The Kaiser - Avery Brewing Company

barczar

Kentucky

3.65/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a brilliantly clear amber color with copper highlights and a dense one inch beige head that lingers, eventually dissipating and leaving thick lacing.

Aroma begins boozy, with vanilla and caramel malt leading to herbal hop notes. Toffee, melanoidins, and toasted nuts surface late. Cola characteristics add intrigue.

Flavor is borderline cloyingly sweet, with undertones of dark fruits adding complexity. Caramel malt is accompanied by bruised plums, figs, and dates. Booze carries throughout, with vanilla preceding a lightly citrusy, slightly bitter hop finish. Toasted malt gives relief as the brew warms.

Body is somewhat syrupy, with moderate to low carbonation. Alcohol warmth is significant.

Overall, a very boozy brew. Could use some time to mellow.

Serving type: growler

10-02-2012 03:56:19 | More by barczar

peabody

Kentucky

3.65/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours out like ice tea with one finger of white suds. Lacing on the glass.
Smell is Caramel alcohol and spices with a raisin fig fruitness.
Taste is strong sugar with just a hint of spice. The alcohol is very strong here. Not necessarily a bad thing either.
Mouthfeel is a bit oily and has the warming effect on the back of the throat all the way down to the stomach and beyond.
I drank the whole growler not knowing how much alcohol was in there. Wouldn't reccomend that too often.,

Serving type: growler

10-09-2007 01:37:40 | More by peabody

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.34/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Look: Deep orange bordering light brown. Soapy white head providing some lace.

SMELL: Caramel, big malts, toffee and alcohol.

TASTE: Toffee and dark breads, some leafy, citrus hops, and a little kick of alcohol. An imperial Oktoberfest by design, and certainly carries the caramelized Munich malts. If you ask me, this is a good dopplebock.

FEEL: Medium bodied, well carbonated a bit slick and chewy with loads of malt.

OVERALL: A really nice beer. 9.1% German style lager pulled off with finesse.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 23:04:30 | More by Stinkypuss

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

4.46/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Poured into a balloon glass.

Look: Nice deep caramel copper color. Thick cream colored head that recedes to thick film of bubbles. Nice webby lacing.

Aroma: Sweet caramel, malts, toffee, fruit peels.

Taste: A toasted, caramelly blast at first. Then it eases into toffee, malts, and tangy fruits. Slight burn of 9.1% alc on the throat.

Mouthfeel: Kind of sticky, alcoholic burn.

Overall: Absolutely delicious. Great Oktoberfest representation. Love the caramel sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 01:41:00 | More by JuicesFlowing

BeerDawgs

Georgia

3.78/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Deep dark amber, lots of head and lace. This is what beers should always look like

S - Sweet. Very sweet!

T - Like the aroma, very sweet and boozy.

M - Light bodied, lots of carbonation

O - A very good Oktoberfest, much better than what I am used to trying around that time of year. Style is too sweet for me. But very good for the style...

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 05:06:18 | More by BeerDawgs

CaptainOats

New Jersey

3.6/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 22 into my Newport Storm tasting glass

A: Great dark copper color. Nice lacing on the glass

S: malt all the way on the nose. Just a touch of alcohol which can be expected for the 9 percent this beer js packing.

T: lots of toasted grains and a bit of heat

M: nice mouthfeel, solid with a bit of bite

O: a nice offering from Avery

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 00:48:10 | More by CaptainOats

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass.

A: Slightly hazy red-brown with one-finger, off-white, creamy head that lasted a couple minutes and left a nice film. Pretty good lacing.

S: Caramel malt. Subtle hops. Very sweet.

T: High sweetness and light to moderate bitterness. Caramel malt and subtle spice. Bready and slightly hoppy. A bit of alcohol.

M: Medium bodied with soft to fizzy carbonation. Somewhat smooth and quite warm going down.

O: This is a pretty good Oktoberfest. A bit too sweet and alcoholic in my opinion, but still good. Besides, I don't know of many Imperial Oktoberfests, so this is pretty cool.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 02:10:22 | More by SolipsismalCat

snaotheus

Washington

4.28/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle poured into a large mug

Pours cloudy amber with a nice, persistent, fluffy looking white head. Lots of active carbonation. Smell is mild, yeasty, and lagery (I don't know how to pick apart that smell -- it's lager).

Taste is...shocking. It's taking me some time to adjust. I was expecting something mild and lagery, to match the smell (which may change as the beer warms), but this is super intense. Sweet and fruity with a slight yeasty/bready flavor. Really fruity. It's making me think of those weird star fruit, for some reason. There's still a strong lager flavor, but it seems much richer, for some reason.

Mouthfeel is thick and satisfying. Overall, I'm pretty impressed with this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 02:16:23 | More by snaotheus

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle poured into a snifter
2012

This beer pours a deep amber orange color with a one finger head. The beer is dark fruit dominant. A lot of plums and figs. Very reminiscent of a doppelbock. A lot of toffee notes and caramel. A lot of caramel and sugary breddy flavors. A slight bit of grain and mineral tastes. One of the best strong Oktoberfests I have tried. Too bad 10% isnt traditional to the style because the beer is quite good.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 03:07:28 | More by TwelveOunces

BuckeyeSlim

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 oz. bottle poured into a Ayinger Kirta-Halbe glass. Batch #9, 2012-08. 9.1% ABV.

A - Light copper pour produces a very light khaki four-finger head of very dense foam that slowly collapses, leaving dense stripes of lace around the glass. Held to a full-spectrum light, beer is a vibrant orange/red apricot/copper and cloudy.

S - Big caramelized sugars, butterscotch, toasted malts, and floral hops all mix together and fight their way out of the glass. Beer smells a bit boozy, too.

T - Very similar to the nose. Luscious caramels lead, followed by dense, bready notes of toasted grains and yeast. Grassy/earthy hops push through at the end, providing an almost-instant balance to the sweetness. An under-tow of alcohol serves as a warning to go slow on this one.

M - Smooth and creamy, almost chewy. Dense, but not heavy. Structure is thoroughly blended. Relatively short finish, with caramelized sugars and hops both lingering. Full carbonation.

O - A big, boozy Marzen that's thick and full. A bold take on the style, it's almost a novelty, but one well-worth experiencing. Imagine making an Oktoberfest doppel - this is it.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 00:20:34 | More by BuckeyeSlim

pkalix

California

4.85/5  rDev +26%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

beautiful neon copper color with oatmeal colored topping.
fruity, sweet smell, like a dopplebock.
full-bodied, rich, sweet, malts, caramel. not unlike a dopplebock. very healthy taste and a great starter for my evening at 9% abv (BA say 10.03%).
overall, i very much like this. i've had a few from this brewery and i remember them being very good. it tastes like a german product which, i think, is an accomplishment and an achievement. and for such an impressive abv, i think it deserves a very high overall rating. i dont get much alcohol burn from this and that factors in to my opinion... may be my highest rated american beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 00:26:33 | More by pkalix

phishsihq

Colorado

4.18/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The Kaiser continues the Dictator Series that also features the amazing Maharaja. The Kaiser is an Imperial Oktoberfest weighing in at a hefty 10.03% ABV. The brew pours an amber-orange with a decent off-white head that provides a good deal of lace. Roasty and toasty malt nose with just the slightest hint of citrus. The malt is prominent out front, with caramel and bready flavors dominating. Alcohol is noticeable throughout, with earthy, Noble hops barely distinguishable, but there. Medium mouthfeel, and a slight tickling in the carbonation. BIG Oktoberfest, BIG flavors, BIG beer!

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 01:48:15 | More by phishsihq

sommersb

Tennessee

3.88/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Tasted On: 11-17-2012
Freshness: Batch 9 from August 2012
Packaging: 22 oz. brown bottle, pry-cap covered with foil
Glassware: Frankfurt mug
Purchased: Single from Colorado Liquor Mart, Denver

A: Huge cream-colored head sits on this clear, dark copper beer. A steady stream of bubbles are seen in my mug. Excellent head retention and a very good lace makes for an attractive brew.

S: Big caramel malt aromas make for a sweet smell, with a supporting role from the spicy and earthy Noble hops.

T: Rich and malty with a sweet emphasis, but the hops keep it in check with some bitterness and spice notes. Also more boozy than I've ever had in an Oktoberfest, since this is an Imperial version.

M: Full-bodied, in contrast to a standard Märzen. Carbonation is in the medium range, with a finish that is malty first and then has some bittering aftertastes from the hops.

O: Wow, this is a big and bold O-fest! One of my favorite styles with an imperial twist. Definitely a different kind of beer and one I'd recommend you try...

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 00:44:55 | More by sommersb

drabmuh

Maryland

3.98/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Been wanting to try this one for a long time, served in a shaker pint, beer is amber and clear with a lazy white head, low retention, moderate to low carbonation, no lacing.

Aroma is malty and sweet with a yeasty finish.

Beer is medium to big in body, much bigger than I expected, with a mildly bitter finish on the back end, a strong flavor, really malty, mildly sweet, minimal yeast. I did enjoy it and would have it again on draft.

Serving type: on-tap

11-16-2012 19:03:31 | More by drabmuh

socon67

New York

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

A - Dark amber pour and cloudy. A frothy white foam on top laced the tulip glass nice.

S - Scents of light malts, caramel, and fresh bread. Has a slight smell of whiskey.

T - This is one hearty marzen! The Kaiser takes the style to an extreme level with rich caramel flavors, light malts, and a tangible yesty flavor. Finish has a bit of spice, but a warming burn that makes this a really good choice on a cold fall night.

M - For the heavy feel, I found this more sessionable that expected. More of a sipping beer than a sessionable seasonal. But very enjoyable from first sip to the last. Leaves plenty of rich taste on the palate.

O - I like the extreme nature of this beer. If you are looking for a potent form of this style, this is right up your alley.

Serving type: on-tap

11-09-2012 22:36:14 | More by socon67

ElCommodoro

Texas

4.3/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pow! This brew hits you head on with the military strength of the Kaiser. I love the alcohol burn that really takes over the first few sips of this beer. I hate how most beers try to hide that as if that's the goal. No such luck here, alcohol pansies. The Kaiser is in town and he shoots first and asks questions later. It is a little bit fruity, but all-in-all just yeasty. The mouthfeel is frothy with yeastiness. I feel like Wilhelm III is trying to infect me with rabies for combat. Despite this, I would not say the yeastiness is TOO over-the-top. It's still an excellent beer. You just have to be able to embrace that yeast flavour. This is also definitely a sweet brew. If you don't like sweet beer, stay away.
Another interesting note is that after "Imperialising," this beer doesn't really retain any qualities that identify it as Marzen. It's more like a Belgian pale and a doppelbock had a baby. Don't get me wrong, the result is amazing, but it's just not really possible to compare it "within style" because Marzens aren't really comparable in any way. This is a very different league of beer. Great stuff, though. It was worth the $7/bottle price tag.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 07:41:20 | More by ElCommodoro

chanokokoro

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2012 vintage 22 oz. bottle poured into an Avery Brewing branded short stemmed tulip/snifter

Pours copper with glimmering orange accents topped with a creamy two finger off-white head. Above average head retention and a significant amount of lacing is present on the sides of the glass. The inviting, rich aroma of caramel with accents of toffee is rounded out by some grassy notes. Initially, semi-sweet caramel joined by bready yeast. Finishes with mild grassy bitterness and mild phenol alcohol. Medium to low level of carbonation, medium to full-bodied with a slick and a slightly syrupy mouthfeel. Interesting "amped up" version of a traditional marzen. Defintely trends boozy, however the above average abv never dominates. An very original seasonal especially for "big beer" lovers.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 05:14:13 | More by chanokokoro

RussBecker1

4.23/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Poured a deep ruby with nice Amber undertones. One to two finger clean head sits atop for a decent amount of time. Darker than a number of marzen's i have had.

S-Very crisp and distinctive scents pour out of this nose. It smells distinctively like a marzen with tangy malts leading the forefront. There is a very crisp apple and hit of mabe melon that follows that balances out the nose nicely.

M-Smooth and crisp, very easy to drink.

T-One of the most delicious American marzen's I have tasted. All notes mentioned in the nose are prevalent, but there is a much bigger alcohol note that was not overtly detected at first. The alcohol brings out a number of the flavors and cuts the tang which would have been too much otherwise. It was outstanding.

O-I will look forward to this every Fall.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 14:58:36 | More by RussBecker1

harrymel

Washington

3.25/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Batch #9, 2012
ABV 9.1%

Orange colored with a sheet of light cream foam. Smells sweet and malty with a hint of toffee and some tea like character. Flavor is sharper than I had envisioned with hints of anise and peppercorn. There is plenty of malt and sweet malt at that. Medium bodied with sharp carb. This beer is worth trying in a taster tray, not something worth $8/bomber for me. I actually bet it's outstanding with about 18 months on it.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 05:31:04 | More by harrymel

JohnnyP3

Alaska

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch 9, August 2012. 9.1% ABV.

22oz bomber pours a crystal clear copper/orange with a billowing, sticky white head that latches to the glass. Lacing all over and I have yet to take a sip. Vigorous carbonation.

I'm detecting malt aplenty with some spicy hop aromas. Very bread-like. A loaf fresh out of the oven even. Some caramel perhaps? Delivers some malty sweetness in the nose as well.

Taste is pure liquid bread with some caramel spirals and festive hop spices. A massive malt bomb. Lingering sweetness on the finish. This is a hopped up Oktoberfest celebration on steroids. Picking up some of the alcohol as the brew warms. Malt up front, malt in the transition, and malt in the finish, with some spicy and floral notes here and there from the hops.

Mouthfeel is velvety smooth for the most part with some carbonation still keeping things lively. Like a liquid pastry rolling across the tongue.

Overall, this is one heck of an O-fest brew. Packs a malt wallop. Not to sweet, not too spicy...just right.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 05:40:26 | More by JohnnyP3

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.98/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a reddish copper amber with a thin off white head that dissipated to a heavy ring around the glass. Aroma of caramel and bready malt and a surprisingly intense alcohol component. Flavor is dominated by caramel and toffee flavors, bready malt and pumpkin bread. Interesting. The alcohol in the aroma is not noticeable in the taste. Medium bodied with nice carbonation for a pleasant mouth feel. I usually find marzens to be somewhat understated, but this is quite flavorful and fun to drink. Doubt anyone could drink this all day at Oktoberfest because it packs a punch, but a glass or two are great!

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 03:39:37 | More by LiquidAmber

yamar68

Minnesota

3.58/5  rDev -7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a classic looking pumpkin gold with a short-lived half finger of off-white suds that lace with a bit of boozy legs.

The nose features a slew of traditional pumpkin beer notes - cinnamon and nutmeg, allspice, pumpkin pie... and then there comes a wave of warming bitterness that dries things up.

All the ducks are in a row - proper spicing and pumpkin profile with the addition of some earthy hops, but it finishes in a weird way - sort of a cough syrup vibe right at the end. Can't quite describe it.

I'm not very versed in the imperial pumpkin beer game... I'll keep exploring.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 02:33:12 | More by yamar68

herman77

Minnesota

3.55/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Clear copper amber with a small off white head. A bit of retention.

S: Big malty sweetness. Nutty and a bit of carmel.

T: Tastes a lot like a regular Octoberfest, but much bigger and sweeter. Huge bready malts, a bit of floral and spicy hops. A bit of alcohol as well.

M: Full to medium body. Average carbonation. Feels fairly thick for the style.

O: Okay drinkability. This year it's 9.1 abv and it tastes damn close to that.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 23:26:37 | More by herman77

flagmantho

Washington

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 22oz bomber into a pint glass.

Appearance: rich, nutty brown hue with a tiny touch of haze and a lazy effervescence. Head is two fingers of frothy light-tan foam. Quite good.

Smell: nutty, caramelly malt aroma with hints of lager character. Surprisingly mild, considering the brain-numbing ABV.

Taste: fruity and alcoholic right off the bat. Wow! What an ... interesting? ... beer. There's a definite Oktoberfest feel to it, but there are also hints of banana and strawberry and pears. Quite unusual. The alcohol is a bit hard on the head, but it's overall not a bad sensation.

Mouthfeel: big body with a low level of carbonation and a decent level of creaminess. A little more carbonation would go a long way here.

Overall: this beer is just a little bit too hi-test for its own good. This style just isn't ready for the audacity that Avery is willing to throw at it.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 19:06:07 | More by flagmantho

notchucknorris

California

3.93/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a clear coppery color with a nice one finger tan head. Leaves tons of sticky lacing behind.

S: A sweet, malty nutty smell with some breadiness to it as well. Definitely smells like a bigger marzen.

T: Tons of toasted malt right off the bat with a peppery hop bite lurking behind. Middle is mostly bready malts with a bit of biscuit as well. Finish brings a nice warming sensation with some floral hops and some cracked peppercorns. Pretty nicely done and does a decent enough job of hiding the alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 20:41:26 | More by notchucknorris