Avery Samaels Oak-Aged Ale

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

Woof, this is one oaky SOB. Attractive deep red color with a medium tan head leaving full sticky lacing. Aroma is big on oak, with the vanilla-phenol type character. There’s also perhaps a citric hop component, and a more noticeable sticky brown sugar note. The flavor starts initially with big oak that dominates through to the finish, which is immensely bitter from both hops and the oak. At first I felt it was overdone, but as I slowly sipped this one (it started around 60 deg and is getting close to room temp halfway through the glass), a brown sugar sweetness became more apparent, and the huge bitterness ebbed some. Warming, dense palate with a lingering lip-smacking sweetness (literally, I can taste the syrupy sweetness on my lips). Obviously strong, mild burning warmth in the chest, but on the well pretty well masked alcohol.

Bottle. 12 oz. Unclear reddish brown colour with nearly no head. Lovely aroma of sweetness, caramel, alcohol, oak, wood very smooth, strong and complex. Extremely sweet alcohol flavour with notes of oak, caramel and malt. Ends up very candy-like with a warm feeling from the alcohol.

Picked up a single bottle at Cellar’s Wine & Spirits in St Paul, MN. Pours a dark hazy caramel brew with a thick off-white head that dissolves to a thick film. Very good lacing on glass side. Aroma of sweet dates, molasses, bourbon whiskey, vanilla and oak. Taste nearly knocked me out of my seat. Thick, chewy, high level of vanilla and bit of cherry cough medicine. Syrupy finish with a tart aftertaste. Then after a few seconds the bourbon whiskey comes back and bites good. Definately an excellent sipping type beer.

Malty aroma. Average frothy off-white initial apperance. Cloudy orange body. Heavy sweet initial flavor and a finish flavor of mabelsirup and a long duration.Medium to full palate.

Bottle. Pours a clear amber with a small short lived white head that leaves minimal lacing. Aroma of super sweet syrup, caramel, oak, vanilla, and dark fruits. Taste is way too sweet and cloying with a very harsh note of alcohol. A rather disappointing offering from Avery. This beer proves that bigger isn’t always better.

Bottle. Medium head with short duration. Color is amber. Aroma and taste are maple syrup. Sweet and powerfull.

Bottle. Clear amber colour with mostly diminishing off-white head. Very powerfull aroma of Maple syrup, sweet malt and alcohol. Sweet rather vulgar flavor of syrup, dried fruits and alcohol. Lasting finish dominated by alcohol. Oily on the palate. This is beer on stereoids!

Bottle. Frothy white fair mostly deminishing head. Amber colour. Moderate malty and light hoppy aroma. Powerfull sweet flavor. Moderate bitter long finish. Mabelsirup notes. Syruply palate. nice but too sweet beer.