Avery Hog Heaven

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

Bottle from Systembolaget. Pours a dark red color with a white foamy head which remains a while before it sinks down and becomes a small ring of foam. Aroma is hoppy with a clear malty background. Citrus, grapefruit, pine-needles and resin strucks me at first. There’s also a slight fruity berry-like note, caramel/toffee and fruit candy. Flavour is very hoppy and malty at the same time. As with the aroma there’s lots of citrus, grapefruit, pine-needle and resin. The sweet malty notes of caramel and fruit candy is also there together with something which I would describe as some "salty frog candy" I ate when I was younger. Finish is really brutal bitter, as expected from the high IBU. Body is full - this is a very filling beer. Carbonation is rather average with nice soft bubbles, the liquid is rather sticky. This is maybe not supercomplex but very tasty and drinkable. Feels like a session beer you could drink a lot of, if it wasn’t for the high ABV. Dangerous!

Hazy brown colour. Grapish taste from the hops, fruity bitterness. Lighter body then expected. Some caramel. A bit onedimensional reminding of a average DIPA.

Bottle @ Yeoman’s: pours like description, an enticing amber with a slight chill haze. Nose citrus, pine & resin... hops on full display. Flavor is a hint of caramel and citrus with a strong piney bitter finish. I appreciate the balance, and mouthfeel is robust with out being syrupy. Alcohol content is subtle with a little heat on the backend. I don’t think it is characteristic barley wine... but a fine brew nonetheless

Pours a cloudy amber with hues to the orange. Aroma of floral hops with an intense sweet caramel. Initial taste is strong bitter hops with a sweet underlying hops. Quite a nice balance.

Bomber from Holiday Wine Cellar ($5.99). Pours a mud red-brown with small beige head. Aroma of hops (pine and sweet citrus) along with sweet malt tones. The flavor is initially malty sweet up front with the hoppy bitterness creeping in and moving to the back of the tongue. The finish has an interesting mix of sweetness and bitterness. Very nicely balanced, but like others have pointed out here, I’m not sure that this is a good fit for a barley wine. Regardless of classification, it’s quite tasty.

Smells of very sharp piney goodness and hostess style sweet vanilla citrus cakes. Really smooth understated floral earthiness in the flavor that blends well with the sweetness here. Definitely finishes bitter and a little hot. Gorgeous look to this beer. It is an impenetrable cloudy orange with an off white long lasting tight foam head. Mouthfeel is rich and filling like it ought to be. Thank You Avery. 2009 22 oz.

Pours a clear tangerine/amber hue from the 22oz. bottle: A hopped up barleywine? My favorite combination. However, I believe for only 9% abv "Hog Heaven" should be considered more of an American Strong Ale than a Barley Wine. Anyway, notable hop presence, sweet caramel/pine malts, fruity characteristics. Did I mention the hops? They mask the alcohol content well. With that said, your insides will get pretty warm. Drinkability: Sinfully drinkable. Rebuy: Sure. #153 on 18102009, DG.

Bottle from Frugal Mac’s. split with DominusCV on rec from Pipper. Pours a dark, brownish gold with a pale head. Smell is quite hoppy. As far as Barley Wines go, it reminded me more of Old Guardian than Horn Dog or Bigfoot, etc. Much hoppier than I expected (in fact, not a very distinct malt taste), but overall, rather delicious. If you’re looking for a sweet Barley Wine, this is not it, but if you are an IPA fan, this is one to check out.