Avery The Czar Imperial Stout

Brewed by Avery Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Boulder, Colorado USA

Serve in Snifter

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UPDATED: FEB 19, 2003 Aroma is pure intrigue, with a host of characters. Dark brown sugar, heady flowers, semi-sweet chocolate, plummy fruitiness, caramel/toffee, espresso, faint whiskey, spices and then some. Held up to a bright light, you can find a dim, ruddy glow, but otherwise the blackness reigns. Head invariably settles into a slight, yet striking fractal pattern. Flavor plays across the tongue like a bombastic Russian symphony. Dark, roasted, syrupy, bittersweet chocolate maltiness, a touch of background saltiness, molasses and toffee, and faint yeasty esters subtly blended to play off one another. Languidly drawn out, lightly alcoholic and sweet finish. Aftertaste is malty and unusually savory. The 12% barely ripples the profile but is undoubtedly felt. Majestic, inscrutable, but ultimately joyous in nature.

UPDATED: DEC 11, 2006 A bottomless circumfluent perfume lures...Chocolate wine, black grapes and coffee beans proudly endorse a man of subtle wit and quiet elegance...Hot burgundy flashes reflect off of his authoritative silky dark tunic...The stately monarch is never boastful though and his alcoholic leanings estrange his pugnacity...A bit less substance than show, yet satisfying for lovers of the style...

UPDATED: MAR 1, 2003 I am already noticing a difference from the start of this release. I'll make sure to lay a few down for sometime. Im definitely gonna buy out my local store. This is a big Imperial stout , with nice malty finish, and warm alchohol flavors

Dark black color, smallish head. Aroma is roasted malt, chocolate and vanilla. Full-bodied Imperial Stout. Deeply roasted malts, chocolate, coffee, toffee and vanilla. Although this is most definitely a stout, it has many qualities of a both a barley wine (oilyness and maltyness) and an Abbey ale (Vinous and brown sugary). Complex as anything. Well balanced. Very smooth taste. Hides the 12.2% alcohol very well. Very drinkable. Extremely dangerous beer. This beer will be outrageous with a couple of years of bottle aging. Amazing this young, but with some aging…. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly biter, some alcohol bite. Amazing beer. Thanks to hopsrus for this one.

2002 - Aroma of roasted hops. Bittersweet body with hints of chocolate. Finish leaves you wanting more. A truly interesting brew that hides 12% very well.

Pours black but held to the light it reveals a blood red heart.Quickly fading tan head.Big roasted nose.First sip starts with a sweetness reminiscent of chocolate but backed up by slight notes of bitter coffee.Some black licorice comes through in the aftertaste which lingers due to the creaminess of the brew.The abv is nonexistant which makes this a very dangerous brew. Many THANKS to ecrvich for this one. I just hope it makes it to California.

UPDATED: FEB 22, 2003 poured dark at first glance but when held to a light you could see right through its redness..the head was non-existent save a halo of froth...not the usual imperial aroma..more vinous, and barley-winish IMO..with hints of cream & alcohol..flavor was way more reminiscent of a barleywine than an imperial for some reason..i do not know why..however, that doesnt take away from its rating at all...the flavor was nutty, with molassis, brown sugar, sublte chocolate..some very slight licorice..or shall i say anise notes..theres some burnt sugar qualities too..But where the hell is the roastedness..the malts arent dark and roasty enough for this to be an imperial..its a barley-wine..am I wrong, I've had many of both, and this clearly is closer to a barley-wine than an imperial..but all in all..a good barley-wine..am i the only one getting this? whatever.

UPDATED: FEB 5, 2003 2002 Bottle: I could tongue kiss Governor Bob Taft for making beers like this available in Ohio. Pours black as octopus ink with a slight ruby halo. Very thin beige head and thin lacing. Yummy aroma of coffee, chocolate, toffee and malt that gets even better throughout the glass. Flavor is an interesting concoction of coffee, chocolate, tart soy sauce, and alcohol. Perfect hops counterbalance in the finish. I don't even know how this bottle disappeared so fast but I want another.

Sorry bockers, this one pushes me back where I belong, in the stoutie posse. Kloster Asam gave me some temporary insanity, but the Czar orders me home. A beautiful, healthy, and earthy looking glow of yule log coals in the darkness. Lively coffee in the nose to enjoy the next morning with whiffs of yeast and alcohol spiced fruit. Absolutely gorgeous in the mouth - elegant and sophisticated in its gentle richness. And then a kaleidoscopic dance of flavors, dervishing yet in restrained artistic control: toffee, coffee, figs and cheese - vanilla, vodka, another one please!

This beer rocks! It pours ink black and thick. Only while holding my snifter up to a very high-powered halogen bulb was I able to get a brief glimpse of the crystal clear, deep ruby hue. The head is small, fizzy and khaki in color. Minimal, but interesting lacework remains as the head quickly dissapates. The aroma is vineous and a wonderful blend of tawny port, milk chocolate, sourgham molasses, English toffee, buttery caramel, warm alcohol and dark roasted malt and nuts. The flavor is of rich, darkly roasted, sweet malt with bursts of warming alcohol and dark coffee up front. The moderately bitter and tangy hop addition kicks in on the backside rounding out and mostly (but not fully) balancing out a very nice flavor. Huge-bodied with a syrupy mouthfeel and soft, but lively carbonation. Lengthy, astringent, tangy, lightly bitter and dry finish. This is a great offering from an underrated brewery. Wake up people! Try this beer and then The Reverend and Hog Heaven... a great Belgian style ale and Barley Wine/Imperial IPA respectively.