Avery Samaels Oak-Aged Ale

Bottle. A brown color with a diminished tan head. Strong whisky, wood, ginger, light fruit, green aple and burnt malt flavors. Rating from notes.

Pours an orangey amber with an off white film for head. The aroma is huge and sweet. Fruity touch with peach. Oakey, vanillaish and nutmeg hints. The flavor is dissappointing. Overly sweet. The aroma’s complexity is the best part of this beer, makes it frusturating. Maple syrup, wood flavor, almost like bouron whiskey. Vanilla extract flavor is evident. If it was less sweet than more compexity would come through and make this a much better and more drinkable.

Bottle. High off-white fluffy lasting head. Hazy orange body. Distinct and pleasant malt aroma. Do I smell the oak, maybe. You will not be in doubt about the barley ! Sweet and fruity caramal malt flavor without much bitterness. Long aftertaste. Alcohol hidden by the sweetness.

Light hazy amber colour with a small tan head. Malty, caramel and alcohol sweet aroma with dark fruit notes and vague hints of the oak. Malty, sweet flavor with a vague oak note. Heavy alcohol sweet finish.

12oz bottle purchased at Holiday Wine Cellar in Escondido, CA. The May 2006 bottling, I know I could have aged it more but it tasted damn good as it is. Amber color with a large white head, not cloudy, thin. The smell is very barleywine, I wasn’t sure if this was a barleywine when I smelled it but the nose is very sweet and quite strong. Taste is sweet strong and potent, hail lord Samael. Has a very nice lingering aftertastse that moves down the tongue into the throat. Yum!

Pour medium / dark amber with a small tan head. The aroma has oak, thick caramel malt, vanilla, alcohol and household cleaner. Thick syrupy cloying body with a slight bit of sharp carbonation on the finish. Starts with cotton candy sweetness and alcohol. There is also very sweet caramel malt. The finish has more alcohol and sweetness. I’m not catching any oak in the flavor. Not bad, but this is a one dimensional sugary alcohol bomb. The other two in this series are significantly better.

Bottle. Pours a clear amber colour with a small off-white head. Sweet malty aroma with some hints of hops. Sweet malty fruity woody flavor with some caramel hints. Sweet malty oaky finish.

Aroma of raisins, caramel, cabernet-type oak and tannins. Appears a clear red-amber color with no head to speak of. Flavor is cloyingly sweet, vinous, and reminiscent of port wine - good with cheese and salami. Palate is thick and syrupy and a bit excessive. Overall, a very interesting brew that is a bit more than the sum of its parts. The recipe is, however, way out of whack, and could benefit from an attempt at rebalancing. My thanks to SoLan for this interesting brew.