FunkyBrewster (437), Chicago, Illinois, USA Feb 4, 2009 Updated: Feb 5, 2009Pours a copper with a red glow and a lingering off white head. Aroma is very pungent floral and citrus hops. A big presence of plum and other dark fruits. Nice spiciness and some bubble gum and candy sugar sweetness. Flavor starts very sweet with a burst of sugar and licorice along with a zesty burst of grape and pineapple. Finishes with a moderate bitterness from the citrus hops that lingers in the throat. Medium to full body and active carbonation. Very well done and tasty barley wine. Nice balance and only a bit of alcohol comes through despite the abv. fidelis83 (709), Clinton, Iowa, USA Feb 1, 2009 Pours medium copper amber with a tall light tan head that has great retention. Aroma is big on floral and citrus hops, tons of caramel, toffee, pineapple upside-down cake, some pine. Flavor is caramel up front, closely follwed by more pineapple upside-down cake, lemon poppyseed bread, citrus, a little pine and some light floral hops, berry sweetness, a little staw. A little bitter grapefruit comes in toward the finish which turns out to be lots of burnt sugar, citrus a hint of lemon. Body is thick, sweet and sticky as it should be. jkwalking05 (1483), Arlington, Texas, USA Jan 31, 2009 Deep copper in color with a generous head. Extreme hoppiness with fruity and floral overtones that lead to the same in the taste. Some alcohol warmth.
illidurit (851), Santa Cruz, California, USA Jan 26, 2009 Pours dark amber with a nice thick beige head. Aroma is completely hop forward, in a good way. There are also some caramel and slightly spicy alcohol. Sweet doughy flavors are outshined by the citrus and pine hops. Almost an east coast DIPA really. Even has a nice bitterness on the finish. Great chewy body with high drinkability. Barrios (852), Nashville, Tennessee, USA Jan 22, 2009 Updated: Apr 22, 2009Bottle. Pours a lacing light tan head with an amber body. Smells big of hops with some cereal and sweet fruity notes. Tastes of caramel and peach. Finish is smooth, silky, mellow, little bitter, and sticky. lemasney (398), Trenton, New Jersey, USA Jan 19, 2009 Style and Glass: BWSA, Snifter
ABV, Volume & Calories: 9.2% in 22 fl oz. estimated at 400 C
Purchased at: Canal’s Lawrenceville, NJ for $7.19
Aroma: Very nice. Aromatic. Grapes, hay, olive oil. Spices. Flowery. A very inviting scent. Foretells of a certain kind of wallop.
Visuals: Beautiful packaging, as with most Avery brews. The reddish slightly hazy body seems angry, ruby, bloody. It is fairly brilliant to start, but gets hazier with pour. Thick off white head and lace are staying, sticky, and wonderful.
Taste: Beautifully balanced. The alcohol is well hidden, but there is clearly a lingering burn, mixed with a sweet tea moment. Delicious, bitter, and satisfying, but most surprising of all, it can be tasted. Restrained, and wonderfully so. Nice hop bitterness throughout, but the malt is forefront. On a longer sip, fruits emerge. Cherry, grape, melon, sweetness, but not overly so. Warm, spicy, and simply delightful.
Palate: A long lasting flavor of tea, hops, licorice, grapefruit, and cherry. A wonderful warming sensation throughout, clearly due to the ABV, but the usual burn on the palate is missing. That’s killer.
Overall: Near the top of my list for Barelywines. I prefer a bit more of a cloying flavor in a BWSA, whereas this is much dryer. I’ll search this out again though. I’d love to pair it with a medium rare steak, some al dente green vegetables with a spicy sauce, or a spicy potato masala dosa.
originally posted at: <a href="http://beercritic.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/avery-hog-heaven-bwsa/">http://beercritic.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/avery-hog-heaven-bwsa/ ljstephenson (111), Lawton, Oklahoma, USA Jan 19, 2009 Updated: Mar 28, 2009Dark pour, alcohol is not hidden, taste is a bit oily, large orange present in appearance and taste. pineypower (1076), Pine Barrens, New Jersey, USA Jan 18, 2009 2006 bottle obtained from trade. Pours out a murky brownish/reddish color with a small lacing off white head. Aroma is of some sweet fruits, caramel and some earthiness, hops seem to all but faded in the aroma. Taste is complex and well balanced, the 9.2 abv is nowhere to be found. Tastes of caramel malts, slight tropical fruit notes, some toffee and a little bitterness on the finish, but not much. Rather well done.
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