Avery Hog Heaven

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

Redish amber, sweet and smooth, alcohol, caramel, citrus, nice floral hoppy finish.

I have been wanting to try this for a while, finally got my hands on some and now im in Hog Heaven :) Pours a cloudy amber colour with a large fluffy almond coloured head. Aroma is strong of carmel, grapenuts, and piney hops. Mouthfeel was creamy, pleasent and very smooth. Taste is soo incredibly smooth, the astringent hop character, the grapefruit just rolls off your tongue. Like Stout said, very remiscent of Bigfoot and boozy as well. Diggin this brew. It makes me wonder..do hogs like hops? And if they do, do all hogs go to hop heaven?

Bomber. Pours amber with a big light tan head. Aroma sweet malt, caramel, toffee, hops and alcohol. Flavor is sweet but does have slight alcohol burn. Also tasted, caramel, toffee, hops and a touch of citrus. A fine barley wine. Mouthfeel was a little thin for my liking but still a well crafted brew.

Bottled sample (procured by mnurda, I think). Amber in colour with moderate carbonation. Huge malty sweet bread dough aroma, with a bit of citrusy hop aroma. Suprisingly medium bodied and hoppy in the mouth, with notes of lemon, grapefuit, and green tea which provide some great balance to the strong bready-malt elements. Only a hint of caramel sweetness there, which is nice for me. Considering this is at least a year and a half old, the hops are still holding their own. I would like to try a fresh bottle sometime for a point of comparison. Very good indeed.

Draft sample at brewery, Boulder, CO, 8/13/08. Pours orange/amber with eggshell head, good lacing. Big piny hop nose, slight caramel and mild grapefruit. Taste is caramel backbone with lots of pine and grapefruit flavor, moderate bitter. Tasty brew. I didn’t know it was a barley wine when I had it and thought it was an IIPA or American Strong Ale. The same as Bigfoot for me - it doesn’t quite hit the barley wine cord with me, but it’s damn tasty. Cheers!.

On tap at the flying saucer in KC. Pours a very hazy and pretty mahogany/redish brown color with a small, creamy, off-white head. Tons of citrus and flowery hops smell. Caramel malts in there giving it a sweeter smell. Smells real "thick" with lots of hoppiness. Tastes extremely hoppy. Sweet malts and citrus notes. Ends with a lingering hop taste thats lighter in the aftertaste than during the swallow. Thick, medium bodied barley wine. Overall, there is juuuuust something off about the balance. The sweet malt taste and intense hop flavor is very close to mixing well. I really enjoyed this, especially on tap. It reminds me of their IPA, just incredibly beefed up on roids.

Uberschwein on cask at the Real Ale Festival at PP Carlsbad. Murky amber-orange hue, thing layer of off-white foam, moderate lacing. Smell is sweet hops, pine resin, grass, citrus, hints of tea, evergreen pine dominates, very hop-forward. Taste is tea leaves and pine needles, transitions to very bitter and drying hops, switches back to a tea flavor and bread malts, finishes with light bitter sweetness. Palate is medium-bodied, thick resin texture, mild carbonation. This tastes more like a DIPA than an american barleywine, mostly lacking in the dark fruits and bold malt flavors, however the abv is well-masked and this is delicious regardless of style.

~Pours a nice clear amber with big creamy off white head. ~Scent is great! Big grassy grapefruity hops with quite a bit of sweet maltiness as well. Can smell this beer from a distance. ~Very hoppy taste but very quickly balanced with sweet malts. Hops overpower. ~Feel is a bit light. I think it would be better as a ticky thicker beer. Good points for the lasting bitter sweet finish. ~A very delicious beer that has a good amount of alcohol that isn’t tasted. Very well done.