The Kaiser - Avery Brewing Company

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A bomber received in a trade with oldirtysurfer.

A: The beer is a crystal clear copper red color with a thick 3 finger head that overflowed my seidel at least one.

S: The beer has the malty sweetness of an oktoberfestbier with a ratcheted up alcohol content.

T: The beer is a labelled as an imperial oktoberfest. That classification confounds me because the style is, to me, about the subtle use of sweeter malts. The taste here is the sweet malty flavor that I expect, but it supports a very strong alcohol content that detracts from the malt presence. In increasing the strength, the hops also appear, giving the beer a stronger bitter component.

M: The stronger alcohol is a strain on the palate, overwhelming the malt strength.

D: The beer is an interesting strengthening of the style, but it seems to fall a little short.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2006 02:00:11 | More by akorsak

WVbeergeek

Ohio

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

Appears a copper bodied slightly hazed hue, imperial Oktoberfest lager there's something not right about that. Large tawny white head forms thick and dwindles pretty quickly. Leaves behind speckled lacing with each sip.

Aroma has big malty layers of mild caramel and a rounded nutty edge. Almost a simple syrupy like sweetness about very dessert like decadent sweetness. A touch of herbal noble hops in there but this one is focused on well hidden notes of alcohol and big malt layers. Spicy graham cracker drizzled with caramel and brown sugar sweetness.

Flavor a bit sweet and booze ridden in the flavor it really hits as it warms with the big malt caramel train wreck wrapped in alcohol flavor. A mild nutty and herbal finish but this one pretty much relies on alcohol and caramel malt sweetness for it's flavor profile.

Mouthfeel can become cloying with the thick bodied lager weighing heavily with sweetness again texture is like a reduced simple syrup, big malty beer leaves behind massive amounts of residual sugars. Malt heaviness without much balance leaves me thinking this is just rediculous.

Drinkability is alright not something I would cellar, trade for, buy again, or really like to drink anytime soon. It wasn't as bad as I was expecting but an Imperial O fest does nothing for me other than a quicker buzz. Somebody had to do it and I guess it's appropriate for Avery to be the one.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2009 21:43:39 | More by WVbeergeek

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.22/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured a clear amber brown with good carbonation and a nice white head

S:Rich, malty, booze and caramel

T: Sweet, bread, some caramel and booze. Some toasted notes

M: Nice, coating, warm and slippery

D: Good and one that could be aged for a while too.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2010 21:49:31 | More by barleywinefiend

smcolw

Massachusetts

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

Nice thick-bubbled head. Ring lace on the glass with each subsequent sip. Orange-amber in color, clear.

Strangely, I smell oats. Perhaps it's the very high level of alcohol. This is, after all, an "imperial" Oktoberfest. Light levels of hop and dry malts.

Lots of alcohol warmth. This is a potent beer that loses a lot of the characteristics of a typical marzen. Nice hop finish. Predictably oily, relatively thick, but nicely balanced with a slightly high level of carbonation.

I love interesting beers. This one is like blending a barley wine with an Oktoberfest. I balked at buying this one because of the price ($7.49 for 22oz), but this was worth it for the experience of a truly different type of beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2005 18:35:48 | More by smcolw

Wasatch

Utah

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

Thanks Oxymoron

Pours a nice slightly cloudy amber color, nice carbonation, nice little fizzy head which leaves quickly, but leaves some little islands and sticky lacing. The nose is kinda sweet and malty with a nice touch of spicies and caramel. the taste is malty and spicy with some caramel overtones. Medium body. Drinkable, my first Imperial Oktoberfest brew, pretty tasty.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2007 03:11:13 | More by Wasatch

jdhilt

New Hampshire

4.05/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours with a two-finger cream head that fades slowly and leaves a ton of lace. Clear amber color. Medium carbonation and medium bodied. Nose is a malty bread. Starts sweet with a good malt/hop mix, stronger flavor than normal Oktoberfest. $7.99 for a 22oz bottle from Julio's Liquors Westborough, Ma.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2005 23:54:51 | More by jdhilt

rhoadsrage

Illinois

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

(Served in an American pint glass)

A- This beer has a clear light reddish-brown body with a thick spongy head of light tan foam. The carbonation is big bubbles that turn the head rocky after a bit.

S- The smell of lightly toasted malt has a nice fresh quality to it. There is a very faint earthiness to the malt followed by the crisp green smell of hops.

T- This beer has a nice malty taste with some slight sweetness and toasted notes combined. There is a big juicy citrus hop flavor followed by a nice bitterness from the hops to finish of the taste.

M- This beer has a medium-full mouthfeel with some nice creaminess to the texture. No alcohol heat or astringency.

D- This beer has nice big sweet malt flavors with some big juicy hops that keep everything in balance. Very nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2006 00:23:50 | More by rhoadsrage

Jason

Massachusetts

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

22oz bomber.

Hazy copper glow, impeccable lacing here ... wow. Sticky sticky sticky, I almost don't want to wash the glass now the lacing is that good. Massive caramel and toasted bready bomb in the nose, hint of hops and slight alcohol as well. Yeah, we have a malt bomb here. The malt sweetness is not alone though, the alcohol is warming and spicy and the hops leave a layer of herbal flavor to play with. The maltiness holds steady into the long lingering finish that veers to the sweet side.

Leave it to Avery to brew a beer like this and basically hammer drop their beer on the O-fest style. Love it, being a seasonal is not enough for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2010 01:55:49 | More by Jason

Billolick

New York

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

On tap at the Blind tiger Ale House in NYC. This is a monster of an Octoberfest beer, but somehow Avery pulls this one off. I'm sure some O'fest purists will not be pleased, but as a lover of "Imperial" takes on various styles this one was very pleasing to me. Pours super clear, light mahogony, with some reddish highlights. Nose is malt, sweet malt. The pour leftt only a minor, tiny bubble head, but the lacing was top notch, fine, extensive and sticky. This is a very smooth, strong and tasty uber octoberfest. malt o'pleanty, but somehow quite drinkable, with the alcohol well in the background and the sugars not cloying. Just solid octoberfest flavors and fun. One of my favorites from Avery and I like Avery...

Serving type: on-tap

10-12-2005 23:39:10 | More by Billolick

jlindros

Massachusetts

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

Poured into pint glass.

A: Semi clear copper orange color with large 2 finger head with great retention

N: Sweet brown sugar, some raisin and dark fruits, and some dark malts

T: Starts with a deep dark fruits, raisin, and brown sugar, come dark roasted malts, slight caramel, pretty sweet taste, a slight bitter spiced hop, and some warming alcohol, pretty crisp and clean tasting

M: Lots of carbonation, pretty thick and creamy

F: A slight spicey bitterness, pretty sweet, more dark fruits and lingering earthy bitterness stick around for a bit, a little alcohol helps dry the beer off the tongue

Final thoughts: Not bad for an Oktoberfest. A little too much on the sweet side, and closer to a strong/old ale than Oktoberfest. Not as much hop bitterness as I expected from the reputation. Lots of dark fruits like raisin, as well as brown sugar, some earthy bitterness, its a little tough to drink as its so sweet and so much dark fruits, but otherwise a pretty decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2009 02:16:42 | More by jlindros

ppoitras

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle purchased as a single from Julio's, Westboro, MA. Silver foil over cap, bottled in 2005.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 1/2" beige head above the dark copper brew. Head holds steady, with good lacing. Aroma is ample grains, with some fruitiness apparent. Taste is lightly nutty malts, sharing time with dark fruitiness and (for Avery, anyways) underlying alcohol. Mouthfeel and drinkability are both surprising good. This one was better than I expected.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2005 23:22:25 | More by ppoitras

Zorro

California

3.08/5  rDev -20%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Very clear copper colored beer a tall tan colored head; it would be hard to make it look better in the glass.

The smell is extremely fruity. Smells like a yeast fermented hotter than it would really like. Sweet and malty but this is a strongly ester laced beer.

The taste begins malty and sweet with a strange melon flavor, never tasted melon in an Oktoberfest before! Still sweet but the malt kicks in a bit more and the melon taste becomes less. Still massive amounts of fruity esters in the taste and this reminds me more of Malt Liquor more than anything else. Hides the alcohol punch well but really needs more hops for balancing.

Mouthfeel is OK.

Just what the world needs an Oktoberfest Malt Liquor! Drinkable? Uh not really. Out of balance but not so much as "The Beast" is. Micro-brew Oktoberfest hooch yes, drinkable NO!

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2007 05:35:27 | More by Zorro

Bighuge

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Crystal clear copper appearance. Slight, bubbly white head. Lacing is adequate. Slight signs of carbonation are noted. The nose is all malt. Thick and doubly rich. I like it. Body is big and full. Quite viscous in the mouth. I can tell from the get go that this bomber is a meal in a glass. Carbonation is light, but present. Flavor is all about the malts as well. With a little bit of an ethanol sting as well. Malts are sweet and bordering on cloying, but the ethanol keeps it in check. The more I drink this the less I like it. But the fact is, I thought I liked it pretty good to begin with. So this is not bad, but just not as good as I thought from the get go. Alcohol has more of a presence than I thought to begin with and it's also too sweet. Almost in a dopplebock sorta way. Toasted maltiness is lacking as is any sign of caramel. Give me Summit Ofest at 7.3% a/v any day over this one. Nice to try, but I'll stick with my local "Imperial" ofest.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2005 02:23:57 | More by Bighuge

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear deep coppery orange/amber color with golden orange hues when held to a light source and a 1.5 finger frothy yellowish head. Decent retention, slowly fades into a lasting ring that leaves sporadic spots of lacing behind.

Toasted malty aroma with a lot of peppery spice, slight alcohol sweetness and subtle hops. Hints of roasted caramel and biscuit malt as well as some cinnamon, clove and brown sugar.

Medium bodied and the flavor is very similar to the aroma with lots of toasty caramel and biscuit malt and prominent spice character. Lots of cinnamon and brown sugar with subtle hops in the dry finish. Subtle pumpkin and alcohol notes. ABV is very well masked, making The Kaiser extremely quaffable. Very good.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2009 22:51:22 | More by corby112

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.58/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

On tap at the Judge's Bench the other day.

The beer pours the expected copper color with good head retention and fair lacing. The aroma for this beer is very pronounced and, IMO, is it's best feature. There is a huge nose of sweet apple cherry, which underscores the rich malty aroma. Unfortunately, on the palate this beer is not quite as wonderful. The flavors generally do replicate the nose, but it's very, very boozy and the alcohol is very noticeable. It really hurts the drinkability of this beer, and IMO does not help the flavor profile at all.

This is a good beer, but it would be better if Avery could dial down the alcohol somehow. I don't see how that helps this beer at all, and frankly it cuts down on how many I can purchase at a sitting. Not sure how anyone can drink more then one pint of a 9% marzen.

Serving type: on-tap

09-27-2008 14:25:41 | More by johnmichaelsen

glid02

Georgia

3.48/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Got this at Green's in Atlanta.

Pours a crystal-clear light brown color with some red tints in there. Head is about half a finger, if you're feeling generous, of white foam and soon dissipates into a thin ring around the glass. The lacing is not very sticky.

Smells alright. There are some weak noble hop aromas while it's cold, but once it warms it's all sweet malt. Maybe a bit too sweet.

Tastes similar to how it smells. The noble hops are mild in the beginning, but as it warms the sweet malt takes over. There's also a caramel flavor that pokes its head through every now and then. There's not a whole lot of booze taste, but it does warm on the way down.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a good thickness, and the carbonation is a tad much, but not overbearing.

Drinkability is alright. This is good in the beginning, but it just gets too sweet near the end.

Overall I'm glad I tried this, but I think I'll stick with serf Oktoberfests. However, it's worth a shot because it's the best time of the year right now.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2008 02:32:34 | More by glid02

DoubleJ

California

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

This 2009 Vintage may have 9.73% ABV, but it's an O-Fest, right? Bring out the one liter German mug! On to the beer:

Lovely autumn amber color with hues heading off to pale orange. Thick head on top, and good retention. There a good whiff of red grapes with a punch of booze. Very malty and fruity too.

So this is what an Imperial Oktoberfest is about; strong, malty, and boozy. The alcohol tastes like white grapes and solvent. Strong sweet bread and hints of bubblegum and yams, yet it's not overly sweet. It's also spicy from the hops. The body feels medium, but I'd like just a little more meat for this size.

This is a crazy, yet yummy twist of an Oktoberfest. Don't be afraid to fill up your favorite one liter mug with this stuff during the O-Fest season,

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2010 05:49:22 | More by DoubleJ

Gusler

Arizona

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

The beer after it disemboguing from the 22-ounce brown bottle resides temporarily in my glass a limpid luminous brown with a behemothic creamy light tan head that erodes leaving a thick blanket of lace to obscure the glass. Nose is malt dominated, sweet and fresh to the senses, start is sweet with a delectable malt profile and the top moderate in its feel to the palate. Finish is strikingly acidic, the hops determined in their spicy bite with the aftertaste decidedly dry, another magnificent beer from one of my top ten breweries, and a fantastic label, my kudos to the great people at Avery once again.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2004 17:38:51 | More by Gusler

beerthulhu

New Jersey

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

A: Poured a medium burnt orange with a off white foamy head that was firm and sticky leaving a good lacing along the sides of the glass.

S: An agreesive rich caramel and fruitiness (apples) was detected on the nose. Smell was rich, and a lot heavier and darker then your typical octoberfest beer.

T: a big munich caramel bite with some booziness along with some dried caramel apples. The beer was massively hopped with a big spiciness (brown sugar), ripe fruit and a fresh flowery hoppiness. The palate was big warm caramel bread.

M: full, and very creamy on the tongue.

D: A very big drinking imperial ockotberfest, certainly no session beer. Big, hearty, nature that will warm you up with a nice toasted munich sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2008 16:23:25 | More by beerthulhu

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz - 2004 Bottle
Sampled November (oops) 2006 - thanks HogTownHarry!
Pours a sludgy orange that settles a very deep shade. Head forms in the shape of loose bubbles that drift to the outside of the glass. Neat little dots as lacing. A really sludgy poor, the yeast that sullies the colour I think. A nice aroma - robust and lively with caramel stick, butterscotch sweet. Hops and yeast mingled in there too. First sip you can tell is a little boozy, alcohol shaded but not full out hidden. I like the idea of "Imperial Oktoberfest" - good thinking. It acts like a barley-wine but drinks like a marzen. Flavours a little too flat, but nice malt presence. Texture is a little dulled, maybe from age. Very easy drinking. This is like a marzen wearing the shoes of a barley-wine - the shoes suit it, but it doesn't quite fit into them.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2006 23:11:55 | More by biegaman

stakem

Pennsylvania

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

Big thanks to BdubleEdubleRUN for hooking me up with this generous extra in our most recent trade. Batch 8, Aug 2011 poured into a matching Avery cervoise. This brew appears a perfectly clear color of copper. Around the edges it shows more of a golden coloring and nearing amber through the body. A finger of creamy off-white head sits atop with pretty decent retention. As the cap slowly fades, it leaves thick patches of lace sticking to the glass.

The smell of this brew includes a sweetness almost like orange marmalade. Hops show a bit of citrus character mixed with oranges, some other fruity quality and a bit of floral aspect. The malt is caramel sweetness that gets increasingly more toffee-like. The faintest touch of butter and alcohol comes forward as the brew warms up. A faint amount of cheese character evolves towards the back along with some sulfur.

The taste includes toffee and caramel malt sweetness. A little bit of butter, some floral hops and a mild amount of herbal bitterness. As more sips are taken, a bit of alcohol warmth creeps up the back of the throat as expected for the 10% abv. As the brew gets warmer, it has a greater focus on some buttery diacetyl which initially was almost completely hidden behind the hops and toffee sweetness. More sips reveal a bit of fresh grainy character mixed with some cheese and sulfur.

This is a medium to full bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. For an imperialized version of an oktoberfest brew, this was done fairly clean and without much fault. However, as it warmed up it got to be a bit of a chore. If I could re-do the experience I would have served it colder as warming it up did not help it. However, it is to be noted how well this brew was done. My only gripe is the buttery aspect and along with the imperialization, it really lost that crispness I look for in the finish. Instead, it had a long drawn out toffee-sweetness and lacked that crispness which would have increased it's overall drinkability. Regardless, this was a nice change of pace and was an interesting experience. I would recommend giving it a try if you have the chance. Thanks again Brett!

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 01:59:00 | More by stakem

Georgiabeer

Georgia

3.38/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a medium dark amber withy an okay head and merely spotty lacing. Not much retention. The smell is all lager yeast, with some tangy malt and light floral hops on the finish. The taste is big and alcoholic with more tangy malt, more lagerish flavors, an undercurrent of spicy cinammon, and some bitter hops at the end. A little sweet as well. Fairly smooth and creamy in the mouth helps its ddrinkability, but just a little too redolant of alcohol and strong flavors of lager yeast make it hard to have more than one.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2007 22:08:40 | More by Georgiabeer

Dogbrick

Ohio

3.7/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Sampled at From The Vine beer tasting Jan 14th, 2005: Pours a hazy orange-amber color with a thin off-white head. Minimal lacing. The aroma is sweet caramel and malt. Medium-bodied with flavors of toasted malt, caramel and piney hops. Alcohol is pretty well-hidden too. The finish is lightly spiced and hoppy. This is a pretty good Oktoberfest, but I am not convinced it is deserving of slapping an "Imperial" tag on it just because there is more alcohol in it.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2005 18:23:42 | More by Dogbrick

tavernjef

Minnesota

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

Clear coppery amber with a dusty yellow cap of small stature but firmly thick. Thin sheeting lace sticks well with some moth holes strewn across.

Aroma is a bit subdued if not super clean and sweetly set in a malt sided waft of melon candy and slight caramel drenched golden raisins.

Taste is pretty darn big on the malts. A slight step above what a normal Oktoberfest would be as it has an evident warmth and broad dobblebock stickyness to its character. Fairly chewy and malty smooth with a warming bready malt center and slight candied melon parts. Nicely rounded in hop tones make a slight floral and spice appearance in the finish.

Feel is big and malty with a heavy thick, rich, and lush creamy smoothness that tilts to an acceptable cloying measure of balance.

A big and sweet warming Oktoberfest that'll make for some good Fall time drinking. It says right on the label "Imperial Oktoberfest", yeah, thats a pretty close conclusion of what this is, if not just a straight up dopplebock.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2005 00:19:21 | More by tavernjef

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from bottle into a Spaten Optimator dimpled mug. Poured a hazy red-orange with a minimal off=white head. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, spices, pumpkin, fruit, and sweet alcohol. The flavor was of sweet malt, spices, fruit, subtle sweet alcohol, pumpkin, subtle citrus, and subtle metallic. It had a medium feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a decent brew. I had this one sitting in my cellar for quite sometime if I remember correctly. It seemed to have held up pretty well over the past year or so in my opinion. All of the flavors that would define this one as a Marzen were definitely still present and were very well mixed together. Was surprised to see the alcohol aspect around, but you can't win them all I suppose. Worth trying, even if it is a vintage bottle.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2011 17:38:33 | More by thagr81us