Avery Karma Ale

Brewed by Avery Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Ale
Boulder, Colorado USA

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

Poured into a snifter. 4.0 A: Clear medium orange color. One finger of spritzy head with average retention and minimal lacing. 3.5 S: Nose is surprisingly hoppy with more citrusy than earthy hops. A big of Belgian aroma in the malt, but other than that this is very much an APA. 3.0 T: There’s a touch of Belgian-ness in the taste and definitely more than in the nose, but it still tastes more like an APA. The spicy yeastiness is no where to be present. There really isn’t much of anything going on. Not much hop character, malts are mundane, and no Belgian flavors. 3.0 M: Medium body. Somewhat creamy and the carbonation isn’t as spritzy as I’d like. 3.5 D: I’ve never been a big fan of Avery and this beer does nothing to change that. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 09-14-2009 03:50:41

12 oz bottle purchased at Lukas in Overland Park, Kansas. Pour is a slight haze copper amber with a nicely formed 2 inch mostly white head. Patchy lacing left behind as the head falls. Aroma is pear fruit and spiced Belgian yeast. Maybe a hint of clove as well. Clean, straight forward and integrated nose. Taste is fruit sweetness, a bit more apple than the pear of the nose, followed close behind with citrus, clove and general Belgian spice yeast character. As with the nose, nice balance and integration of flavors. Palate is medium bodied, spritzy fine natural carbonation and some additional fruit sweetness through the finish and after taste. Nice quaffable beer.

[on tap] Fresh fruit aroma, pineapple, red fruit, sweet. Foggy yellow under a white cover. Sweet flavour that has some white grape and pineapple, but not that Belgian ale mustiness that I don’t like. Quite drinkable, but not exciting. Medium bitterness. Medium body, low to mild carbonation, sweet finish.

Appearance: orange amber with a soft pithy head which fades into a blanket. Swirls with some improvement.
Nose: orange, peach, and pineapple. Sweet up front, bitter in the back. Pineapple is most dominant. Faint tropical essence adds some cantaloupe to the mix. Grass and skins in the back.
Palate: sweet, smooth, and clean; almost too clean. Mixed in is a massive dose of doughy yeasty goodness in the back. Very bright; sparkles atop the tongue. Peaches and pineapple are lightly stewed and left to cool. Orange dough and orange honey comingle. Dough lends a chewy yet light quality to overall mouthfeel reminiscent of a Belgian-style blonde more so than a Tripel. Green grass top and back along with pineapple skins. Flavors blend together relatively well.
Final Thoughts: the Karma from Avery showed a lot of potential but never quite lived up to it. Good for sure, but not great nor really what one would expect out of her style qualifications. As a Belgian-tinged sessionable quaffer, yes. Contemplative, no.

On tap at Rogue Issaquah Brewhouse, pours hazy yellow. Bland aroma and flavour of grains, subtle Belgian yeast and light fruity characteristics. Decent.

sample from the bottle. deep yellow pour with a 1 finger white head. light fruit aromas with a bit of yeast. medium body with lots of citrus / passion fruits. some grapefruit notes giving a light tartness. there are also some wood notes coming through - not sure what from? the body thins on the backend. sweet, yeasty finish with more citrus notes - especially orange peels.

Clear caramel orange, white head. Weird fruit aroma, fruit cocktail, syrup, light esters. Taste is more weird fruit cocktail, some citrus, light grassy, estery spice finish.

Bottle at Cardinal 15.9.2010. Pours clear golden with an off-white head, about a finger thick, leaving a fair lacing. Wooden, lactic sour and fruity aroma. Sour, bitter and sweet. Light to medium body. Dry texture with an astringent finish. Medium carbonation. Not a good product.