Boulder

It seems like all the beer Avery brews are bigger than average. Their IPAs are hoppier, their Stouts are darker and everything in between just has more alcohol in it. Avery has a series of even more extreme beers with alcohol contents pushing 20%. This bottle of Mephistopheles' Stout in part of the demonic series of Avery beers that are sold as individual 12 ounce bottles for $7-9 each. Mephistopheles' Stout is a 16.83% ABV Imperial Stout that looks as evil as it sounds. I'm hoping it is as enjoyable as The Beast Grand Cru I enjoyed from the same series last year.

At one point of another I drank each of Avery's beers at least once. Well, most of their beers at least once. I've even visited their tasting room in Boulder on three different occasions, but somehow there is a year round beer I seem to have over looked. I can't say it was entirely by accident... it's their Barleywine. Barleywines are beers I feel like I should like, but they always leave me a little disappointed to say the least. Hog Heaven is Avery's attempt at a Barleywine and I'm hopeful it is the Barleywine that will sway my opinion of the style.

Honey Brown Ales always sound so good. A sweet warming Brown Ale that's just a little hoppy, enough to make you not feel ashamed of drinking a beer with honey in it... I've been burnt by these deceptively delicious sounding beers far too many times before, I've become helplessly skeptical of Honey Browns at this point. This bottle of Twisted Pine Honey Brown Ale has been sitting in my beer fridge for about two months now because I couldn't bring myself to open a bottle of Honey Brown when I knew it was going to be a let down. Well, I figure they can't all be winners so I might as well get this Honey Brown out of the way today to make some room for beers I'm a little more optimistic about.

Collaboration Not Litigation is the product of blending two production beers from different breweries, both of which are named Salvation. The name is said to be a tribute to the collaborative nature of craft brewers, because in any other industry there probably would have been cease and desist orders issued by one party or the other. One of the most interesting parts of this beer is the fact that it's a blend of two fairly well established beers. Two beers that already have followers and quite well regarded in their own right. Blending those two beers together sounds risky, but it also sounds like a lot of fun. This beer has a great story behind it, hopefully the actual beer is as much fun to drink.

I've always had nice things to say about Avery. Though admittedly, I haven't had too many of Avery's more "extreme" beers. I visited their brewery in Boulder last year and was about to try a couple of their bigger golden Belgian series beers and I was hooked. This is the first of the darker big beers I've gotten around to reviewing. The Beast is a bit intimidating, it's 15.07% after all... That's twice the alcohol content of Avery's anniversary Saison beers! I've had stronger beers, but there was always something about the Beast... Maybe it was the name, the menacing label or just the price tag. At $8 for 12 oz it isn't cheap, but it's worth every penny.

Boulder Beer's lineup has been a bit of a gamble thus far... I found this bottle of Obovoid on sale the other day and decided I'd roll the dice one more time. The Obovoid is part of the Looking Glass series of special release beers Boulder Beer puts out on a seasonal basis. My experience so far has been that the Looking Glass beers are certainly bigger but not always better... The Obovoid hasn't really changed my opinion of the Looking Glass series, or for that matter, Boulder Beer Company in general.

I first heard of Avery's Anniversary Saisons from a flyer hanging up in the bathroom of the Avery tasting room next door to the brewery in Boulder, Colorado. This was just last summer so the poster was advertising the Sixteenth Anniversary Saison. A couple months later I was about to get my hands on a bottle of the Sixteen and thought pretty highly of it. It wasn't my favorite beer by any means, but I enjoyed it. As time passed, my memories of the Sixteen grew fonder. About a month ago I was smaller liquor store looking for a new release when I came across a bottle of Avery's Fifteen and couldn't resist taking it home.

Boulder Beer's Killer Penguin is the non-Barleywine Barleywine... It has a double digit alcohol by volume percentage and smells a little boozy, but it doesn't have that thick dark flavor/texture that I've come to expect from Barleywines. That's not to say the Killer Penguin isn't a good beer, it has a lot to offer if you're willing to cut this lighter, mellower Barleywine some slack. While pouring this beer from it's wax dipped bottle into my snifter, I noticed the aroma was much lighter than I was expecting. The first thing I noticed was the crisp and sweet cherries and grapefruit on the nose. There is plenty of malted goodness in this beer but it doesn't stand out as much as the other flavors because it isn't roasted or super sweet. This isn't a complaint, but it contributes to the overall blendedness of this beer.

This is probably the strongest flavored Winter Warmer I've had this season. It also happens to be the most mellow flavored Avery beer I've had yet. The Old Jubilation is a roasty, spiced Winter Warmer that has a very warming flavor. There is a strong bitterness in this beer, but that's something you can pretty much expect with all Avery beers. That bitterness isn't overpowering, at times it even tastes a little like chocolate. The other flavors in this beer balance out the bitterness to a degree, but in the end the Old Jubilation tastes like an oaked brown ale with a touch more dry roasted malt.

Dear Boulder Beer Company,
Why must all of your beers but hopped within an inch of sanity? I think you have a problem, you've stuff an ungodly amount of hops into your Never Summer Ale. This beer, as you know, is your Christmas seasonal and it tastes like a liquified 2x4... I'm affraid this condition has gotten so bad that you're unable to recognize malts or other flavors that beer drinkers might appreciate. I hope you see the error of your ways and learn to use hops responsibly, for the sake of those who love you.