1001 Beers

Beer No: 63
Page No: 89
Category: Amber

Well, this finally finishes off my Avery beers.  Truly a sad day.  Luckily, I have many more Maharaja's in the fridge and storage, so Avery will not be forgotten.

Today, I made my way out to my temperature-controlled storage to see what I had sitting there waiting for me to drink.  And while I'm happy all my Vertical Epics are sitting there, aging perfectly, I found some other, lesser beers that most likely did not age well at all.  It's these beers that I brought home with me to sample over the next few days.  Plus, I took one of the AleSmith Speedway Stouts from the early 2000's (I think it's either 2003 or 2004) (I have 3), and brought it home for the Stout Party on June 12th.

Back to this beer, it's got a really cool story behind it.  Both Avery and Russian River had beers named Salvation in their line-ups.  But instead of suing each other for the name, they got together, blended the two Salvations, and came up with Collaboration Not Litigation.  The resulting beer is a fruity marvel with a wonderful complexity and 9% ABV that really hits you (not in taste, just in warmth).

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Avery Collaboration Not Litigation

Aroma: 7/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste: 8/10
Palate: 4/5
Overall: 15/20

Rating: 3.8 / 5.0

Had from bottle from BevMo - Batch #4. Pours hazy orange / brown with slight white head. Aroma is very fruity - oranges, sugar, and malts. Flavor is more fruits - slightly alcoholic, strangely able to feel the ABV after a single bottle of beer. Had no idea why it was called Collaboration Not Litigation, but love to read the cool story. Very tasty, drinkable beer.

Beer No: 61
Page No: 154
Category: Amber

I'm usually not a fan of barleywines.  I find them excessively malty with a watery/oily texture that just doesn't really go well with what I have come to expect from my beer.  I like some bite with my beer - most notably a nice hoppy bite.  So while 1001 Beers is filled with all sorts of beers in all sorts of categories, I've really been putting off trying any of the barleywines.  But, it was either the Avery Hog Heaven or a Duvel last night and for some reason, I figured a Hog Heaven would hit the spot.

And boy did it.  Not your standard run-of-the-mill barleywine, Avery's Hog Heaven packs a hop wallop with 100+ IBUs and a hoppy nose that will knock you back a step.  Using the Columbus hop - a high-alpha acid hop variety - the pine and citrus aromas and flavors really dominate this barleywine.  Perhaps that's why the label calls it a "Barleywine-style Ale" and not just your standard barleywine.  Whatever you call it, Avery once again delivers a top-of-the-line product here with a malt richness that is balanced well with the hop bite.  I have just one more Avery beer to go in the book, but I'll definitely be going back to their fine ales, as they really have blown me away with their flavors and quality of beers.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Avery Hog Heaven from Avery Brewing Company

Aroma: 8/10
Appearance: 3/5
Taste: 7/10
Palate: 3/5
Overall: 14/20

Rating: 3.5 / 5.0

Had from bottle from BevMo. Pours cloudy orange with a nice bubbly white/tan head. Aroma is a nice blend of hops and malts with the hops really coming through. Sweet malts are dominant as well in this barleywine. Though I’m not the biggest fan of barleywines, the taste of Avery’s really worked for me. I think the hops really upped the drinkability as the malts don’t dominate the flavors here. Taste is initially bitter from the hops, finishes a bit dry and sweet. A nice ale for those that probably aren’t huge barleywine fans.

Beer No: 54
Page No: 116
Category: Amber

After a wonderfully perfect weekend, Monday brings clouds, doom, and gloom to Orange County.  So, what better to warm up with than a freshly cooked bowl of stew and a nice brown ale?  Avery's Ellie's Brown Ale is named after Adam Avery's Labrador dog (which you can see on the label as well).  1001 Beers notes that Ellie's Brown was a typical beer for the mid-90's when it was first brewed, "technically excellent and sometimes bold...but nothing that created a buzz."  Yet, 16 years later, it's still going strong as one of Avery's top sellers.  With just 5.5% ABV and a relatively low bitterness of 17 IBUs, the hops find a way through and provide a nice finish.  It was a perfect beer to pair with my stew and warmed me up nicely.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Avery Ellie's Brown Ale from Avery Brewing Company

Aroma: 6/10
Appearance: 3/5
Taste: 7/10
Palate: 3/5
Overall: 12/20

Rating: 3.1 / 5.0

Had from bottle from Hi Time Wines. Pours dark brown with slight head which dissipates quickly. Lacing is good. Aroma is standard brown with a bit of hops mixed in - malts, chocolate, and roasted caramel. Taste is smooth, creamy, mixture of mostly malts, coffee, and hint of bitter hops at the end. A good brown with a nice hop finish.

Beer No: 41/1001
Page No: 183
Category: Amber

A couple of weeks ago, Paste posted this article on the 30 Best Beer Bars in America, and based on the two that I visited up in San Francisco over my visits there, the list is pretty spot on.  I also have a friend who has been to the Oakland bar and can vouch for it's awesomeness as well.  So if you're looking for a good beer bar in your part of the country, check this list.  It's pretty legit.  Plus, it's got the Brick Store Pub in Decatur, GA on it, so you know it's on task.  I recently completed a 6,000 mile road trip across the U.S. with the Brick Store being my ultimate Eastern destination.  It was a great experience (despite having to wait an hour to drink beer due to antiquated Georgia laws).  Back in 2009, they also posted the 25 best Breweries of the Decade - all of which I'm sure are in the book of 1001 Beers.

It's tough not to compare this Avery Maharaja to the Imperial IPA I had just yesterday, the Beer Valley Reefer Madness.  But even without yesterday's beer as a comparison point, it's quite obvious that this is the cream of the crop of Imperial IPAs (or Double IPAs). As I am writing this post, I am unfortunately out of Maharaja.  All I want right now is another.  So I'm definitely heading down to BevMo in Costa Mesa tomorrow to pick up 10 more that I have on order (6 for me, 4 for a friend).  I have one Sierra Nevada Pale in the fridge that will have to do, but I just want another Maharaja right now.  It is absolutely delightful.  It's just so well balanced - heavy in hops as an IIPA should be, but also nice malts - resulting in a beautiful amber brownish-red color and the perfect amount of carbonation and lacing.

To put it simply, this is in the top 3 in terms of beer I've ever tasted (and rated).  It's technically in the #4 spot on my list, but right up there in the top 3, I have a mead rating, which I don't really classify as a beer.  Better than Stone's Ruination, better than AleSmith's IPA, this Imperial IPA is just heaven in a bottle.  And, to be clear, I'm refering to Batch 11, brewed March, 2010.  If you can find this in your local store, buy them out.  You won't be disappointed.  I can't find it in my three local stores, but luckily I can drive about 20 minutes to get some more.  Hopefully the ones I buy tomorrow will last me for a while.  I'm sure 6 will supplement my daily beer intake just fine over the next few months.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Avery The Maharaja Imperial India Pale Ale from Avery Brewing Company

Aroma: 8/10
Appearance: 4/5
Taste: 10/10
Palate: 4/5
Overall: 18/20

Rating: 4.4 / 5.0

Had from bottle from BevMo. Batch 11, brewed March, 2010. Pours reddish brown with little head, awesome lacing, and tan film that sticks around to the end. It’s tough not to compare this to the Leafer Madness IIPA I had yesterday, so be prepared...the Avery is a bit darker as more malts seem to be used and it is perfectly carbonated. The flavors all blend together perfectly. Taste of floral, citrus, pine, grapefruit, great malt undertones, and amazing hop finish - smooth, not dry or astringent. The best IIPA or IPA I’ve sampled - definitely best in category.