Avery Anniversary Ale - Ten - Avery Brewing Company

Douglas88

Utah

3.95/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle generously shared by footbalm, thanks man! Bottled in 2003, drank in 2008. Pours a cloudy apricot color with a medium white head. The aroma is very nice; tons off sweet candies, candied fruits and some brown sugar. The flavor is also quite sweet; lots of fruits; passionfruit and mango, lots of toffee, caramel, and other sweet sugar based goodies. Some slight oxidation and a hint of bitter hops in the finish. As others have said this is much like a nice barleywine. Very nice. The aging has done some good things.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2008 01:51:27 | More by Douglas88

harpus

Alabama

3.25/5  rDev -17.7%

10-15-2012 17:36:34 | More by harpus

BRLockwood

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -11.4%

01-02-2012 03:43:48 | More by BRLockwood

emmasdad

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this one awhile back, for the first time in about six years. Thanks for sharing Ratman. Lots of sediment in the bottle, but with a pretty careful pour, this one was a fairly clear amber color, with a little bit of head. Clearly oxidized, but a nice malty aroma, with a hint of hops. Pretty nicely balanced, even with the oxidation and very diminished hops. Still a very nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2011 19:25:57 | More by emmasdad

sweemzander

Illinois

2.9/5  rDev -26.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22oz. bottle poured into a tulip. Bottled in 2003. I couldnt believe this was still in stores. Found @ Martha's Vineyard in Grand Rapids, MI.

(A)- Pours a cloudy orange color that produced some yellow-like bubbles.

(S)- Some light fruits with honey & caramel. Fig-like with touches of butterscotch & toffee. A tad funky.

(T)- Lots of grapefruit and caramelized pineapple. Bits of old honey and toasted toffee. Subtle butterscotch.

(M)- A surprisingly good carbonation level at this stage in its aging,but its starting to fade. Slightly bitter. Much more malt driven at this stage too. Some citrus is still there.

(D)- I always enjoy trying super old aged beers like this. I am actually really surprised how well this is considering its 7 years old! Most DIPAs would be way too old at this stage, but this one has my respect for hanging on this long. Is much more like an old barleywine at this point or even an old ale. It isnt great, but its great considering how old it really is.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2010 19:44:53 | More by sweemzander

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

2.83/5  rDev -28.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

22 oz bottle split and poured into a La Fin Du Monde tulip. 1.093 O.G., 10% ABV, Keep refrigerated, Bottled in 2003!

Thanks to Sweemzander for sharing this bottle he picked up while we were at Martha's. Luckily, even with the 7 years of age on it, it's been in the cooler.

A - A tall pour creates no head what-so-ever. A swirl releases a thin ring of off-white bubbles. The color is a hazy apricot orange with golden highlights.

S - Huh. The nose is really strange. Some fruity mango and light citrus hop aromas with a pinch of herbs falls slightly behind a bold caramel malt nose. It smells almost barleywine-like. A swirl ruins the nose completely by adding a moldy, plastic alcohol hint that made me shiver with repulsion. Good aroma until the swirl though.

T - Toasted caramel malts make up the majority of the flavor but it definitely doesn't taste fresh in the least (obviously). Apple cider is all over the flavor and hops are next-to absent but that's a given with the age. A tiny pinch of bitter citrus.

M - Medium body with decent carbonation still. A low, lingering bitterness still comes out on the finish.

D - Not something I'm gonna finish but I gotta hand it to Avery; this beer is still decent with the age on it, it's just not very good. Also, it should be noted that this came highly recommended by a cashier at Martha's who said it was fantastic even recently. That makes me a little concerned they were trying to get rid of one of the last two bottles.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2010 23:50:09 | More by BeerFMAndy

BMoney575

Michigan

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled on 4-9-10
Bottled in 2003

Pours a very viscous and cloudy deep orange color, with a clingy off-white head and tons of sediment.

Smell is extremely aged, with a strong alcohol character. Surprisingly complex, notes of caramel and cotton candy.

Taste is just as complex as the smell. Strong caramel and toffee, with almost no hop bitterness left. Amazingly good considering the age.

Mouthfeel is silky smooth, and it suits the sweet flavors very well.

Drinkability is remarkably good, considering how past its prime this beer is.

Overall, I'm shocked how good this is. Nothing like it was fresh, but something entirely new.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2010 04:13:12 | More by BMoney575

david131

Michigan

4.13/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- A hazy orange liquid with a nice crystal ball effect and just a few floaters. The thin white head is what I would expect from a beer of this age.

S- Smells like it has aged wonderfully with loads of grape, Swiss cheese, vanilla, cotton candy, and a touch of tangerine.

T- Remarkably smooth with loads of toffee, caramel, and some earthy hops. This has not gone downhill at all, just gotten different. I can't believe how smooth they were.

M- Very smooth with a slightly earthy aftertaste. Clean and nice.

D- For the ABV and age, this is fantastic. Not what I would have expected. If I had to guess, this was probably more like a barleywine at the beginning. Not down and out yet.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2010 04:05:14 | More by david131

TCgoalie

Michigan

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I poured this beer and saw a reddish amber color. There is virtually no head at all, this brew is 7 years old, so that concerns me. I saw 10% on the label and thought the aging would make this amazing...had no idea it was an IPA.

The smell is super malty mixed with playdough funk.

The taste is a giant malt bomb, not pleasant. I cannot imagine hops were ever added to this. This beer is obviously past its prime and I should not be drinking it.

The mouthfeel is thick and malty.

I should not have bought this. If I would have known it was a 7 year old IPA, I would not have. The $7 dollar price tag is forcing me to drink it rather than pouring down the drain.

I feel like I could recreate this drink by adding 15 lbs of malt to a boil with no hops. Rack into a secondary full of 2 lbs of playdough. Drink and destroy.

I would rate this a 2, but since it is not reviewable, I will avg the rest of the reviews as not to destroy the rating. 4's all around.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2010 01:55:45 | More by TCgoalie

kindestcut

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Note: Original review from 7/6/07.

I was really excited about this beer, as I usually am whenever I try a limited edition brew from any brewery. And it did not disappoint.

The Avery Ten poured a dim amber without a very noticeable head. The beer appeared to have nice carbonation and looked nice.

The aroma was slightly fruity with hints of and spice and sweetness. The taste was quite sweet with a nice hoppiness. The alcohol was not overpowering but there was a nice warming quality to the beer.

I would say that as a on-off beer this was not incredibly memorable but otherwise it was very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2009 04:08:29 | More by kindestcut

rabsten

West Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Purchased in spring 2007 at Marietta Wine Shop for $5.99, I've held on to it for an additional two years for no particular reason. I'm glad I did though and am a little sad that it's now gone (it was the third or forth oldest bottle in my collection).

Pours cloudy, hazy orange/amber. thin white head that disappears. Only minor, faint lacing. Tons of sediment/yeast, especially the final third of bottle. Much as I'd expect with 10 malts, 10 hops, and six additional years.

Initially the aroma was light, fresh citrus and tea. Almost an Earl Grey quality. Then, it became a sweet malt with light fruit notes. Final third, once it's warmed somewhat, it finishes with rye whisky notes.

Taste, like smell, started light and fruity, with a surprising, almost shocking, amount of hops. Peach and citrus appeared as well. Then, a mere two minutes or so later, a much maltier, sweeter taste developed. After the bottle had warmed somewhat, the whisky and cognac qualities appeared and dominated. A malty, heavy scotch ale/barleywine-like quality finished the experience.

Mouthfeel: Lighter to heavy, crisp first sip, rounder second sip, third: heavy.

First, there's very good drinkability. As noted above, it's very fresh and crisp, quire drinkable. Then, very quickly, it becomes a more complex and round drink, requiring more time to experience and process. By the final third, it's become a sipping experience, like with good single malt. Thick, yeasty, heavy, and flavorful.

So, this whole thing has been essentially three beers: 1)light, crisp, hoppy, fruity - about 4 ounces; 2) heavier, fuller, more complex barleywine; and 3) Old-ale, aged dopplebock, aged barleywine malt bomb.

Like I said earlier, I'm sad it's gone and I'll likely never have this experience again. But damn, I was lucky to have this one. This was a fine drinking experience and I'm glad I had it.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2009 21:34:54 | More by rabsten

MaggieReed

Michigan

3.15/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

OK so this is at this point a 6 year old bottle of beer, so im not sure how long its been sitting on the shelf at marthas. it could be that this is just too old...but, i first detected in the smell the faintest hint of olive juice...like...from a jar...poured a very nice orange- olive smell followed up by malt...almost no hop character. Taste was ok- fruity with caramel notes, but a strange olive character right up front, and a little bit of an off flavor all the way in the back too...like burnt sugar. I was not impressed, but I think a few years ago this would have been a very drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2009 04:43:34 | More by MaggieReed

hopdog

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle (I'm glad I had a few opportunities at this one).

Poured a medium, cloudy amber color with a small head. Aromas and tastes of citrus, lightly floral, and caramel. Oranges. Nice balance. Sweet and bitter. Alcohol well hidden and easy to drink. Another solid IIPA!

Notes from 10/16/04

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2008 15:32:48 | More by hopdog

mcallister

Ohio

4.45/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Amber colored with a very nice thick white head that fades quickly into a bubbly rim job with some spotty lace here and there.

Nose is awesome very citrusy and fruit forward. Malt shows nicely big in caramel nature. Some quince and starfruit aromas with a bit of dried apricot and peach. Wonderful esters.

Sweet delicious malt with a leftover hop flavor that still has a slight bitter quality on the finish. Dried fruits and date, fig jams in the middle. Alcohol is nicely hidden. Mouth is a little soft but still very nice. A good few years of life left in this one but hops are virtually gone in the mouth.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2008 17:55:42 | More by mcallister

mhewes

Colorado

4.38/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to grumpy for sharing this one

A : Pours a cloudy golden color with very little head

S : Strong malt aroma with some caramel and brown sugar notes

T : Strong malt flavor that gives it a nice strong flavor. There is some caramel and brown sugar flavors in there. There's a touch of hop betterness on it. This one has turned into a rather nice barleywine with the aging.

M : Syrupy, chewy but there's really good carbonation that makes it light on the tongue

D : Goes down easy. It's one that there is not a problem with finishing. Too bad it's going to be next to impossible to get more of it.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2008 23:57:48 | More by mhewes

TasteTester

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Found this beer on a shopping trip to one of my favorite stores. Definitely a surprise to find 5 years after the initial brewing.

A-Great color. Typical of a DIPA, golden, 2 finger head. Lots of sediment, maybe from the 5 years of aging. All settled to the bottom after a hard pour.

S-Good, bitter aroma. Not much to differentiate it from any other DIPA.

T-May not have aged well. Not as crisp or hoppy as I had expected. Still smooth though.

M-Clean, resiny.

D-Got a good buzz, would have liked to try it fresh. Will go back to look for more, for trade or a tasting in the future.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2008 19:35:05 | More by TasteTester

JDV

Texas

3/5  rDev -24.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

bottle generously shared by HumuloneRed
Pours a cloudy orange color with a light offwhite head. Smell is creamy and faintly hopped butterscotch sweetness. Taste is similar with still a surprisingly hopped flavor after all this time to complement the butterscotch like creamy malt character. Seems to have held up pretty well.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2008 18:02:32 | More by JDV

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled 12-24-2006. Well this will be interesting. (realistically, I have low expectations)

Purchased today at Kelly Liquors, Albuquerque, NM. Maybe I didn’t notice it before, but there were several other bottles there, still. They have been on the shelf all this time (I am assuming). Here we go.

Pours a golden amber with a crème head. Nose is chalky, with light hops...and I just have to go back to the chalk description and say it is like talc almost. Flavor is still good! Woo hoo! This seems almost like an aged barley wine to me, and not so much a DIPA. Sweet on the end. Very, very light hop presence. Feel is sticky and thick. Slight alcohol presence. Still very, very drinkable. Though even without having this fresh, you can tell it has fallen off a bit from how it was fresh. For some reason as I go through the bottle, I just wonder exactly how much time this baby has left on the world before it goes totally bad. Glad to try it and maybe I will go buy the rest within the next week and a half before I leave town for good.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2007 13:34:23 | More by RblWthACoz

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.9/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Acquired via trade from hoppymeal, so a big “Thank you” goes out to him. Poured from a 22oz bottle into a mug glass.

A: The beer is a vibrant orange color with a thin white head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is sweet, tart and alcoholic with citrus, brown sugar, caramel and a good amount of hops for a beer that has been aging for four years.

T: The taste is sweet and contains flavors of citrus, caramel & brown sugar. There’s a decent hops bitterness but it’s very subdued. The malt character is hearty and provides a good deal of substance. There’s a significant alcohol burn that gives it an ABW quality, but that is probably also attributed to the aging. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down easily enough for a beer this strong, not too filling, hell of a kick, good representation of style, Unfortunately I never drank this beer fresh, however, it seems to me that this beer has aged as well as any 2IPA can. It’s certainly a beer that you’re only going to want to drink one of but it’s a very good beer overall.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2007 03:31:08 | More by TheManiacalOne

walleye

Michigan

4.22/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Just found my notes on this had this awhile ago. poured copper with a light tan head. aroma grapefruit, yeast, malts, hints of honey, fruity, alcohol. flavor a strange sourness came out, malt, alcohol, citrus,than honey, followed by the grapefruits with sugar on it, as this warmed everything got more robust. good beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2006 01:33:52 | More by walleye

trep

West Virginia

4.18/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz Bottle, 3 years old

Golden bodied, decent sized off-white head with no carbonation rising.

Nice malt aroma and a slight alcohol presence.

Decent hop character and for 3 years is pretty unbelievable. Smooth as hell malt and a slight hint of toffee.

Medium bodied with nice carbonation and the 10% in this one has mellowed out to make it very easy to go down.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2006 23:35:57 | More by trep

weeare138

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to hopdog for bringing this...
Appears a transparent gold orange with a small white head. Scattered bits of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of caramel, mild oxidation, citrusy hops with mild pine.
Taste is of the same aromas with toned down hop presence that I'm sure was once lively but has since fizzled out.
Mouthfeel is caramel sweet, full bodied, and bitter.
The good news is that even though the "10 hops" seem to have faded, it would appear that the 10% abv has vanished, as it was hardly noticeable in this.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2006 20:27:45 | More by weeare138

ElGordo

Oregon

3.4/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a bright amber-orange hue topped by a small creamy white head. Balanced aroma of sweet malt and fruity hops, tempered by a bit of Belgian-esque yeast and a good bit of a phenolic character. Notes of biscuit, caramel, pine resin, and alcohol. Palate is complex - slighty sweet malt, rich fruity hops, and assertive yeast. A syrupy sweetness pervades, probably a result of aging this beer significantly past its prime. The significant alcohol content makes its presence known. I wish I hadn't sat on this one for so long. Truthfully, it's still interesting in its current state, but just barely drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2005 05:36:29 | More by ElGordo

GClarkage

California

3.95/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

11/16/05- Purchased at John's Marketplace in Portland, OR.

Presentation- 22oz bottle, 2003 vintage. Poured into my Duvel tulip.

Appearance- Orange-copper pour, 1/2 inch creamy white head with adequate lacing.

Smell- Had a bandaid type smell (phelonic?) Not real bad, but enough to take notice. Some sugary hops take up the rest of the nose.

Taste- Tasted a bit medicinal. Has very fruity and sweet hops as well as a sweet semi-dark malt background. Have a feeling the hops have faded a bit since being bottled almost 3 years ago.

Mouthfeel- Very warming and creamy. Ultra smooth going down, although now my stomach is burning.

Drinkability- I imagine in it's prime maybe late in 2003, this stuff must have ben awesome when the hops were fresh. Maybe even like a cousin to Pliny the Younger. Still is very good, but some of the flavor, I'm sure has disipated.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2005 04:03:03 | More by GClarkage

SupaCelt

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This ole girl pours out an amber tone with a bit of white head. Lacing follows rapidly. Nicely carbonated. Looks faahn.

Smell is a bit off. Not much hop character left at this late hour in Avery Ten's life. Mostly malt with an air of spoiled or stale quality to it. Disappointing. There is no bouquet to speak of here. Only bastardized sugar.

Taste is more of the same. This old girl did not hold up well to father time's assault. There is barely a touch of bitterness. Mostly just malty sweetness with a feel of some other kind of contaminated proliferation. Avery brews seem to have a particular base flavor which is evidenced here in a not so savory light. A bit sour and wild. Avery typically has a certain malt essence to it that is notable here but has been corrupted with age. This has a long shelved barley wine feel to it while lacking all of the desirable traits of an IPA and all of the finer things contained within barley wine's character. I wish I had drained this vessel when it was still in its youth. This beer has transformed from something other than a double IPA. It still has some depth of character, yet it is not what it was meant to be. As an abomination it is pretty good nonetheless. It is not however, a double IPA at this particular space and time. Therefore, I must grade it accordingly.

Mouthfeel is almost a non issue. It is medium.

Drinkability is just appropriate. This sample is hopefully not the same Avery Ten that came out new.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2005 03:27:47 | More by SupaCelt