4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
My Bottom Line:
Toasted, caramelized malt flavors are inherently spiced by a rye-like character, while potent wooden hops contribute as much flavor as bitterness in this complex, compelling sipper.
Further Personal Perceptions:
-A creamy head of foam covers the cloudy mahogany.
-The spicy character seems to come from grain bill and hops. It even develops a marzipan-like personality at times.
-Fruit cake allusions also appear.
-The rich body is rounded out by alcohol warmth.
-The flavor profile is harmonious throughout.
-The finish is balanced.
Bottle.
3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
12 ounce bottle. Pours reddish brown with a small tan head. Aroma of malt, fruit, caramel, and nuts. Taste is malt, dark fruits, caramel, and molasses. Nice stuff.
4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Pours a brown color with a red hue and tan head that leaves good lacing. Smells of caramel, toffee and hazelnut, roasted malt and hazelnut. Tastes of all the same things with molasses and chocolate added. Mouthfeel is heavy and creamy with good carbonation. Overall this was great tasting winter seasonal. Can’t wait to see what some ageing does to it.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Reddish brown pour with beige head. Aroma is fruit and caramel. Flavors is fruit, caramel, but, and malt. Finish is clean and bitter.
3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Aroma is nutty malts, caramel and a hint of fruit/sweetness. The flavor is caramel, complex malts, a hint of vinous notes and a mildly tart/alcoholic finish.
3.1 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 11/20
It poured a dark red/brown color with a tan head. The aroma was heavy on the toffee with hints of molasses, caramel and some pine hops. The taste was of roasted nuts, caramel and some burnt sugar. Not bad.
3.6 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
Pours a stunning dark amber. Muddled nose thats not very fragrant. Flavor is pretty malt forward then after about half of the beer gone the hops spring forward and round out nicely. Very good.
3.4 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Pours brown with tan bubbles, not much of a head. Smell is toasty. Taste toasty and slightly sweet, some hazelnut and toast. Super smooth, low carbonation, med bodied. Pleasant lasting after taste.
4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Somewhat mild aroma with nuts, bread, and a little coffee. Flavor, however, is rich and chocolatey, with some toffee and a fig/date flavor. A little coffee-like bitterness and some alcohol in the finish. I tend to think Avery is a little overrated, but this is outstanding.
4.1 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
12 oz bottle cellared for a year (or has it been two? Maybe they should put a vintage on the label, or I should date my beers when I cellar them...). Pours very bright and clear with color of amber resin and beige plush half-inch head that leaves lacing. Aroma is bready and doughy with a rich portion of molasses, as well as a clove note. There’s rich dark fruit on nose, followed by toffee and sweetbread flavors (reminiscent of British yeast contributions plus specialty malts like Victory) as well as flour (from oxidation?) ; alcohol presents itself mid-palate, which then melds with hefty balance note of bittering hop finish with some drying. Like a lean old ale, reminds me a of a leaner and much meaner London Pride).
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