The Reverend - Avery Brewing Company

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter.

A: Moderately dark red-brown with two-finger, off-white, creamy, foamy head that lasted a couple minutes and left a nice film. Great lacing.

S: Dark cherries and plums. Spice and just a bit of alcohol.

T: Moderate sweetness and moderate bitterness. Bready. Spice, caramel and molasses. Alcohol at the end, which detracts.

M: Medium bodied with fizzy carbonation. Smooth and quite warm going down.

O: This is a good Quad. Looks nice and has a good feel to it. I like the smell of cherries too.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 03:02:11 | More by SolipsismalCat

chinchill

South Carolina

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

22oz bottle served in a pint glass. Pours a lovely deep red-amber color; clear with a modest but durable beige head. Complex aroma and flavor featuring dark fruit. Obvious Belgian yeast but not overly yeasty.

O: very enjoyable and rather easy drinking quad with well-hidden ABV.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 03:07:14 | More by chinchill

Murrhey

Montana

4.08/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured on-tap in a 2oz taster at Chapter One in Santa Ana, Calif. Reviewed from notes.

A- One finger white head with some spotty lacing. Lovely retention. Reddish-auburn color, wonderful clarity.

S- Dark fruits and some alcohol smells. Medium bodied malts and fruity alcoholic esters.

T- Earthy and citrusy hops, light fruits and creamy malt sort of back. Hoppy and bittersweet. My favorite quad ever.

M- Extremely light and fairly dry.

O- Best quad I've ever had. Wasn't like any other.

Serving type: on-tap

12-19-2012 04:10:35 | More by Murrhey

Maltmaiden

Alabama

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Deep amber/brown. Tiny head that quickly goes to nothing.

S: Wow. Dark roasted caramel malts. Dark fruits: cherries and dates. Soem apricot. Floral hops. Some alcohol. Great smelling beer!

T: Malty caramel bready upfront. Molasses. Alcohol hits you at the end. Dark fruits throughout. Nicely balanced.

M: Soft and sticky. Full body. Ends with a sharpness on the tongue from the alcohol.

O: Very enjoyable but definitely a sipper. This style tends to be a little sweet for me (as is this beer) but I will enjoy polishing off the rest of my beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 20:50:26 | More by Maltmaiden

Ryan011235

Ohio

2.73/5  rDev -29.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Deep caramel brown with tobacco and copper highlights. One finger head thickens briefly before dissipating to a washy skim and a clumping of loose bubbles. Impressive lace.

Molasses, raisins, figs, plums, toasted bread and mild yeast spice make for a balanced, even-keeled aroma that leans toward the earthy end of the spectrum. The flavor is even more earthy and bready. Dark fruits are minimal, as are the spices. Notions of alcohol are readily available. The breadiness works pretty well with the rather full body and moderate carbonation. The finish has a coating feel, but I don't mind it much in this case.

All in all, this isn't a bad beer, but it is far from an impressive quad. While I'll certainly finish the bottle, this is a good reason to stick with the tried and true.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 02:42:53 | More by Ryan011235

Docrock

Illinois

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

From 22 oz bottle poured in to Chalice:

A - Rich Mahogany color, minimal head that dissapted quickly, lacing was pretty good.

S - Deep smell of ripe Figs and honey, the alcohol is present but not overpowering. Faint hint of the Belgian yeast, but an overall clean aroma.

T - Carmel, Figs and maybe Molasses, the alcohol is present but not indicative of the 10%. Slight bready aftertaste.

M - Warm in the mouth, carbonation a bit lacking for me but still enjoyable

O - A very solid beer, not quite up to par with Belgian Quads but I would drink again. Might like to try this one if on tap sometime..Will buy again.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 17:18:20 | More by Docrock

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured a somewhat transparent dark red color with one inch of off white head and light carbonation. A dirty white cap clings top the edge of the glass.

S: Dark ruits, spices, cloves, floral notes, and light candy sugar. Fruit and spices mix nice together.

T: Tastes of spices, pepper, cloves, bananas, apples, fruity malts, light bready malts, and light alcohol. More spices than the nose. At times th aste seems to be a little muddy. Finish has a sharp booze sting, sweetness and a tad sticky

M: Medium to big body and lower carbonation. Pretty smooth here.

O - Overall a nice quad. Some nice fruit, especially in the nose, and pretty easy to drink for 10% ABV. Would have it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 15:37:53 | More by barleywinefiend

claspada

New Jersey

3.8/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear dark amber color with a small light beige head that recedes to leave some decent spotty lacing.

Aromas begin with toasted bready malts followed by a distinct Belgian phenolic and estery yeastiness. As it warms you get some notes of caramelized sugars and minimal alcohol coated dark fruits.

The tastes follow the nose with toasted bready maltiness coupled with caramel and molasses bitterness/sweetness combo. Then once again comes the Begian yeast esters. As it warms you get some boozy/fruit combo almost like a peach schnapps, with some fig and dried cherries.

The mouthfeel is medium-plus bodied with medium carbonation. The finish is sweet, fruity, and quite warming with emerging alcohol notes.

Overall this is a fine, respectable American take at the style, but comes up a bit short when stacked against the superior Belgian examples. A bit light in the darker caramelized maltiness which allows much stone fruit esters to come through. For the availability factor alone it is worth a go.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 15:06:46 | More by claspada

ubenumber2

Arkansas

3.43/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served from a bottle , not much head , good lacing though , cloudy dark amber beer. Smells great , nice mouthful , just for me the taste wasnt there , not really bad , its drinkable , just not a beer I would ever buy again if given the choice of others , the price wasnt too bad , just not one of my favorites

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 15:07:34 | More by ubenumber2

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.2/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap in a 10 oz chalice glass

Appearance – Served a hazy ruby/mahogany color with a small white head. The head faded relatively fast to leave a lighter amount of lacing.

Smell – The aroma was heaviest of a dark fruit smell mixed with some brown sugar. Mixed with these sweeter aromas is a light yeasty smell as well as some yeasty notes.

Taste – The taste starts out of the dark fruits that were detected in the nose. A cherry and raisin flavor greet the tongue with a light hint of some fig. The fig and cherry continually get stronger as the taste advances. While this occurs some flavors of yeast and a light spicy flavor come to the tongue. In the end a light alcohol flavor comes to the tongue as well, and mixes with the rest to leave a fruity and warming feel on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body is silky and smooth with a carbonation level that is rather average. The body and carbonation are quite nice for the fruity flavors. With the brew sliding through the mouth with all the nice flavors and the warming tastes it keeps any one flavor from becoming too overpowering and unbalancing.

Overall – A very nice “American” Quad. It has a nice fruity flavor mixed with a great feel and a very nice warming taste. Tasty and well worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

11-06-2012 01:22:33 | More by Darkmagus82

StoneTSR

Colorado

4.13/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

APPEARANCE: This beer looks like a Barleywine, same color (mahogany) with a half-inch, off-white head that has decent retention. The lacing is also pretty good. This looks strong and pretty tasty.

SMELL: The aroma scream richness. Again, like a Barleywine, banana and clove are strong up front. Caramel, brown sugar and some dark fruits round out the nose.

TASTE: Caramel, molasses, brown sugar, banana, clove. Hmm...seems like a Barleywine except that there is a bigger dose of spiciness and a hint of an earthy funk to it. The sweet flavors from the malts cover up the booze quite nicely as well.

MOUTHFEEL: I don't say this about a craft beer ever, but this beer is practically begging you to chug. At 10% I certainly don't recommend that, but it is just incredibly easy drinking. It is sweet, but not too sweet and seems to set the palate up perfectly for that next sip every time. Medium body along with a medium carbonation makes this a smooth, creamy beer that goes down easy.

OVERALL: I am very happy that I took the time to review this beer. It is something I have enjoyed in the past, but never really focused on and I think it goes underappreciated as one of Avery's stronger efforts. I look forward to experiencing this one again in the very near future.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 20:34:26 | More by StoneTSR

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

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

A - Not a bad pour head being a minimal 1/4 inch of opaque colored goodness and a sticky moderate lacing. Color is a hazy yet clear dark amber brown.

S - Smells of fusel alcohol, mild dark fruits, hops (which kind of caught me off guard), and malty caramel.

T - Not as bad as say Weyerbacher quad but still very one note. Dark fruits then quickly to Belgium fruity yeasts and a mild hop finish. Like I said not very complex (I guess if I were to pick a fruit it would be dates?) but it's not bad either.

M - Pretty spot on for the style no alcohol burn and yet it's still very much a sipper.

Overall not really the best beer I picked up from Avery but it's not a bad take on the style. I would much rather have a hog heaven.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 03:30:42 | More by DrDemento456

chanokokoro

Illinois

2.9/5  rDev -24.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a goblet

Pours a deep dark maple syrup-colored amber. Hardly any head at all even after a fairly aggresive hard pour. The litttle head there is disappears in seconds and leaves a very faint foam ring. Obviously, no lacing. Faint aroma of candi sugar, raisins, fig and spice on the nose. Accents of all of the aspects mentioned as part of the nose present in the taste plus some biscuit and very distinguishable alcohol. Absolutely no depth to the taste at all, somewhat bland. Overall, I'm not a big fan. There was no head and a barely above average mouthfeel. One of the least complex quads I've had. I have really enjoyed what Avery has to offer, however, I'll pass on The Reverend in the future.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 05:11:17 | More by chanokokoro

JackieTH

Minnesota

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

Sampled at 2012 Autumn Brew Review, from notes.

Dark reddish orange pour with a beige head. Smells candied sweet with banana, plums, floral and cloves. Taste is not as sweet as the smell suggests, although still quite sweet, there are turns of raisin, currants, cherries, and clove-spice notes that try to keep some order to the candy sweet and malt base. Seems better on draft than from what I remember from a bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

09-16-2012 13:29:41 | More by JackieTH

JMad

Texas

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

I drank this from a glass goblet...

The beer pours a medium brown color with red hues and a thin off white head that quickly faded. Smells of raisin, clove and candisugar with a hint of banana, very aromatic. Tastes warm and alcoholic with some dark fruits, banana, and clove. The feel is nice and thick with low carbonation and a strong finish. This is a strong quad, a little age would probably do it some good, I would drink this again but wouldn't buy a bottle without putting it away for at least a year.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 03:24:16 | More by JMad

SHODriver

California

3.83/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12045B1 batch
A: poured into a snifter to a deep brown with a small and short lasting off white head that leaves a collar around the glass
S: smells of dark fruits, some alcohol soaked cherries, candi sugar and some caramel
T: tastes of caramel, dark fruits, a little cherry, and candi sugar. aftertaste has a bit of alcohol and some more dark fruit flavor
M: medium to full, not overly viscous with some nice soft carbonation
O: good flavors and some nice complexity. pretty good but there are some better beers for the style

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 03:35:10 | More by SHODriver

RussBecker1

3.85/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

At this point in my tasting career, Avery Brewing Company has always intrigued me. Respectfully they step out of many peoples comfort zones, choosing to highlight some very different undertones that others will steer away from. Needless to say Avery is not for everyone in my opinion, and it is not a good stating point when attempting to dive into a new style of beer.

That being said, the reverend proved to be a very intriguing mix of spice and flavor that I would not normally expect from a quad. despite the huge nose this beer possesses the consistency was a little to thin and thus the alcohol does mask some of the flavors that the drinker knows is there, but simply cannot get enough out of them to identify. Upon drinking the ale however, the deep fruits meld nicely with the alcohol, and the drinker is left with an interesting earth aftertaste that I have never seen in a quad. The problem however is it is almost too earthy as you soon forget the first notes of the beer, leaving you with a dry bitterness that if eased up on would be rather nice, but sadly it was a hint too much. Interesting nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 23:07:17 | More by RussBecker1

UCLABrewN84

California

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

Pours a clear dark copper-orange with a foamy beige head that settles to an oily film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, brown sugar, dark fruits, yeast, and some spice aromas. Taste is much the same with a mild spice finish and a slight alcohol kick with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that smells better than it tastes in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 02:31:04 | More by UCLABrewN84

AdamHart22

Massachusetts

2.8/5  rDev -27.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into tulip.

Asolutely no head at all. Poured aggressively. Possibly bad bottle? Color is a mahogany red.

Smells like fig newtons crossed with brown sugar. Nice.

The taste is quite mellow. For a 10 percent abv it drinks like a 5. I get figs, honey, and a touch of sweat tea.

Mouth is normal, leaves a sweet taste and is probly my favorite part of the beer.

Overall, I expected more taste from a quadrupel. It is possible my bottle was bad, but for the price I expected more.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 00:40:16 | More by AdamHart22

paleoplant

New York

3.8/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer does not seem like a quadruple... I thought it was more like a strong dark ale. The color and appearance is the main reason for this opinion. The smell is characteristic of a quadruple, and it was enjoyable. The taste was also pleasant. It's not the best quadruple that I have had but Avery makes a good product.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 00:52:33 | More by paleoplant

The_Blodge

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Deep Orange-brown. Two-fingered head that dissipates slowly. Lacing down the web-like glass. No real haze. Fairly transparent. Bock-like.

S: Fresh fruit and alcohol. Apple and plum. Signature Belgian yeast aromas permeate. Flowery perfume lingers. Subtle but significant. Very clean. No funk whatsoever.

T: Sugars and alcohol. Belgian yeast and esters in the mouth. Bread-like finish. Very pleasant. Caramelly. Almost doppelbock-like. I am really getting the molasses. Alcohol is dangerously concealed. WOW...this one is legit.

M: Great medium body. Medium carbonation like a doppelbock.

O: Excellent beer! Love the subdued alcohol in this one. Very dangerous. Sip this one carefully...or you may end up in the drunk tank.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 22:11:04 | More by The_Blodge

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

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

I am unable to find any indication of bottle dating. 22oz bomber. Poured into Belgian goblets.

The dregs fell to the bottom of my glass. Chestnut brown body with flakes of yeast junk settling. Started off as a couple inches of head, but a solid finger's worth has retained with its antiquated white color. Thin lacing peels down the glass as the foam bursts away.

Red-skinned fruits, crabapple, persimmon, cherry, toasted grains, and bready yeast notes. Not the most fantastic nose on a quad, but intriguing enough. Smells light. I anticipate the beer to be vibrant and fruity for the style. Not much caramel or toffee or raisin or fig.

Cherries in the front with a lot of well-toasted barley, cream, and breadiness. Yeast takes a more spicy approach rather than a nutty one. Perhaps a little attenuated. There are notes of roasted chestnuts, browned apple flesh, tart berries, and mentholated tobacco. Very nice.

While the body is just thinner than medium, the silkiness of it is almost unmatched. I have had few beers in this realm of viscosity feel so marvelous and be so well-executed. The carbonation is subtle and near-perfect for a big Belgian-style ale such as this.

I reserve most of my top overall ratings in the style for true Belgians, as they tend to be the most complex in taste and aroma and always have great creamy mouthfeel. But, The Reverend has captivated me. A delicious beer with impeccable feel and all the elements worthy of the prestige of imbibing from my Westy chalice.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 03:24:53 | More by thecheapies

bassmantin

Illinois

4.48/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark golden brown with modest head. There is a lot of sediment floating in it. Hold this one up to the light. I'm shocked by how much sediment there is.

Smells like a standard quad. Very sweet. I detect bubblegum in the smell. I'm intrigued.

Taste is fantastic. Well-balanced and rich with Belgian malts. The alcohol is almost indetectible. I noted the same characteristic in the Avery 19th Anniversary. Something about these Avery beers, they really mask the alcohol well. I cannot believe this is a 10% abv beer.

Great beer, and a great value. Will definitely come back to it.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 00:53:10 | More by bassmantin

Brenden

Ohio

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

About an even medium red leaning burnt red-light brown in the middle, this beer produces a small, tight head off the tap. Retention is pretty good and there are thin, broken near-rings of lacing along with some spotting.
To be honest, I'd never really known what style The Reverend actually is, and I'd never tried it before. There are a few dead giveaways to the style, though it's not as complex as others of its kind or as rich. What it has going for it is that, firstly, I could never know it's a full 10%, as the alcohol is masterfully masked while maintaining a presence and it's simply a solid, balanced, flavorful beer if not that deep. One knows it's a Belgian from the obvious banana and clove-like elements that come only from the Belgian yeast. Combine that with the dark color, the strength, and the dark fruits & candi sugar flavors and you know it's got to be a dubbel, tripel or quad. This one's a little different, though, with a bit of leafy and spicy hops to it and a faint woody sort of note as well.
The masters have this one beat in the feel; sometimes, in an effort to get that rich, full creaminess and strength without the heaviness, a beer goes toward being overly carbonated and crisp enough just to fill, almost like facsimilating a creaminess. This beer tends that way. It could also use more heft for a quad.

Serving type: on-tap

07-11-2012 14:43:14 | More by Brenden

draheim

Washington

3.83/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz (2010?) into a chalice. Pours a crystal-clear amber-mahogany w/ a 1-finger khaki head, good vigorous carb.

Aroma is fruity, bready malt - plums, raisins, figs - brown sugar, alcohol.

Taste follows nose. Sweet, fruity, bready w/ a clean dry finish. Maybe lacking in complexity, though - somewhat one-dimensional.

Mouthfeel is creamy & smooth, soft on the palate. Carbonation is spot-on.

Overall a pretty good quad. Not in the same league as the style leaders, but a worthy effort.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 04:10:23 | More by draheim