Avery Anniversary Thirteen

Formerly brewed at Avery Brewing Company
Style: Weizen Bock
Boulder, Colorado USA

Serve in Dimpled mug, Stein, Weizen

Bottled. Very dark ruby color, good big foamy tan head. Light banana esters, licorice and alcohol in the nose. Lightly roasted, fruity (banana esters), some alcohol but suprisingly light for this ABV, tasty, easy to drink. Sweeter than German ones, maybe because of hopping?

(22oz bottle) Clear dark mahogany body topped by pillowy beige head. Aroma is medium sweet, raisin, caramel, alcohol astringency, light banana, cherry, chocolate. Taste is moderately sweet, caramel, raisin, some banana, astringent alcohol, light chocolate. Medium-full body, light creaminess. Alcohol astringency detracts significantly -- in fact, I couldn’t finish it.

UPDATED: MAR 6, 2008 Bottle. Clear, ruby body, with a beige head. Quite complex nose, with alcohol, licorice, some cellar, sweetness, dried fruits and some coffee. The flavor isn’t as enjoyable as the aroma, but still nice, with dried fruits, a little oxidation and roasted malt. Full body. There’s dried fruits in the finish, as well as a little oxidation, spices, malt and alcohol. The oxidation in the beer actually suited the beer quite nice. Definately a beer that should be available on a regular basis. Rating: 8-4-7-4-15-3-8 (070705)

Bottle, 22oz. Pours a clear, ruby color with a dense, quite small, beige head. The aroma is rather complex and heavy, with dried fruits, blackcurrant, some salty licorice, roasted malt, beefstock and alcohol. A little touch of oxidation too, just enough to be pleasing, and it’s there in the flavor too. It’s quite warming in the mouth, full-bodied and slightly sticky, releasing flavors of sugar, roasted malt, lots of dried fruits, some salty licorice, alcohol and a fruity bitterness with citrus and resin. The hoppy flavors are quite subdued, and so is the bitterness, but it’s sure there. I didn’t see any information on the IBU on the label, but I’m sure it’s not at the level of the average pale lager. In the finish there’s a little touch of coffee, as well as the sweet, malty flavors and dried fruits. Quite evident hoppy bitterness too. As the beer warms up, the alcohol becomes more evident, but it’s not reaching the point of unpleasantness, it’s just giving the beer a delicate warmth adecvate for the season, and it also gives me a relaxed feeling. I had some rather fatty, crafted sausages as a snack to go with it, and it deals pretty good with the fat, but on the other hand, it’s sweet enough to cover the roof of my mouth with a layer of sugar instead of fat. I think I prefer the sugars :-). There’s also a little spicy touch to the beer, but it took some time before I noticed, at least there’s cloves, but there’s something more, cardamom I think. I love these beers with layers and layers of flavors, they make me sit back, relax, forget about everything, and just trying to dissect the beer. Speak of the devil, (regarding layers of flavors) chocolate is also one of the aromas in this beer, or maybe just cocoa. Points deducted for too evident alcohol, but I sure doesn’t destroy the beer. By the way, a 22oz bottle is more (?) than enough for one person, easily giving joy for over one hour. And I still don’t understand why this one isn’t a regular Avery beer... Or is it just me? Judging from the ratings, it isn’t. (080306)

22oz bottle-pours a big foamy to rocky tan head that laces with dark brown –red tint color. Aroma is medium malt, sweet-caramel, dark fruit. Taste is medium malt, sweet-caramel, alcohol, spice. OK effervescence. Splitting one beer with a friend would be plenty.

Bottle. Red-brown colour. Aroma of toasted malt, dried fruits and wheat. Flavour of toasted malt, caramel, wheat, dried fruits (raisins) and alcohol. The finish has some bitterness and an alcohol touch.

Bottle at home - while making the Christmas dinner - shared with Mette. white head- Aroma: Chokolate, burned, sweetness, light alcohol. Taste: Berries, chokolate, hop bitter, sweetness, light prunes, light coffee, burned. Nice smooth - weak finish.

Bottle, bought @ Ølbutikken, Cph.
[Vintage 2006]
Pours a very deep mahogany with a small creamy yellowish head. Aroma is powerful, sweet roasted malts, lots of plums, slight berries and a touch of chocolate and a rum-like feeling to it. Exceptional creaminess. Flavour is equally stunning, lots of dark dried fruits, coupled with great, weel-adjusted viniousness and a slight roasty bitterness. Chocolate abounds in the aftertaste. Really wonderful!

Dark ruby with a firm off-white head. Complex aroma featuring figs and dates, licorice and molasses, and some bready munich maltiness. Sweet and fruity flavour, vineous and thick. Licorice and malt in a dry finish. The alcohol feeling falls somewhere between warming and burning. I suppose this is my first wheat wine