The Reverend - Avery Brewing Company

itsromy

California

4.63/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Awesome...

Pours a wonderful golden color with beautiful foam/head... Slight lacing on the glass. Smells like a typical belgian, but it tastes so much better than most. It gave me a pretty quick buzz, but I was lovin every minute of it. Looking forward to drinking more of this fine beverage.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2010 05:09:20 | More by itsromy

UncleFlip

Alabama

4.6/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

[Anyone who was at ABF, correct me if I'm wrong- but I believe this Revenrend was not the norm (maybe oak aged)? I don't have my guide anymore.]

Thou shalt hit the glass with a light brown colour, verily with hints of honey;

Thou shalt smell of citrus and honey, and on thy right hand shall sit a hint of clove;

Thou shalt taste mainly of malt and clove, and thou mightest contain a hint of citrus;

Thou shalt be just slightly syrupy, and with a slight hint of alcohol;

And thou shalt be very drinkable, and make the taster want more.

Be well
-UF

Serving type: on-tap

07-11-2005 02:22:27 | More by UncleFlip

Radome

Spain

4.55/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured from a bomber into a large wine glass.

A - 4.5 - Deep amber with a red/orange tint. Perfectly clear. The head is off white and thick initially, but fades to a ring around the glass and some wisps on the surface.

S - 4.5 - Very nice aroma that emphasizes malt. There are biscuit, dark fruit and wine-like smells . The yeast and hops notes are more muted. It smells more like a British barley wine than a Belgian style because the yeast is so clean-smelling.

T - 4.5 - Plum, molasses, dark fruits, raisins, brown sugar. All these are swirling around in the taste. Some Belgian yeast notes that add complexity. Alcohol and hops are not noticeable.

M - 4.0 -Body is medium to high, but the beer is drier than expected given the tastes. Alcohol is not noticeable.

D - 5.0 - Dangerously drinkable. You cannot sense the alcohol here. The tastes are incredibly complex and clean and crisp at the same time. Very well done!

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2011 05:21:43 | More by Radome

jtw5877

Ohio

4.53/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours a reddish orange hue with a white head. Smells like a combination of yeast, spice, and candied sugars. Tastes great, the smells I smelled I also tasted. As the beer warmed more flavors emerged, and those present earlier became more intense. It may not be filtered, but I am not a purist. A very tasty brew, plus at 10% abv, it is very nice for a cold winter evening.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2003 09:47:57 | More by jtw5877

tooleypep

California

4.53/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I have this beer on tap at my work. I drink about 8 oz. every day I work. (along with a few others) This is my favorite one on tap, withj its sweet full flavor. The coloring is a darker brown not much lace on the way down. I love belgians and it seems the darker ones are more for my taste buds. It has a fair smell as opposed to another Avery belgian we have on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

01-23-2007 22:36:05 | More by tooleypep

mp33pm

Texas

4.53/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Avery never disappoints with their "beers", this beer had an amazing flavor and taste and leaves you wondering how it's 10% ABV.

The pour leaves you with a silky white 2 finger head with a dark amber color.

Taste like apricots and plums with a hint of something spicy.

Overall great beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 04:27:21 | More by mp33pm

duckrabbitfan

North Carolina

4.53/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

had the pleasure of enjoying this one on tap in asheville, nc at the thirsty monk some time ago.

lovely head, beautifully light brown color.

yeasty, malty smell reminiscent of bananas/candy and various spices. extremely enticing.

bready, date-y taste, with a spiciness that is to die for. hard to tell it's quite so alcoholic.

so easy to drink, and so delicious. the well-stocked bottle shop down the street has had this many a time, and I have bought bottles numerous times in addition to having it on tap. this has got to be one of the best of it's kind that is readily available.

Serving type: on-tap

01-16-2012 02:46:59 | More by duckrabbitfan

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The Reverend pours a crystal-clear orange-amber body beneath a two-fingered head of creamy yellow-white froth (on the bar it appears more reddish). The head holds exceptionally well and leaves some nice lace about the goblet.

The nose is phenolic and spicy over a candyish, caramel-accented malt.

It's creamy and smooth across the palate with a delicately zesty carbonation and medium-full body; followed by a touch of alcoholic warmth on the tongue once it's gone.

Candy sugar and dark fruits (plums, prunes, their bitter skins, figs, sweet red wine) appear upfront in the flavor, backed by a lightly caramelish maltiness, some leafy hops, bright phenolics, yeast spiciness, and a flick of alcohol. The underlying bitterness balances ably, but the spiciness and alcohol really help to dry it in the finish.

It's quite nice, but somehow lacks the roundness and fuller breadth of the Belgian examples. Still, it's very drinkable and certainly worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2005 23:38:33 | More by NeroFiddled

dstc

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark amber with a big white head. Head falls but stays and leaves a very nice thin lace behind.

Smells like a barley wine. Full, rich and malty.

Taste is sweet malts upfront followed by a mess of flavor and a nice little alcohol hint. Tastes like a barley wine.

Full smooth mouthfeel with low carbonation. Swish it around in your mouth though and you get a nice foaminess.

Nice, I like it and will enjoy drinking on a regular basis.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2008 20:06:04 | More by dstc

brdc

Wisconsin

4.5/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Large capped bottle, poured into a goblet. Aged over one year.

Although this one lacks the massive head typical of the belgian ones, what is there looks nice.
Deep golden color, off white head, good retention and lacing.
The aroma and flavor are not spot on for a quadrupel, but very good nonetheless. I guess I would call it somewhere between a quadrupel and an english barleywine.
Caramel dominates both nose and palate, but citric and spiced notes contribute as wel. Some modest yeastiness, bread, orange, and a minimal heat that feels more like spices than alcohol.
Full and chewy on the mouth, this is another great Avery. There is no significant bitterness, but the generous sweetness never gets annoying or boring, even though I had only one glass.

In the beggining I had a few misses with Avery, but more recently, on account of mostly this one, Mephistopheles and Avery Fourteen, I found new respect for the brewery.
Would be very glad to have more of this.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2010 20:39:28 | More by brdc

Innocentexile

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz poured into pint glass

A-Ruby red and clear with some head and lacing

S-hoppy aroma with a hint of floral/grass. smells good

T/M-Light and smooth, with just the right combination of Fruity sweetness and hoppyness at the end. this is a very tasty ale. I wouldnt believe that its 10% from the taste

O-very enjoyable, and with the plentiful ABV, this one will surely provide some fun

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 01:29:59 | More by Innocentexile

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

benmiliron

Ohio

4.47/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

This is a beautiful belgian from Avery. Prettiest looking Belgian I've ever seen, you need to see it to believe it - crystal clear and ruby red-orange. Taste is wonderful, though a little heavy on the alcohol (it's a quad!).

You should definitely try this fantastic brew!

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2004 06:12:56 | More by benmiliron

jim102864

Connecticut

4.47/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The is one of the few domestic Belgians I've ventured upon and what an interesting experience it was last night. I have to admit, Avery's graphic artists are a wonder and in the case of this quad, I wanted to try it out not only because of the style, but the demonic looking reverend on the label disdainfully gazing at me drew me in.
This bomber pours with the thinnest of heads into my Leffe stemmed goblet. A bit suprising given the style. Coppery color, but very clear. No evidence of yeast. The aroma was heavy on the candy sugar. Swirl this stuff around and the alcohol wafts from the glass. Nice. The taste presents notes of vanilla and caramel with some citrusy esters in the background. Finish is slightly bitter and a suprising rush of cherries appears. What a fasinating combintation. Lots going on here on every level. The mouthfeel improves with warming and really shalacks the tongue with candy sugar and alcohol. Very tasty. This is a sipper intended to be enjoyed at home or at a bar where cabs are available or within walking distance to home since the 10% abv packs a mighty wallop that creeps up on you.
"Created by God. Feared by Satan. Loved by all." Indeed.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2007 19:59:27 | More by jim102864

nlmartin

Ohio

4.45/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer was served in a 20 ounce wine gobblet.

Appearance: This beer pours a darker golden amber. The head was light and fluffy biege colored. The head hung around for awhile and resolved itself into a thin biege ring of foam.

Smell: This beer has a nice sweet candied smell. There is a good amount of citrus mixed with coriander and other spicy goodness. Some alcohol notes make themselves present in the smell; however, the alcohol plays nice in the sandbox.

Taste: This beer leads with a little hoppy spicyness. The taste then gives way to a combination of citrusy juicyness coupled with candied sweetness. The beer ends on spicy hoppyness.

Mouthfeel: The reverend is a sinsister minister with a heart of candied goodness. This is a full bodied ale. The carbonation is minimal. The alcohol makes itself known as a warming feeling throughout the beer.

Drinkability: For me this has always been a very drinkable beer. The Reverend is full of first for me. This was the first American Craft beer I experienced. This was also the first BIG BEER I drank. Further more the Reverend will always remind me of my wife. She purchased the Reverend on an impulse buy.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2005 15:10:09 | More by nlmartin

zaphodchak

Virginia

4.45/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Red-amber with golden highlights and a finger of beige head.

Faint nose, with some alcohol and cherry.

Intense, chewy caramel taste, powerful malt and faint hop finish. Some raisin and dark cherry. This is really something special. A bit of alcohol warmth.

Mouthfeel is thick but not syrupy, just enough texture to support the bold taste.

Overall outstanding as a quad, paired with a bacon BBQ burger, alternately chadder, brie, gouda.

This was not nearly as good in a bottle when I tried it again later.

Serving type: on-tap

11-08-2011 02:30:40 | More by zaphodchak

warmstorage

Georgia

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 ounce bottle, red foil capped, with witty notes on the label. States 10% ABV.

Poured into wide mouthed goblet. Poured a medium dense, slightly fizzy head that dissipates rapidly, leaves zero lacing, and basically zero head. Color is medium reddish copper, bright and clear.

Aroma is complex: sugar, figs, prunes, candy, and earthy spiciness.

Taste is delightfully simple, yet nuanced: most of the aromas noted above come through, and a bright, warm crispness and alcohol warmth. This isn't an iron fist in a velvet glove: it's an iron fist in an iron glove. I love it. Delicious and bright, crisp carbonation despite the lack of visible carbonation or head.

A delicious beer that I've been drinking regularly since at least 2002, and will continue drinking as often as I can get my hands on it.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2007 02:03:10 | More by warmstorage

IntriqKen

California

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Amazing....
Poured a cloudy aprocot with a half finger of white that melted to a film of lacing.

Scents of sweet amber malts and light citrus fruits... oranges, pineapples, tangerines...light citrus fruits.

Sweet mouthfill of candied malts and light citrus fruits...same as what you smell...tastes of pineapple, tangerine, orange...very very light, pale lemon.

Everything about this quad is bright, fresh, and clean, IMHO.
WAY too drinkable.
VERY enjoyable.
I enjoyed this bottle immensley and will have to revisit St. Berny for a refernce point because this was downright delicious.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2007 05:12:30 | More by IntriqKen

ndekke39

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Split a 22 oz. bomber with some good friends. Poured into a tall, rounded white wine glass. A wonderful copper-red with a bubbly white head that leaves a heavy ring of lace around the glass. Smells and flavors of sweet syrup, candy, burnt sugar, yeast, bananas, and some liqueur like brandy. Tart, even fermented apples. Hides the alcohol well. Very strong and sweet character - a bit overpowering, but still really good to drink. Small, sharp fizz on the middle of the tongue. A very pleasant Quad. Fine example of the style. Watch out for the 10% ABV, but otherwise enjoy!

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2007 03:39:47 | More by ndekke39

jasonjlewis

Texas

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a chalice. Decent initial head that fades after a little while. Still stirs into a decent head after a while.

Smell of apple phenol. I LOVE APPLE PHENOL SON. Candy like smell with a lot of undertones and some caramel malt. Damn. I'm impressed.

Nice mouthfeel. This beer is just awesome.

Taste is slightly candy like. Has a slight apple undertone with some caramel malts, belgian funkiness and slight hop bitterness. I noticed the alcohol at 10%, but it wasnt' overbearing. My first quadrupel. I look forward to my westveletern now. Very nice style of beer. Nice upfront sweetness with good alcohol and slight hop finish. MMM. good beer.

Clings to the palate well. Very nice

I ran out of my bomber fast and wanted more. That says something doesn't it?

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2007 01:55:03 | More by jasonjlewis

jyeast101

Colorado

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sweet and Belgian sugary in smell. Also a strong smell of alcohol. Pours a golden amber with a large white head. No surprise that this is a quadruple. The dominant tastes are the sugars and alcohols of the smell. One thing about The Reverend is that it gets better as you drink the bomber size that it comes in. Possibly, as it warms up, you get more flavor, but I think that your taste buds get used to the "wham" that it first brings to the palate, and settle down to grasp on to the variety that it brings. It's tough, not, to wax poetic about Belgian beers. This one is extremely drinkable, until you fall to the floor from the high alcohol content.

Boy, I'm getting wordy in my advancing age.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2008 01:03:50 | More by jyeast101

donaldchapman

Colorado

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Avery 15th anniversary vertical tasting

2008
A - Clear light brown color with red highlights, and a long lasting head.
S - complex marriage of fruity esters, spicy phenolics, malt and hops.
T - Great malt complexity that is well blended with dark fruit flavors and hop bitterness.
M - Full bodied with an alcohol warmth and a smooth finish.

2005
A - Surprisingly, this color was noticeably darker than the other two vintages.
S - Malt is becoming more complex and beginning to dominate the aroma. Phenols and esters are noticeable but not as much as the 2008.
T - The malt is much more complex as well as a bit more bitterness, the phenols and esters begin to fade a bit leaving the malt to shine.
M - Mouth feel remains much the same perhaps a bit more smooth.

2002
A - Similar to the 2008 color a light brown with long lasting head but a bit hazy.
S - Extreme malt complexity and domination. Caramel, toffee, etc.... Esters are vary subdued as are phenolics.
T - Malt complexity dominates accompanied by some subtle yet firm fruity ester flavors (Dark fruits, berries, etc) and spice.
M - Full bodied beer, with a good pull, and smooth warmth.

This is another amazing beer to taste as it ages.... While the 2008 vintage is good, the older it gets, the more complexity and balance the beer achieves, with the 2002 ranking 1st out of the 3.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2008 16:11:53 | More by donaldchapman

jerryjeff

Tennessee

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Aroma
Nice malty overtones with some hints of figs and toffee maybe? Get a nice scent from the yeast I can't quite describe.

Mouthfeel
Nice remnants on the palette, a bit of silky creaminess with low carbonation that really allows the weight of the brew to come through.

Appearance
Reddish mahoghany in a goblet, poured to very little head which dissipated fairly quickly.

Taste
Scent doesn't lie, a nice malty overture with fruity overtones. Maybe some banana type esters, but mainly the residual sweetish malt is what I sense.

Drinkability
For a 10% abv beer, I'd love to see how much I could get through. Great mouthfeel and taste.

Overall
A really great beer. Nice lower carbonation to let the flavors come through. If you're not in Belgium to get what they have to offer, this is a great alternative.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2011 01:49:59 | More by jerryjeff

rarbring

Sweden

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The beer is clear amber, has a warm off-white head, leaving good lacing and curtains.

The smell is sweet, cookies with apricot, almonds, eggs, sherry.

Starting sweet cookie dough, caramel, dried peaches and apples, eggnog, almonds, sherry.

Medium low carbonation, small foamy bubbles, soft and oily, a smooth texture, a small dryness.

A very well done and worthy beer. Enjoy slowly.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 16:03:20 | More by rarbring

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.4/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

My first american quadripple as far as I know

Pours Amber color with a tons of bubbles. Impressive filmy head rings my Orval glass. Good head retention and lacing on the bottom of my glass

Smell: Malt, alcohol, yeast, fruitiness and plums

Taste: Sweet Caramel, tart flavors that trend fruitty/bready as the beer warms. Some vanilla/oaky notes with a big fruitty/leather/nutty taste

MF: Effervescent, slick and prickly notes from the carbonation

Pretty drinkable, but one is enough! Reminds me of a turbo-charged double,open your eyes, give it a try

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2006 05:08:26 | More by russpowell