tasted the Fourteen again at a tasting/kickback. This beer was the smash hit and still deserves my 4.4 rating.

Pours a deep, dark, nearly opaque garnet-mahogany with a fine, medium desity tan head; just beautiful. Earthy hops aromas with dark fruit and spice alongside sweet caramel malt and molasses. Malt and molasses in the flavor as well--but not sweet--with excellent dry grainy and nutty flavors. Its very finely tuned malt profile which is one of the most interesting aspects of this beer. Flavors of fruit--black plums, candied citrus peel--alongside hints of toffee and smoke. Finishes dry and bitter with a dark, flavorful hops profile. Very nimble mouthfeel that successfully balances out significant alochol and substantial hops bitterness alongside strong roasted malt characteristics. Very unusual--very successful