Avery The Maharaja Imperial India Pale Ale

Brewed by Avery Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Boulder, Colorado USA

Extremely good IIPA. Strong hops and smooth taste. Would glady drink this again, If you ever get a chance to try to definitely do not pass up

Sampled on tap at Brixie’s 75th anniversary beer tasting in Brookfield,IL. Poured to my fluted fest glass a golden/amber with a modest, foamy, white head that reduced rather quickly to a ring and film, and left some grainy foam as clingy lacing. The aroma was ultra citrus as grapefruit notes from Centennial hops. The flavor was hefty malt and matching hop bitterness, citrus and some resiny notes. Add warming alcohol, full body and you get a potent Imperial.

Not my favorite DIPA, but still pretty decent. A bit on the malty/sweet side compared to some.

Dark clear amber pour with a huge off-white head. Very hoppy, spicy, and some fruit aromas. Flavor is extremely hoppy, a little thick, and slightly sweet. It a very big beer and is excellent.

Serving: 22 oz. bottle, batch #10. Appearance: Slightly hazy honey orange with a pillowy, off-white head. Tremedous head retention. Good lacing all the way down the glass. Aroma: Powerful pineapple nose, some pine resin, then more pineapple! Taste: Sticky, enamel eating hops! Lots of tropical fruit, especially the pineapple, pine resin, a little alcohol, and a strong, bitter backbone. A great tasting brew! Palate: Medium-high carbonation with a medium-rich mouthfeel. Long, bitter finish. Overall: A great DIPA. Maybe not as good as Hop Stoopid, but still pretty damn good! Rebuy: Absolutely.

The aroma is beautiful citrus hops, sweet fruit, caramel malts, perfect. The appearance is a beautiful amber color, white head, true to the style. The flavor is citrus, caramel, light fruits, piney. As the beer heads toward the finish line, the piney hops dominate. Very nice finish. Nice creamy medium/thick mouthfeel. Excellently crafted beer.

Deep burnished amber, copper, mahogany, and orange, he shines like a beacon of light in my glass while a fluffy head of soft blanched copper floats in suspended animation. As his head slowly recedes, it leaves clumps and a spotty web-work of lace along the sides of my glass which bleeds into a thin film. The eventual demise of his head comes as no surprise once I get an eye-opening whiff of his nose. Like a ten-ton brick upside my head, I am viciously assaulted by pine, pink white yellow and red grapefruits, freshly mowed green grass damp with morning dew, lemon rind, a touch of bark and a wisp of green vegetables. Screw V8; just drink a hearty IIPA instead. The front of his worldly nose is wet and sappy while the backside is dry and bracing. As my senses scream for more in masochistical desire, I surrender myself to his deep amber depths. Bracing, bitter, and immediately palate cleansing which invites thirsty salivation while the finish is sweet and wet. Grapefruit and pine slap me around like a rag doll while bark and burnt honey watch in amusement from the sidelines. While his attack is strong and full of purpose, no prisoners taken, his finish is quick and doesn’t linger long. Instead, I am left thirsting for more which I fear was his real intentions all along; willful submission. As the melee of grapefruit, pine, lemon rinds, bark, and burnt honey mingle in masterful precision, a touch of green veggies kiss my breath before bidding farewell. Taking pity on my being, sweet oranges shine a light through to my heart, but it is far too late. I want more Maharaja and I won’t take no for an answer. I like them tropical and sweet, but there is something to be said for the wet, sticky, piney, grassy, and earthy IIPAs which send my heart aflutter even as my palate braces for the meltdown. A well played beer from start to finish, the Avery Maharaja emerges a flawless victor.

The Avery Maharaja IIPA is a seasonal release so get yours while you can because then you have to wait yet another year for his armies to storm your palace.