Avery Samaels Oak-Aged Ale

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

12oz bottle labeled bottled in 2005. Poured a medium and cloudy amber color with a small sized off white head. Aromas of wood, vanilla, toffee, smoke, and some alcohol. Tastes of vanilla, toffee, caramel, and some wood. Reminded me of sipping on sherry. Sweet and bordering on cloyingly sweet. Lots of alcohol in the finish.

Bottle, 2006. Orange brown color. Malt and butterscotch in the aroma. Sugary sweet, buttery and alcoholic flavor. Oak in the far background, but the sugary sweetness overpowers all other flavors. Lacks balance. Not totally onedimensional, but certainly not what I expected.

Aroma: wow, grapes! Malty, candied berries, dry oak.
Appearance: vaguely cloudy, very reddish but towards brownish yellowish. Thin head that quickly fades.
Flavour: mm...very strange, very sweet, but roasted. Tones of honey, sourish of malt. Very nice. Half-burnt, nice bitterness all way through. Coconut.
Palate: smooth, slippery, creamy & big.
Noble. A very special beer.

sampled on tap at the 5th Boulder Strong Ale Fest. 2007 batch. pours clear amber with white head. nose is sweet caramel, cotton candy, cookie, nuts. flavor is too sweet, caramelly, nuts, smoke, vanilla, warming alcohol. i actually liked it more than i thought i would but in the end this is just okay.

At a previous tasting, my friend Rob and I discovered we had bottles of Avery Samael’s Oak-Aged Ale 2005 (me) and 2006 (Rob) between the two of us. We didn’t make it to tasting them that night, but Rob brought his bottle with him to the Rye Pale Ale (10 Gallons) Brew Out at my place on 3/31/2007 and we tasted the two vintages side by side...

Bottled in 2005 (Batch 1)
Avery Samaels Oak-Aged Ale 2005 pours a pretty clear amber color with no head or crown. The aroma is sweet and has alchol and some light smoke. The flavor is very sweet, intensely malty, and sticky. This beer tastes very much like a thin J.W. Lee’s Harvest Ale. There is also a very slight hint of oak/wood. The alcohol is well hidden in the flavor, but it does feel hot and has a bit of a burning sensation through the nostrils. The carbonation is very fine lending to a smooth, silky mouthfeel. Overall, this is a great sweet and sticky barleywine. If you can find a bottle of the 2005 bottling, get it! 12 Fl Oz. O.G. 1.146, Alcohol 14.5% by volume. Rating: 8 4 8 4 17 = 4.1.

Bottled in May 2006 (Batch 2)
Avery Samaels Oak-Aged Ale 2006 is cloudy brown/amber in color with a whispy veil. The beer clears up after awhile and seems to lighten in color as well to more closely match the 2005. The aroma is caramel malt and fruit (apple) with a touch astringency (i.e. rubbing alcohol). This beer is moderately sweet, and malty. The alcohol is hot and burns. The 2006 seems more oxidized than the 2005 or maybe it just has more oak/wood in the flavor. Either way, the 2006 isn’t nearly as good as the 2005... 12 Fl Oz. O.G. 1.135, Alcohol 14.5% by volume. Rating: 7 3 7 4 15 = 3.6.
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Bottled in April 2007 (Batch 3)
11/14/2007: Avery Samaels Oak-Aged Ale 2007 pours a deep honey color. There is surprisingly no alcohol is the aroma, but there is some faint caramel and dried fruits along with some sweet brandy-like complexities. This beer is super SWEET with loads of brown SUGAR. There is some cherry woodiness just before the finish and enough bitterness in the finish to balance the beer. The alcohol is super well-controlled and nearly hidden completely. This bere is thick and syrupy. What a great beer! 12 Fl Oz. O.G. 1.139, Alcohol 14.9% by volume. Rating: 7 3 8 4 16 = 3.8.

Bottled. Orange coloured. Unclear. Dense beige head. Sweetness, alcohol, fruits, caramel and spice in the aroma. Flavour is spiced, alcoholdense, fruity and caramelly. Quite balanced and holding the alcohol pretty well. Not overly complex but quite straight forward barley wine. Full bodied. Sweetish and caramelly end with distinct alcohol notes. Very warming on lips and palate.

Bottle from trade with kramer17801. Thanks Jason! Pours a clear, dark amber with an off white tight bubbly head. Has a vinous aroma with the oak being out front and open. Taste is sweet and rich. Has a nice slow alcohol burn going down but has a flavor of apricots and raisins in the finish. A complex, nicely made barleywine!

Bottled in 2005. Pours a gorgeous red color with little head. Aroma of dark fruit, rich caramel, alcohol and light touch of oak. Taste is light notes of the oak up front, dark fruit, caramel, and alcohol. The oak, although subtle, really balances this barleywine out. The alcohol is pretty well hidden for as high as it is. A subperb barleywine!