Avery The Czar Imperial Stout

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

Serve in Snifter

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This 22 oz. bomber, bottled in 2005 by Avery, was picked up at Bullock’s in Marietta, and the beer poured into an oversized wine glass. While pouring the stream looked a little thin and brown, but in the glass it was pure blackness. There seemed to be more of a robust head on this beer than other Imperial Stouts I have sampled. The aroma was a little soft for the style, with chocolate dominating all other smells. It was a rich smell, but lacked the typical roasty punch. Taste was sweet cocoa with hot alcohol flashing across the palette. The hops were very apparent, with a spicy brashness typical of Hallertau. As is typical of young Imperial Stouts, the dark fruits and vinousness were yet to present themselves. All of these complexities are sure to develop with age, and I will have to bury the bomber back in the cellar so that I don’t get tempted and crack it open too soon. Good right now with some dark chocolates. Spectacular results anticipated in a couple of years.

2007 batch draugth at Barcade, Brooklyn. Pitch black body, brown head. Aroma of dark intense chocolate, coffee, liqourice, cough drop, roasted portwine, dark fruits. Well, very complex. Flavour is really nice, even better than the aroma, same complexity continues, just nicely in liquid form. Very nicely balanced through time. Lots of layers in this great one.

Nose of plums and dark fruits as well as a hint of chocolate and maybe some soy sauce. Dark and silky. Taste of chocolate--roasty and toast. Not exceptional but a good imperial stout. Alcohol hidden well.

This poured a darker brown color with a tan head. Aroma was lots and lots of roast, light chocolate and some herbal astringent hops. Flavor was much the same a bit astringent and off, but still a nice amount of roast/chocolate and rather tasty.

Originally reviewed: 8/11/10. In celebration of the birth of my first child, a daughter, and in celebration of her name, Avery, I thought I’d crack this big Avery beer in her honor. Vintage 2009. 22oz bottle poured into a goblet-style glass. Pours a deep dark black, with a thick tan head on top. Dissipates to just a ring on the edge. Good sticky lace remains behind. Scents of chocolate milk, grapes, toasted almonds, and a slight twinge of ethanol. The mouth is so creamy and smooth. Very full-bodied beer. Mild carbonation, but it’s not flat in any way. Spot on. Bittersweet chocolate flavors abound. Notes of roasted malts in there as well. Some vanilla sweetness rounds it out well. The finish has a tart aspect to it, but nothing off-putting. Pretty sweet really. Easy drinkability for how big this beer is. Warmed up very well, as I sipped this over the span of about 40 minutes. I really liked this. I think I made the right choice to honor my daughter. Cheers!

Bottled in 2009
Tasted on 4/20/12 from a 22oz bottle purchased at Sun Devil quite a long time ago. This is much lighter than I normally expect, pouring more of a dark cola brown to dark molasses, with a thin tan head that leaves thin lace. The nose is molasses, milk and dark chocolate, creamy vanilla, mocha, a bit dusty, and starting to get a bit of a savory oxidized note at this point. The flavor is pretty much the same with some molasses and creamy milk chocolate sweetness up front, moving to the more roasted dark chocolate and nicely bitter mocha notes. The body is full and almost creamy with light, but still stinging carbonation, and a long molasses and bitter mocha finish.

Like most of Avery"s brews they don’t bother to mask the alcohol but that is part of their charm and complexity. A solid beer try it

This one definitely stands out in the now-standard Imperial Stout genre... Pours an ominous black syrup with two or three fingers of brownish head in the pokal. The nose doesn’t showcase roasty malts like I’m use to, it’s almost geared more towards a Belgian quad than a stout. Big, boozy dark fruits, some yeasty bits, smells tasty. And it is. The booze plays a very welcome role along with caramel and booze soaked plum and raisins. Little bit of cherry. Really a nice surprise from a beer style that I thought I knew pretty well. Guess I was wrong.

Thick bubbly head, about a finger width after 2 minutes resting. Initial tastes are caramel and sweet... Alcoholic finish. Large carbonation, not smooth like it appears. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Draft. Clear black color with almost no head. Not much aroma. No lacing. Normal stout taste but either this is a bad keg or just a blah beer. Not worth having again. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Poured into a snifter from a 650ml bottle bottled in 2010.

A: Pitch black body with no head despite vigorous pour, only a slight tan ring.

S: Sweet lactose, mocha, toffee, raisins, and toffee. Complex and sweet.

T: Very sweet toffee and molasses with some raisins, slightly spicy finish, but too sweet overall. Slightly medicinal.

M: Thick and syrupy almost no carbonation.

O: Too sweet for me, I was expecting more balance.