Avery Old Jubilation Ale

Bottle of the 2006. Hazy dark brown pour, a very little tan head. Nice malty aroma. Some roast and sweet malts, caramel, some roast or smoked nut. A little earthy/oily. Kind of a lingering sweet finish, not much hop prescence to speak of. Reminded me a bit more of a scotch ale than an English strong ale. I had a Three Floyds Robert the Bruce scotch ale before this one and I thought this was slightly better. Since I prefer the heavier, less spiced winter ale, I thought this was excellent.

roasty, burnt toast, coffee, non-hop bitterness kills this beer. very astringent. head dissipates quickly leaving nice lacing. With no spices, buttery mouthfeel, this beer was not a fun experience. Based on the reviews, maybe my bottle was bad, but I won’t rush out to get another one any time soon.

Amber with a thick tan head. Fruity and sour notes. Citrus, bitterness and a touch of stable. High carbonation. Medium to full body with a bittersweet finish.

12oz from Whole Foods, Durham. Funny, but there was a surprising amount of carbonation on the pour and I somehow flashed on root beer. Only in the look, of course, as the caramelly, malty nose immediately jars your senses and prepares you for a solid, flavorful winter warmer. I actually prefer it when these brews have a bit more bite, either from spices or from hops, and found this one just a bit too slick and sweet to rank highly. But it’s still enjoyable and would not turn it away.

Very nice beer. Had a vertical tasting of this beer at the 15th anniversary. Hay impressed by those: the 2007 version, 2006 and 2004 version on bottle. I loved it