Avery Samaels Oak-Aged Ale

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

This one was far better than I expected. Pours an orangish copper with a very small head. Powerful citrus in the aroma - mandarin and lemon - with hops and an almost tart note. BIG flavor - hot, though, and that’s the only thing countering the huge amount of malts (not quite enough hops), but somehow I really like it. Almost like something DFH would make.

RERATE 05/13/09. Batch 1, tasted as part of the Avery Experience at Brouwer’s. Totally malt-driven, but this thing mellowed incredibly well - not a hint of that 15% came through. Unbelievably smooth, almost like a dessert wine.

I’m going to rate this as a an English Barley Wine (19B). Props to ratebeer for using a BJCP category, it helps me out! Aroma- Smells of rich, buttery candy (butterscotch?), vanilla, dates and a woody aroma... fantastic. Appearance- Mahogany, great clarity, small, persistant head that is light tan. Flavor- Spicy, huge caramel taste, some butterscotch. Vanilla flavors pop out from the "oak" taste. Fantastic. Hop flavor is present as mell, medium hop flavor. Alcohols are all over the place, but not solventy. Palate- Full, but not chewey body, moderately high carbonation. Alcohol is hot, but it is very smooth and velvety. Overall Impression- I believe that Imperial Beers should showcase something, and this showcases malt. The oak gives it a fantastic vanilla flavor, which mixes well with the esters produced from the making of such a beer.

Bottle. April 2008 batch 4. Pours amber caramel color with light tan head that does not last at all. Aroma is vanilla and caramel. Smells more like a sugar daddy from the caramel side than anything else. Medium mouthfeel. Flavor is alcohol, caramel sugar daddy, and some vanilla and wood from the oak. Nice brew, but not well balanced or extreme to area. Still a solid offering.

Very pretty burnt amber color, small to no head on my pour. Nose is sweet and malty. Taste is sweet and malty. okay beer but a big sweet and heavy for me.

Bottled April 2007. Batch #3. Pours a very dark amber color that looks like maple syrup. Lacing cascades down the side of the glass. Head is bone colored and small mostly like yeasty creme. The nose has notes of: coconut, vanilla, caramel, brown sugar, alcohol, and booze. Taste is notes of: rum cake, vanilla bean, bourbon, Mouthfeel smooth but moderate, some heat on the back end, long burning finish.

Not sure how long this one has been sittin’ on the shelf but it has mellowed considerably. Orange peel body with a rose-colored hue and a decent amount of foam for something with a 15.53% ABV. Aroma is filled with barrel goodness; oak, vanilla, and candied sugar. Although this one is definitely a sipper, the alcohol is hidden extremely well. Tangerine, caramel, wood and honey blast the palate. Pretty damn good.

12 oz bottle - deep orange color, crystal clear, no head at all. Aroma is full of caramel, honey, orange peel, toasted oak, vanilla. Flavor is very malty, notes of apples, honey, caramel, pear. Finish is very sweet.

Bottle. Very strong alcohol and sugary malt aroma. Cloudy deep reddish amber body, small head. Flavor is sweet, fruity, with way too much alcohol presence. An ordeal, rather than a pleasure.