Archive for December, 2008
Lancaster Winter Warmer Ale
Next up from the nice folks at the Beer of the Month Club is the single winter ale in this shipment, from Lancaster brewery.
This beer pours a very dark brown color that doesn’t let any light in to speak of. The head here is thick, rocky, and light brown, seeming quite pillowy and luxurious. In the nose, this is a bit odd – very sweet, there are notes of sticky caramel and sweet cream, along with some light hints of dark grape and cherry. The flavor, as well, is peculiar for a winter ale. There is both a lot of sweetness and an interesting sourness that makes the mouth pucker up a bit. The sweetness comes at the front of the mouth, and is somewhat maple and candy-like (in some ways like a caramel creme candy). In the second half of the flavor, the beer suddenly turns earthy and sour/bitter with some bits of anise and interesting, almost ginseng-like, qualities. It’s a unique flavor blend – initially, I didn’t like it, but I find it growing on me as I progress through the beer. All of these flavors are big, and the presence of this beer is huge in the mouth. However, as I’ve said, there are two definite and separate flavor profiles involved, and it may be a bit much for some people. This may not be a beer I reach for often, though I can appreciate it’s flavor, which could be construed as either adventurous or accidental or flawed. At any rate, it’s unique. Let’s just leave it at that.
Lomza Malt Liquor
Frankly, I’m a little bit scared of this next offering from the Beer of the Month Club. I mean, I’ve had my fair share or run-ins with malt liquor, but most of those were in much younger and dumber days. And, these brews aren’t traditionally what one would call ‘craft’, although American craft brewers such as Rogue and Dogfish Head have both made offerings in this category. Regardless, when I pulled this Polish malt liquor out of the box this month, I was a bit shocked. But, I shan’t judge until I’ve drunk, so here we go…
The Lomza pours a cloudy deep golden color reminiscent of honey with almost no head to speak of. The scent of this is also, surprisingly, reminiscent of honey. While you can certainly smell the 7.8% abv alcohol, there is also a pronounced sweetness that makes this rather pleasant, albeit a bit cloying. In the mouth, this beer instantly makes its size known. There are instant flavors of alcohol and a bit of pine resin. On through the mouth, a larger malt profile creeps in, tasting mostly of thick bready light malt. Towards the back of the mouth, the alcohol flavors rear up to their largest, sticking on the rear of the tongue while the beer goes down the throat and a strong… well… malt liquor aroma fires up into the nasal cavity. There’s really no denying that this is a malt liquor. The flavor, while perhaps a bit more pleasant, does bring back memories of past evenings with a big bottle of Olde English. I suppose this isn’t a bad brew – I’m certainly having no trouble drinking it, and I’m even rather enjoying it. However, the taste profile of a malt liquor is something that is difficult to get excited about, based solely on our almost universal bad memories of said flavor…
Sand Creek English Style Special Ale
Gotta love Beer of the Month Club time! Honestly, we found ourselves a bit underwhelmed by this shipment, perhaps just due to the fact that only one of the beers this month could be considered ‘dark’. While this may be a little strange for a Christmas shipment, I don’t suppose we should complain – it’s still a diverse package, and we’ve gotten our fair share of dark brews the past few months. At any rate, the first from the pack is this Sand Creek brew that was reviewed previously. So, you’ll find us being lazy on this one – see the original review below…
OK I’ve got to review this because it has been sitting my beer fridge since August and I am never terribly motivated to drink it. I bought this in Wisconsin because we don’t get Sand Creek brews here in NC, but for no other reason than that. Thus this will most likely be a short review.
It has a dusky brown color and very little head. It smells nuty and bready. Actually it smells pretty good. This beer follows the Allagash Fluxus which was extremely complex and spicy and I am liking the deep mellowness of this brew right now. The malty taste is sweet with a smokey undertone. It’s as if someone roasted peanuts then sprinkled them with a touch of brown sugar. Not overly sweet; just the right amount of deliciousness. The smokiness hangs around to create an aftertaste that is light but noticeable. I am actually very surprised that I am enjoying this as much as I am and sad that I haven’t reached for it earlier. It’s a flavorful, drinkable brew that is gentle on the palate. I will certainly buy more next time I am in the great state of Wisconsin.
Avery “Mephistopheles” Stout
In honor of my recent visit to Avery brewery, and my very favorable impression of the way they do business, I’d like to review the last of their “Demons of Ale” series. I’ve had the first two of this series, and they were bonkers, but this is the biggest of the bunch. It’s a gigantic oak-aged stout clocking in at nearly 16% abv, which is right up there with the biggest of the big in American stouts (which are the biggest in the world). So, seriously, give these guys props – with a small staff and a humbly sized brewery, they’re pumping out some of the most diverse and challenging beers in the US market.
The Meph, as expected, pours a motor oil black color with a thick caramel head. The head dissipates verrrrry slowly, but eventually leaves us with a barren surface of beer and lots of sticky residual on the side of the glass. The aroma is thick with alcohol and dark malty sweetness. It’s a super sweet aroma, but it slightly burns the nostrils, and it definitely tells you that you’re dealing with a sizable brew. In the mouth, this brew is almost too big and complicated to talk about. There are so many flavors, and at such amplitude, that it almost comes across as noise – delicious noise…
In all seriousness, this beer is big from the very first – the sweet, syrupy blast on the tip of the tongue is quite intense. The flavor is initially akin to concentrated maple syrup. As it travels through the mouth, the beer coats the tongue like some delicious polyurethane deck stain, sticking around for 5-10 years. The flavor lends bits of super dark chocolate malt, along with some lighter toffee flavors, and even a bit of dark berry flavors. There is also a bit of coffee here, but it honestly takes a back seat to the more decadent sweetnesses listed above. In addition to all of this, there are flavors and affects that I can’t quite place. The beer is strong enough that it is a sensory experience in aspects of mouthfeel and the play of the alcohol level around the mouth. So, combining this with the rich and complex flavors makes this a formidable beer. However, the sweeter characteristics also make it rather accessible for a 16% abv brew. All in all, I highly recommend this, if you can get your hands on it – far too many States still don’t allow beers of this strength. However, if you do get it, spend some time on it – taste it slowly while letting it warm from cold to room temperature, and experience the full gamut of flavors…
Ommegang Three Philosophers
Sam’s Blue Light is having a sale on all of their Ommegang beers so I picked this up since I haven’t had any of their beer in quite some time. I had planned on watching some tv and enjoying this beer leisurely but at the last minute I checked the site just to make sure we had chronicled this beer. Much to my surprise we had not. How could we have missed this one? Many of the Ommegang offerings were reviewed during SevenPack’s infancy at the world renowned Boone Beer Fest tastings (thus the brevity of the write-ups), but this one was left out. So tonight I’ll revisit this Belgian quadrupel and finish off the reviews from the Ommegang family of beers.
This beer sits with a deep crimson hue in my goblet after the fluffy, caramel head dissipates. The first thing I notice as I hold the glass to my nose is the size of this beer. The 9.8% abv is very apparent in the aroma. It is sharp, a bit aggressive, and the spice accentuates its power. There is a mixture of oranges and soapiness that attempts to soften the overall smell, but the size is too much to overcome. This is a very flamboyant ale with flavors that attack the tongue from all sides. Subtle citrus notes are sprinkled in the front of the mouth, while stronger cherry flavors thicken the mouthfeel and slide across the tongue. Clove and peppery spices brush against the back third of the mouth as well as the entire roof. The alcohol content opens the nasal passage and warms the stomach . This beer ends with a bubbly mouthfeel and a muddled finish. The latter isn’t surprising given its complexity although it does mean you have to wait a few seconds to take another sip. It’s just a big beer folks, no two ways around it. Enjoy it slowly and at length. The taste evolves and grows as the beer warms so there’s a really good chance your best swallow will be your last. I remember being completely enamored with Ommegang when I first began drinking craft brews and while I can’t say I’m still in awe of the experience it has brought back some good memories.
Boulder “Mojo Risin’” IIPA
On the eve of my exodus from the lovely city of Boulder, I feel obligated to partake of a big ol’ hoppy local IIPA. I am, after all, close to the land of those delicious Northwestern hops that I love so much, and I haven’t really had a big hop beer in quite some time. This particular IIPA I grabbed is from last year’s batch, which could be good or bad. It clocks in at 10% abv and it’s chock full o’ hops, so I can’t believe it will necessarily degrade over the period of a year. Let’s find out…
This brew pours a rather clear dark golden color. There is just the slightest haziness to the brew, and there is a bit of debris at the bottom of the bottle, but it overall has a great clarity for a IIPA. The head is stark white, thick, and is continually replenished by the consistent carbonation bubbles streaming from the bottom of the glass. The aroma of this is fairly strong, and full of grapefruit and hop. The aroma is about half bitter and half floral from the hop, but the great grapefruit citrus sourness really sets it off. In the mouth, this is most definitely an IPA of the Imperial sense. The first sensation is plain bitterness. It tastes fresh and lightly burns the tongue. About midway through the mouth, the richness of the malt comes into play, giving this a full and bready flavor. Finally, riding on the coattails of the malt, comes a big blast of grapefruit sourness, and this grapefruit rides the rest of the way into the aftertaste. Once the beer is gone, the residue on the tongue is a melange of bitter and citrus, lasting for a minute or so after the beer is gone. It’s been a while since I’ve had a good IIPA, so I’m not sure my mouth is well-calibrated for such a big flavor. However, I’m really digging this right now. The blend of the rich, sour, and bitter is a great combination, and makes for a party in the mouth and a well-balanced brew, especially considering the big scale of the flavor…
Carolina Brewery “Santa’s Secret” Ale
Merry Christmas! And what better way to celebrate this day than with a local Christmas brew, and one of my favorite holiday brews all-around. And, for those of you who are local, be sure to stop by the Carolina Brewery on Franklin Street to have a pint or, if you want to be a true supporter like Matt and I, grab a keg for the house.
The Santa’s Secret Ale pours a hazy light-ish brown color, appearing chocolatey in color and dense with debris (or, as Matt calls it, ‘burnt sienna’). The head is slightly off white, but fairly thick and pillowy. The aroma here is very spicy with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon. There is some background graininess to the aroma, but it’s mostly just big holiday spice and very pleasant. In the mouth, this beer is big and flavorful, but not too thick or filling. The flavor isn’t terribly complex. Mostly, it carries some dark malty brown ale flavors through the mouth while contributing that holiday spice to keep things interesting and seasonal. The flavor of the spice tends to spike at the front of the mouth and in the aftertaste, taking a brief break through the middle of the tongue. The mouthfeel of this is relatively thin, which is a bit different for a Christmas Ale, but rather welcome. The thinner mouthfeel allows us to enjoy the flavors, but it makes for a less filling beer and one that is fairly refreshing for the genre. Overall, this ranks as one of my top 5 holiday beers most years – Carolina Brewery puts out a consistent product with this, and I think it’s one of the best brews they do. While you won’t find this in bottles anywhere, I highly recommend it to anyone in the area – hopefully, for your sake, they’ll keep this one around for another month or so…
French Broad Wee-Heavy-est
Despite the fact that we never got around to reviewing it here on SevenPack, I’ve long been a fan of French Broad’s Wee Heavy-er Scotch ale. During our team’s legendary run at Tyler’s pub quiz in Carrboro, the Wee Heavy-er was a common “mind lubricant”, along with the Franziskaner Dunkelweiss, that propelled my team to a number of victories, regardless of my efforts to drag us down. That was a couple of years ago, so I was especially happy to find the new Wee Heavy-est on shelves recently.
This one pours a dark, deep chocolate colored brown with lots of super dense debris and a rather thin caramel colored head. In the nose, this is mostly dark bready malt and some semi-sweet chocolate aroma. The sweetness in the scent isn’t cloyingly sweet at all, rather it comes across deep and a little bit musty. In the mouth, this is, as expected, a big ol’ Scotch ale. The predominant flavors are grain, starting off a bit musty and bready and then progressing in both strength and sweetness through the mouth. The initial simplicity of this beer on the tip of the tongue truly doesn’t belie the strength of flavor that is to come. As this beer travels down the tongue, we get a heavy blast of toffee sweetness, blended with the deep chocolatey malt flavors. In addition, there is also some big dark fruit here, mostly in the realm of blueberry and dark grape. I’m also getting a decent contribution of yeasty flavors and maybe a slight bit of banana. In short, it’s a busy beer – very complex and very tasty… Truly a Scotch ale on steroids. All that being said, I have to heavily recommend this brew. This time of year, a big dark sweet beer is a perfect nectar, and French Broad has done a stellar job with this one. I’m gonna have to go grab a couple more of these, as I’d love to cellar one for a bit and see what happens…
Deschutes Brewery Inversion IPA
My wife recently went on a business trip out to Oregon. I asked her if she could pick me up some Deschutes Brewery beers, since I have heard good things about them. Though she had to walk the complete Portland International Airport in search of them, she was able to procure six different bottles of Deschutes beer. Is she not the best?
I thought I would tackle Deschutes’ IPA first. When trying a new brewery, I go for the IPA if available. I feel I have a pretty good grasp of the IPA ‘style’, so I know what I will be getting. I also happen to love hops, so that helps in the decision process.
To start things off a finger of off-white head topped the beer’s orange-amber body. This head dissipated to a thin layer after a few minutes, leaving some very nice lacing on the walls of the pint glass. To round off the visual display, hovering effortlessly inside the beer were very small pieces of debris.
The nose of the beer was straight pine hops. I sniffed for a while, and all I noticed were hops. This was a little disconcerting, because with IPAs I enjoy a balance of flavoring to them. Save the straight hops for the IIPAs, thanks.
I had little to fear however. The beer started with a non-surprising pine and hops character, but this was met with a caramel and bread dough character. This malt presence provided a nice chewyness to the beer, leading to a medium feel in the mouth. The beer finished with a crisp, bitter snap, readying the mouth for another sip.
I have not had an IPA in a few weeks, and this one was much needed. Two words that kept popping into my head while drinking this beer were quality and balance. The hops and bitterness were great, but with the muscle and flavor of the malt, the hops did not take over the beer. The only fault I could find with this beer… I can not get it on local retailer’s shelves.
Cape Ann Brewing Fisherman’s Ale
I was recently in Gloucester, MA, so I thought I would pick up another Cape Ann Brewing beer. Not to say I can not get the beer in my neck of the woods, but being so close to the brewery, I thought I would participate in the “buy local” movement.
I am not a big Kolsch drinker (I do not remember the last time I had one), so I am not really sure what I am in store for with this beer. Poured into a mug, the beer’s body is a rich gold color, with a slight haze, topped with a tight frothy head. Aromas of grain and cereal reach out to greet the nose, while there is a slight hint of lemon to usher you in further. The beer is light in the mouth and runs quite smooth. The grains are present, but there are also hints of floral hop, which are a welcome surprise, and a smooth buttery note. The beer finishes off with a clean and light bitterness profile. The initial swallows had very little after taste, but towards the end of the beer, the tastes began to linger a little bit, which I found quite enjoyable.
To sum up I found this beer refreshing and enjoyable. Two good qualities for any beer. Hats off to Cape Ann Brewing for another good showing.
Boulder “Killer Penguin” Barleywine Ale
I’m not totally sure about this, but I THINK that the Killer Penguin is the type of beer that you can only find at the Boulder Brewery, or maybe around town at some local beer shops. Either way, I’ve never seen this on store shelves, and I like a good barleywine this time of year, so I had to pick it up.
Also, it’s called Killer Penguin, which is a pretty cool name for anything, including beer.
The Penguin pours a surprisingly clear dark brown with golden tints and a very dense but thin off-white head. The head fluffs up a bit initially, but subsides, leaving a nice coating down the glass. In the nose, the beer is pungent with a blend of licorice and gumdrops, which strikes me as a bit odd, but not displeasing. In the mouth, this beer is big and flavorful. The majority of flavors are sweet and somewhat candy-like. Initially, I get a bit of bubblegum combined with some bitter anise flavor. As the beer travels down the tongue, some more rootsy and woodsy flavors creep in, while the candy sweetness remains in the background. On back, some hop bitterness creeps in, but it’s not overwhelming, and not enough to call this an especially ‘hoppy’ beer. Through the aftertaste that rich sweetness maintains, and some spicy tingly bits dance around the tongue where the beer recently resided. Actually, this is a really great barleywine – it is more sweet and less bitter than most of the genre, and it’s about middle of the road for abv at 10%. However, as far as barleywines go, I find this one very accessible and very pleasing – would make a great dessert beer and a fairly easy drinker over a cool evening. This is likely the best brew I’ve had from the folks at Boulder, and one of the best barleywines I’ve had this season…
Anchor Brewing “Our Special Ale” (Christmas Ale) 2008
I have not been in the big/boozy/thick/rich beer mood, so I have been avoiding the winter seasonal beers hitting the store shelves recently (since a fair majority of those beers tend to be big/boozy/thick/rich). With the first snow storm upon Boston and Christmas quickly approaching however, I thought I should delve into a “winter” beer.
For whatever reason the Anchor Brewing winter offering was proclaiming “Dave purchase me!”, so that is what I did and here I sit writing about it. This beer is actually in its 34th year of brewing, and its recipe has changed every one of those 34 years. If you want to check out how this beer has progressed, Ben reviewed the 2005 edition.
The beer pours a dark-rich brown with an off-white head that dissipates, in about a minute, to a very thin, even non-existent, covering. To get the full impact of the beer’s smell, I need to stick my nose deep inside the snifter glass. This allows me to receive the full blast of the holiday bouquet that is this beer. Ginger, allspice, cinnamon, caramel, liquorice and orange peel all make an appearance. All the smells mix well together, though some are a little harder to distinguish then others.
In the mouth the beer is surprisingly light, and a hint watery. The beer goes down quick and smooth. There is a nice toasted malt presence mid-tongue, with a spice bouquet finish. Much like the aroma, the spice finish is well mixed and not overpowering. If anything I notice a hint more ginger then any other aspect.
For someone not looking for a “winter” beer, this one was a pleasant surprise. It was quite light and easy to drink. If you do not like spiced beers, this probably will not suit you, but the spice is not all that overpowering. After a day of shoveling, this beer hit the spot for me.
Avery “Liquor Mart 40th Anniversary” Belgian Pale Ale
Now here’s one I bet most of you clowns haven’t seen around too much – The Liquor Mart 40th Anniversary brew from Avery Brewing Company. In case you don’t know (and I wouldn’t expect you to), Liquor Mart is one of the better beer stores in the Boulder, Colorado region where Avery is located. I’m wagering that these folks know each other, and so Avery decided to hook ‘em up with a nice anniversary brew. I personally picked up this bomber at the Avery Brewery tasting room for a steal of $3. I intend to do a nice write-up of Avery as well as the myriad other breweries I visited during the last weekend – it was truly a beer-tasting weekend of epic proportions.
This brew pours a deep golden color with definite hints of ruby. The beer seems especially effervescent and has one of the ‘pillowy-est’ heads I’ve seen on a brew in a while. It fluffs right up in the glass, whether you like it or not, and it stays thick and fluffy for minutes after the pour. In the nose, there are tons of malt and yeast on this beer, which isn’t a big surprise for the Belgian pale category. The yeast is pungent and reminiscent of what you might get in a big Belgian witbier. The malt is light but fairly rich, giving this a rather big nose for a pale ale, altogether. In the mouth, this is certainly a bigger and higher quality beer than you’d expect from a bottle with a “Liquor Mart” logo on the front. For me, the predominant flavor, front to back, is of yeast. I like this yeasty goodness, although some may not be wild about it – it’s sweet and a bit wild, and still reminiscent of a strong Belgian wit. However, this beer gains some richness and a fuller mouthfeel from the malt contribution. It is full and even a little sticky moving through the mouth, giving the tongue and walls of the mouth a nice coating. In addition to these two BIG flavor contributions, there are some interesting hints of orange zest and a decent hop profile that hits about the middle of the tongue and squats there even through the aftertaste. Overall, this is a really good beer – positively exceptional for a $3 bomber. Actually, this beer is pretty unique, too, for something in the pale ale category. The combination of that Belgian yeast and the rich malt, along with the orange zest, give this a big, refreshing and unique flavor. In short, it’s a pity that this won’t find its way out of Colorado. It’s a great beer, and quite a pat on the back for Avery to make something so tasty for a local liquor store…
New Belgium “La Folie” Brown Ale
Now, I know I was whining just a few short days ago about how the Frambozen was my last new beer left from New Belgium, and how henceforward I’d just have to sit around waiting for special edition brews to fall in my lap. I know – I was a whiny little bi*%&. Just days after my whining, I had the opportunity to taste 4 brand new beers at the New Belgium brewery, and then to take home a bomber of the formidable La Folie. I’m not sure what I should learn from this – perhaps that, by whining, I’m giving fate an opportunity to do great things for me? If that’s the case, then expect SevenPack to be a serious venue for my complaints in the coming months…
The La Folie pours a dark and hazy brown color. Almost light-chocolate in tint, with tons of natural carbonation that spews forth with a light off-white head, making all sorts of bubbly fizzy noises before soon subsiding to a non-existant cap on the beer, leaving just the streams of tiny bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass. In the nose, this beer is pungent with sourness. There are bits of dark malt hiding beneath the sourness, which seems to be contributed by some crazy yeast (Brett, maybe?) and even a bit of sour/sweet citrus zest. In the mouth, this is far-and-away the biggest New Belgium beer I’ve yet tasted. The beer immediately slaps you in the face with a wild sour blast coupled with a snapping carbonation burn. Though this looks safe enough with it’s unassuming brown color, the first taste will immediately put you in check, letting you know you’re dealing with serious sour ale. As the beer traverses the tongue, the sourness goes through a few ebbs and tides. It rises with a citrus zest sweetness one moment, then puckers you up with a wild blast of sourness that can only come from the yeast. Honestly, any dark malt in this beer is so beat-up by the sourness that we don’t get much of the flavor. However, the texture of the beer is just rich enough to let us know it’s there. That being said, this beer washes pretty clean through the mouth, leaving a good coating on the tongue that is reminiscent of a sour lemon candy and lots of citrus at the back of the throat. While this is a brown ale, the sour and citrus characteristics would actually make this pretty refreshing on a summer night, and the surprisingly low 6% abv makes it pretty easy on a brother.
Overall, this is fabulous. I knew New Belgium made some great beers, but I didn’t know they brewed anything with such big cajones. This surely isn’t a daily drinker – it’s simply too big. But, if you can get your hands on a bottle, it’ll be worthwhile to see just what a great brewery, some skilled brewers, and three years in an oak cask can do for a beer. Very interesting, and a must-try.
Avery – Boulder, CO
Whew! The final brewery of the weekend! It’s been a lot of beer and a lot of fun – the kind of thing you’d like to spread out over a few weeks – but, hey, time constraints being what they are, I’m happy to pack it all in to a 2-day period. There were a couple of occasions when I considered not even attending this brewery tour. It’s a Sunday at 2 after I’ve already had a heavy drinking Saturday, which just isn’t a big motivator. But, at the end of the day, it may be my only opportunity, so I put on my big-boy pants and drove over.
Of all the breweries of the weekend, Avery is the least-assuming and most difficult to find. In fact, I drove right past it once before finally seeing the sign alongside some office-looking buildings and, I think, a car-wash. It’s nestled back in a little office-park type place where it occupies several building spaces within the facility. There isn’t too much to it from the outside – just a brick facade with a few tables outside. Inside is a cozy though plain tasting room with several tables, a few bits of press tacked up on the wall, some board games on a shelf, and a small bar with a few taps. Upon approaching the bar, staffed by a couple of 20/30-something males, one of the dudes suggests I grab a quick pint of White Rascal before the tour began, and I happily oblige.
The tour, I am initially afraid, might be lackluster. This is not a typical brewery, as it shares space in an office park alongside various other business, including a drapery shop. It begins outside by a dumpster and some piles of wooden pallets – also not a good sign. However, the tour guide is easy-going and accessible, it’s a warm Sunday afternoon, and I have a White Rascal in my hand so, really, what have I to complain about? As we move through the tour, the guide makes a few jokes about just these circumstances I have mentioned, but he does so in a way that makes it seem almost endearing, pointing out that Avery only employs 17 people and has a meager facility, which makes it all the more surprising just what wide distribution this brewery sees. As we progress through the tour, I am certainly more impressed – the tour guide is, again, very accessible, and leads us through every small corner of the brewing facility. We begin in the brew-room which is, honestly, about the footprint of a two-car garage. This tiny room, surprisingly, sees the brew phase of EVERY SINGLE AVERY BREW that hits store shelves – this still amazes me. While there are fermentation tanks spread throughout a few of the small buildings, it’s amazing that such a small room can produce so much and such variety of beer, even running at the near 24/7 schedule that Avery seems to keep to meet demand. On through the tour, we have the benefit to peek in a fermenter or two whilst also entering the fridge to take handfuls of hop and grains out of the actual bags and buckets used by the brewery – none of that dedicated touristy stuff used by most tours. Next, we cruise on over to the bottling line, which is quite a marvel in itself. I certainly wish I had a picture of it, as it is a $1mil+ bottling line that is somehow shoe-horned into another 2-car-garage-sized space, which necessitated some serious innovation including a number of cut I-beam building supports. Finally, after we’ve seen the meager facilities, we’re taken to 
another section filled with wooden barrels of various origins and ages in which a number of experimental and aged Avery brews are stored. This is an especially interesting portion, as it seems that Avery dedicates quite a lot of time, space, and money to experimenting with one-off beers that will likely never leave the brewery unless to attend a festival. While this isn’t financially appealing, it’s always nice to see breweries taking the time and effort to try out something new.
And, that’s pretty much it. It was, truly, the best tour of the weekend, simply due to it’s laid-back feeling and behind-the-scenes focus. The Avery guys, if possible, allow you to really get your nose into the brewing process, going so far as to handle the actual materials and machinery they use. Furthermore, the folks giving the tour are the same folks that will be involved shoveling malt, spraying out fermenters, and manning the bottling line. It’s a tiny operation, so everyone does everything. On top of that, these guys are all beer geeks, and the bubbling carboys setting all over the place in the brewery are proof, as Avery encourages employees to experiment with homebrewing on the company’s dime.
After the tour, I sat around and tried a couple of brewery-only beers over a game of Uno. Here’s what was available:
Nightwalker Imperial Amber: This is phenomenal. It’s a rich and sweet amber with big hints of candi sugar. The strength of this evident, at times showing characteristics of a Belgian Quadrupel.
Cask-conditioned Stout: This is the normal Out of Bounds Stout that Avery produces, but after being stuck in an oak cask for a couple of years. Pretty good – big, rich, smoky, and sweet.
So, sadly, Avery didn’t have anything TOO crazy on tap at this time, though the Nightwalker was certainly a treat. Apparently, depending on when you stop in, they may have any number of experimental brews on tap.
In the end, these guys certainly put on the most informative tour of the bunch. Furthermore, it makes me more inclined to support this brewery seeing how much effort and love is put into the operation by the small number of employees. It is truly a surprising feat that Avery can see the distribution and variety of beers presented given such a meager facility and staff. They’d better be paying those guys well, or at least giving them lots of free beer!
