Ale to the Chief - Avery Brewing Co., Boulder
Style:
Imperial India Pale Ale
Serving Type:
Bottle
Alcohol by Volume:
8.75%
Aroma:
Very floral and very hoppy
Appearance:
Rich and warm orange hue, almost red. Body isn't clear but not quite opaque
Flavor:
Loaded with hops but not too dry. Aftertaste is quite spicy but lacks enough malt to really balance out the harsh flavors
Mouthfeel:
Smooth, creamy texture. Carbonation is faint and barely noticeable
Overall Impression:
As an Imperial I.P.A. the Ale to the Chief is what you'd expect. It's really bold, hoppy and spicy beer. All of these strong flavors would be more pleasant if there was more malt in this beer. The Ale to the Chief isn't balanced enough to be a beer I can enjoy for more than a few sips. If you like strong hoppy beers then you might enjoy Avery's Ale to the Chief, but I'll pass on this Imperial I.P.A.
For me it really came down to just two beers... Of all the beers brewed in honor of Barack Obama's inauguration there were only two which had clever enough names that I'd bother searching for them. The first was Cambridge Brewing's The Audacity of Hops and the other was Avery's Ale to the Chief. I was less enthusiastic about drinking The Audacity of Hops because I just knew it was going to be a big I.P.A. with a name like that... A couple weeks back I was surprised to find a bottle of Ale to the Chief at the local liquor store and decided to pick one up. It wasn't until later that I find out this was an Imperial I.P.A., arguably the most audacious of the hoppy beers. But I figure I owe it to our new President, and the even the country, to drink this I.P.A. and judge it in a non-partisan way. So how was the Ale to the Chief? It's big, it smells funny and it's totally in your face. In other words, it's 100% American.
More than that though, this beer just wasn't all that great... Especially considering it's from Avery. Avery knows thing or two about hoppy beers, but it seems like they just took an I.P.A., threw a bucket of hops in the bottle and slapped a picture of the Declaration of Independence on it. Perhaps that's a bit harsh, this beer isn't horrible... it just isn't anything new or exciting. For an extremely limited release like an Inauguration ale it really seems like Avery half-assed it here. The beer it hoppy and it's spicy, that's about it. There is a little bit of malt in this beer but not nearly enough to round of the flavors. The one surprising thing about Avery's Ale to the Chief is that it is a remarkably smooth beer considering it's hop level and spiciness. Is that enough to redeem this beer? Nope, not even close.
Now, if you'll allow me to be facetious... The absolute worst thing about this beer is that it's an INDIA Pale Ale. That's right, Avery practically outsourced their Inauguration Ale to India. What's the matter Avery, too good to brew an AMERICAN Pale Ale? I can't wait for Avery's next Obama beer, I hear is a Socialist Coffee Stout.
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