Avery Samaels Oak-Aged Ale

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

I have to chuckle a bit each time I get asked by someone if I have ever had “x” beer before. When my answer is ‘No”, their stature is one of shock, amazement, and disappointment; even more so when it is a readily distributed beer. I am but one beer geek. Though I do the good work, I only have so much time, money, and fridge space for my great beer quest. Such as it was one evening when I was finally presented with the Samael’s Oak-aged Ale from Avery Brewing.

Gorgeous burnt garnet and rustic amber while streaks of aged mahogany and copper decorate his person. A wisp of a head disappears into a delicate ring while no amount of aggravation produces lace. But, like a reckless storm, it does release a massive onslaught of sweet alcohol warmth tinged with dried fruit, warm honey slightly burnt, candied apricots, and thick molasses. Cinnamon sprinkles scatter while I partake of his sumptuous depths. Sweet, thick, and smacking of ginger snap cookies with cinnamon sprinkles. Molasses and pungent caramelized sugars dominate, though a crispy graham cracker and ginger snap backbone creates a pleasing contrast of spice to the sweetness. Pepper and black licorice linger in his breath while creamy buttered yams sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar join the crazy palate parade. Seriously, it has been a while since I have tasted such a wide array of flavors, and yet they work together perfectly. I am thoroughly intrigued and pleased as the diminishing contents in my glass can attest to. Being an oak-aged ale, his soft, earthen character offers quiet support from the background with faint whispers of vanilla and oak. Each kiss of Samael’s lingers sumptuously, tantalizingly, driving my lustful desire for our next embrace.

Wow. Truly an amazingly complex, rich, and diverse beer. Avery makes every note of flavor and character work beautifully. I have not been pleased with all of their beers, but their Samael’s Oak-aged Ale is a tour-de-force I most definitely must enjoy more often.

Bottle as shown. Pours a cloudy dark amber with a small frothy off white head. A lot of yeast flakes floating around. The aroma is a strong alcohol upfront with malt and oak. Good sticky lacing along the glass. The taste is raisin malt with caramel bourbon the alcohol very present. A very good barleywine from avery.

Bottle, 12 fl. oz. Pours a golden/orange beer with almost no head. The aroma is wood (whisky) and vanilla. The flavor is sweetness, boldness and alcohol. The palate is bold. Overall impression is strong, bold and complex. Good beer.

Beautiful reddish with no head. Alcohol in the nose, but also lots of fruits (strawberry?), and some cigarbox. Yes, it is oakaged. Very sweet taste of charamel. Only the slightest bitternes to balance it Wow, this is strong, but very good. It reminds me of EKU28 - maybe because of the strong charamel presence? I really enjoy this one.

Bottle. Pours a hazy amber with an initial one finger off-white head that receded into a soap scum topper quickly. The nose is dark fruits, molasses and alcohol. The taste is caramel, ripe fruit, molasses, vanilla and brown sugar with some oak tannin in the background. The sweetness cuts the alcohol but it’s very warming and present throughout the pint. Medium bodied. Good, but too cloying for my taste.

2005 Bottle shared lovingly by Mspindler... Your my boy Blue!!!!! Pours a cloudy red orange... Smell is straight up booze, carmel, vanilla and brown sugar...Sweet as all hell with carmel and toffee notes.. This beer is Kim Kardashian thick.

Bottle. So I recommend sharing this as it is pretty intense. A fruity dark, dusty whiskey aroma. Taste has a sweet dark plum, grape and raisin taste that gives way to a bourbon like aftertaste. I really like the sweetness and bourbon notes of this and I thought the alcohol was not that noticeable for 15 plus.

Bottle. Light ruby pour with a small head and lots of medium sized particles. Aroma of dark fruits, raisins, bread, alcohol, currants and vanilla. Flavor was bourbon, dark fruits, yeast. This bottle was pretty hot in the alcohol. Pleasant syrupy mouthfeel.