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Avery Samaels Oak-Aged Ale

Percentile
91
overall

bottled
common

on tap
common

Broad Distribution
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RatingsAverageScoreSeasonalABVStyle PctlServe in
6303.58/5.03.57/5.0Special15.53%59.5Snifter
Commercial Description:
Samael is the prince of demons, the angel of death, accuser and destroyer. Filled with enmity towards man, he planted the vine, the forbidden tree of paradise. Behold his venom and vengeance, both sweet and tempting, enticing you, his spellbound victim, within his wings.

Samael’s Ale is a super-caramelly, oak aged English-style strong ale. Perhaps the least hoppy (sacrilege here at Avery!!) beer we’ve brewed, to accentuate the malt. The oak is very apparent in this rich and high gravity ale, adding additional depth and complexity with a woody and cask-like nose and a pronounced vanilla flavor on the palate. This potent ale is the second installment, along with The Beast, of our “Demons of Ale Series”.

Brewed with Rocky Mountain water, malted barley, turbinado sugar, hops, yeast, and American oak chips.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 Charlzm (247), Los Angeles, California, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/103/58/104/517/20
Nov 7, 2007  
May 2006, batch 2, bottled, consumed 11/7/07. Pours a deep amber with very little carbonation. No head in trappist glass, just thin ring of white bubbles clinging to the sides for dear life. Nose is massive, with oak and sherry aromas with a hint of spice (cinnamon?) and sweet candy. Oddly, most of the flavor doesn’t hit until the beer slides down the tongue, no matter how long it is held in the mouth. The powerful body is primarily sweet (cane sugar) with warming alcohol and smoothly bitter wood aftertatse. ghostly flavor of white grapes lingers on the palate as well. Good lord, this is a big beer.


 Jvittorio4187 (255), Boardman, Ohio, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/105/58/104/516/20
Nov 2, 2007  
Amazing!!! Pous a vey dark clear ambe. Massive sweet malt on the nose, with carmel and oak. Silky smooth with a heavy body.Massive cany sugar, sweet malt, oak, fruit, and an under tone of hops. Finish is powerful! Alchol is hidden very well. Very nice. Again, very nice. Once more time, very nice.


 tomciccateri (496), Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
3.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/55/103/514/20
Oct 31, 2007  
Bottled 2005. Poured a dense dark amber with absolutely no head, alcoholic viscousness instead of lace. Big "oaky" aroma with slight prune/raisin notes. Heavy body, very malty and big residual sweetness. Underlying alcohol evident. Complex caramel flavor, slightly sticky mouthfeel and late warming make for a sipping this one.


 JensenTaster (1585), Denmark
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/103/58/104/517/20
Oct 31, 2007  
(on bottle) Punched a whole fight trough my tatebuds, this did. I loved the heavyness of alcohol, barley, dirt, wood and old ochards in the aroma. But the first mouthfull was a blast; so much of it all and then so well balanced. Can´t remember last time I had a heavyweight beer that seemed so overwhelming and still was a delight do drink.


 glennmastrange (836), hobe sound, Florida, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/104/515/20
Oct 26, 2007  
Botlle. Batch 2. Moderate malt aromas of molasses and caramel, hop aromas of perfume and light orange, and yeast aromas of leather and beef broth, with date/raisin, alcohol and brown sugar. Head is creamy white with fair lacing and is mostly diminishing. Color is a hazy red/brown. Flavor starts heavily sweet and the long finish is moderately sweet and bitter and lightly acidic with a touch of salt. Palate is medium to full, between creamy and syrupy with soft carbonation and finishes moderately alcoholic and quite chewy. I did like this beer because it was definitely bold in all aspects, but it seemed a bit out of balance. I would pick other barley wines over this though.


 hapjydeuce (767), Del Mar, California, USA
2.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/55/102/513/20
Oct 25, 2007  
Well, another strange brew from Avery that fails to impress me. Pours dark amber with some light sedimentation that settles at the bottom. Pleasant aroma of brown sugar, nutmeg and caramel malt, and plenty of alcohol for that matter. Intensely sweet taste, very sticky with notes of raisin and dark fruits, the oak presence is slightly there. Overall, finishes way too alcoholic and syrupy. Raw and off-balance, like much of Avery’s other beastly beers. Mephistopheles is my favorite of them so far. This one ended up as a drainpour. Bad news.


 jujubeast6000 (777), Houston, Texas, USA
3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/55/102/510/20
Oct 22, 2007  
(bottled May 2006, batch 2): Pours a ruby brown color, lighter edges. Off-white head, frothy but small. Hoppy aroma, grapefruit. Dark woodsy scent, malts and alcohol. Aroma of spices when inhaling deeply, some sweetness and caramel. Caramel and sweetness, dark raisiny taste. Spices, clove. Sickly sweet aftertaste. Warming up...taste of somethng dark might be the oak - a hard flavor. A lot of alcohol. Too alcoholy.


 WallyWalrus (205), Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/57/104/514/20
Oct 21, 2007  
12oz bottle. Pours a dark ruby-red/amber with a thin mocha-colored head. Aroma is extremely strong with hints of caramel, honey, butterscotch, and molasses -- almost overpoweringly sweet. Taste is full and oddly bitter yet sweet with an initial flavor of caramel and honey giving way to a boozy bite, followed by a longer finish reminiscent of a very woody or peaty scotch. Interesting elements to this brew, but they don’t quite come together as well as they could.



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