Avery Hog Heaven

Brewed by Avery Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Boulder, Colorado USA

Serve in Snifter

I had been waiting to order this bomber for a while. Hazy copper beer with an off-white head. Bitter aromas, smells of sugars as well, but also dirty. Tastes of some sugar water mixed with bits of apricot. Salty as well, quite complex. It is almost like a bitter mixed with an IPA. Not really my thing here.

this beer surprised me a little bit. It isn’t as thick or sweet as I was expecting, almost more of a dipa. Great flavor, well balanced with malty flavors. A really good beer still.

Sample, at the Mondial de la bière, savoured on June 4 2010; eye: copper, clear, no effervescence, tiny beige head; nose: resinous hops, orange, caramel, citrusy, grapefruit; mouth: resinous hops, orange, caramel, citrusy, grapefruit, dry finale in resinous hops with presence of caramel, medium-full body, not much carbonation, rather bitter, nice astringency; overall: fine FRANÇAIS Échantillon, lors du Mondial de la bière, savourée le 4 juin 2010; œil : cuivrée, claire, pas d’effervescence, petite mousse beige; nez : houblon résineux, orange, caramel, citrique, pamplemousse; bouche : houblon résineux, orange, caramel, citrique, pamplemousse, finale sèche en houblon résineux avec présence de caramel, corps moyen-corsé, peu carbonatée, plutôt amère, bonne astringence; en résumé : bien

nice floral hoppy/malty aroma is full of pineapple, peaches, and caramel. pours rusty orange, thing bubbly offwhite head. flavor is fairly bitter, especially in the back, but with a nice almost-balanced sweetness. slick medium-heavy body, slightly sharp carbonation, long bitter alcohol finish that leaves a pine-y residue.

old bottle! much more than the 3 yr reccomended...pours a nice clear ruby color with a very thin tan head. aroma is subdued with dark fruit, vanilla, wood, candy sugar, and caramel. flavor is not as complex...muddled due to age...candied fruit, vanilla, earthiness. mouthfeel is a bit separated...syrupy yet thin...again due to age. finish is warming fruity vanilla with hints of dry hoppiness. not bad for such an old bottle.

Very tasty. I’m not a barleywine expert, but this seemed a bit "lighter" than others. Nice hop aroma alongside the malt and a nice hop bitterness on the backside after tasting the malts. Very tasty.

Tasted on tap at the brewery in Boulder. Dark red-violet appearance. Sweet, a bit fruity aroma. Huge hoppy and alcoholic flavor. Much mote hoppy than most barleywines. Not as smooth and more bitter and dry than most barleywines.

Appearance: slightly hazed with rich blood-red-orange hues seeming to suck all the light in with it, myself included. Coppery head fades in pockmarks while lace crawls.
Nose: intense hops. Wet, sacked, crushed, bleeding hops ooze out their sublime nectar and essence into every nook and cranny. Tree branches, bark, grapefruit rind, key lime rind. Dry and hopalicious. Pineapple joins for a kiss of tropical sweetness in the back which is where you will find what little presence of malts possible.
Palate: dry. Hop leaves, wood, tree branches and bark abound. A small yet steady presence of sweetness crunchy and caramelized coats my lips, roof of my mouth, and holds all the hops up high and wide. Hops cones linger in my breath. Dusty wood, bread crust, and bark are dry and last to make any impression.
Final Thoughts: make no doubt about it, this Barleywine is all about the hops and lots of them. The malts are just a support factor so that the hops don’t run totally wild and loose. What Hog Heaven offers over some extra hoppy Barleywines is balance and a smooth procession of flavors for dangerous drinkability. Ageable? I don’t know, but there is only one way to find out.