Avery Fifteen

I tried to pick something that would go with some broiled salmon tonight (very tasty) and decided that a funky little number from Avery Brewing might do the trick.  So I picked Avery Fifteen.  This is there fifteenth anniversary brew and it comes with 15 years of experimentation behind it, which wasn’t a bad thing at all.

Fifteen has a pretty accurate label… something I don’t always find.  But really, I think I could taste everything they explained except for maybe the hibiscus because I don’t really know what that tastes like.  From the site:

15 years of brewing! You know whats been the best part lately? Tons of experimentation! For the past couple of years, we’ve been working with several strains of brettanomyces (wild yeast). We found one and deemed it the best for it’s tart flavor and funky, fruity aroma. Adding black mission figs for a subtle jammy aspect, hibiscus flowers for an herbal bouquet and hazy sunset hue, and white pepper for a bit of spicy twang, we’ve created FIFTEEN– a unique drinking experience inspired by the wild farmhouse ales of Belgium. Though immensely complex today, more flavors will emerge with time, so throw a few bottles in your cellar for future celebrations.
Thanks to everyone who has made our 15-year ride possible. Peace to all and follow your dreams!

Check out wikipedia for some additional information on brettanomyces.  Pretty interesting stuff.

Overall, great amber color, good floral nose, fruity yet tangy taste and clean finish will bring this beer back to the beer fridge at some point in the future.  Good stuff.  Thanks Avery!

JBB6 Rating: Will Buy Again

Avery The Maharaja

Fourth beer of the night at Monk’s Cafe.  See here for original post.

Avery The Maharaja - On Tap

I *really* liked this beer… it was a bit twisted in its presentation as I was definitely not ready for it, but the wonderful folks at Avery were able to suck every fruity element they could out of this.  I remember tasting this beer and thinking I really should be on a tropical island somewhere, enjoying this beer with a plate of fruit.  The fruitiness infuses both the aroma and the taste, with the aroma more general at the tropical smell level but the taste more specific and on into the passion fruit realm.

This is a high ABV (9.7%) beer with an extremely fruity and rich flavor that really has me wanting more… right now… really.  I know Malt & Vine has some, so maybe I will head there… great stuff.

JBB6 Rating: For the Win

Avery White Rascal

Today was a good day.  A good day on many, many beer fronts.  I woke up this morning, not really knowing what to expect from the weather, the kids, etc.  I end the day with a shit-eating-grin on my face and a vision of a great beer future ahead.

Lets hit the good stuff summary:

1. I went to Malt & Vine in Redmond, WA today.  More on that in a second.
2. I picked up a bottle of beer my boss has been hounding me about for some time (…you know who you are!)
3. I finally took up enough space in our refrigerator to push the wife into commanding me to buy a beer fridge.

And now the good stuff details:

1. Malt & Vine… an amazing establishment.  Truly.  They have ~900 beers in the bottle, some wine that I didn’t pay attention to, and a couple of kegs.  Not only do you get to buy beer, beer, and more beer, but you can enjoy a small glass of some really good craft beer while you do it!  The owner was super-knowledgable, the beer he gave me was and outstanding dark Belgium Style beer, and their selection… oh their selection.  See below for a picture of what I picked up and what lead to #3.
2. The actual beer for this review is Avery White Rascal.  My boss has been telling me about Avery since we started the blog (not sure which brew) and now I finally found some.  So I picked up the White Rascal and their IPA to see what I could taste and low and behold their White Rascal is an outstanding white ale.  I would have to say that their complexity of flavors mellows it out to just the right level to make this beer really, really outstanding.  Has to be my favorite white for now.  Will see how long that lasts.  I poured the glass, left a little in the bottom of the bottle, swirled it around, and poured the last of the cloudiness into the mug before I took my first taste.  Pure nirvana… great work by Avery.
3. As I came home tonight with 8 extra bottles of beer, my wife finally had it and ordered me to get a beer fridge so she could have room in the house fridge for something called food.  Boy… you don’t have to tell me twice.  Dinner, kids in bed, and I was off to Lowes to find my sweet little beverage holder.  Little is right… there are some really small fridges out there, kind of like what I have at work… but I decided on a 14 cubic foot model instead.  $400 isn’t too bad and now we have more room for other stuff like kids drinks, etc. as well.   All around a win-win for everyone.

So there you have it… a great beer-day.  As far as the rating on this beer:

JBB6 Rating: For the Win

Two pictures today… my haul from Malt & Vine:

And the bottle of Avery: