Maharaja - Avery Brewing Company

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.76/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Served in a chalice at WhirlyBall - Vernon Hills.

Been a while since I last visited the old Raja; let's see what he's up to today, shall we? This stuff pours a clear sunset amber topped by a half-finger of off-cream foam. The nose comprises ruby red grapefruit rind, light leek, orange peel, pine resin, and plenty of toffee. The taste brings in more of the same, with a heavier influence of grapefruit and pine, a more caramel-y tone in the backbone, and some grass tossed in for good measure. The body is a solid medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a drying finish. Overall, a fine and dandy hop bomb, indeed.

Serving type: on-tap

05-13-2013 00:28:39 | More by TMoney2591

LarryK

New York

3.18/5  rDev -25%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Had on tap last week at Third Avenue Ale House, and was substantially underwhelmed, given the high marks this brew has received. Like Waldos' Special Ale, this to me drank like a barleywine masquerading as a double IPA.

Appearance: Too deep an amber for a double IPA.

Smell: Almost no hop aroma, malty, sweet.

Taste: Sweet, cloying, malty, syrupy, hard to get down. Taste absolutely nothing like a double IPA and everything like a barleywine.

Mouthfeel: Ridiculously thick and viscous, hard to get down.

Overall: I'm not sure I've ever had anything I've been particularly wowed by from Avery -- was hoping this would change things, but it appears the search continues.

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2013 18:31:04 | More by LarryK

magictacosinus

California

3.65/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured on tap into a semi-tulip glass at Small Bar in Chicago. ABV was listed as 9.5% at the bar (after a long day of trying beers, I wouldn't have ordered it if it were stronger). Review is from my notes.

Presents itself in a deep orange-amber color, complete with a foamy cola-like yet thickened head at the top. Not too much carbonation is present in this thing, but interestingly enough the head sticks around for the entire consumption. Definitely is super sticky, and lacing really stays around as the beer dwindles down. Very, very viscous, almost in the same sense that a cocktail is. Quite a strong looking DIPA.

The aroma is what I expected, which is a combination of bittered citrus rinds combined with a boozy, stinging sensation from the high ABV. Blood oranges, huge lemon notes, earthiness, leafy compost, pine, alcoholic induced nectar, and herbs such as cannabis (not joking here). However, I cannot get past this near rotting, skunky like backdrop from the initial aromas. It actually smells like the same byproduct phenol you get in muted hops, or ones that are outright old. Combined with the extra alcohol and toasted yet overly cracked graininess, it almost completely ruins the experience for me - and yes, I will admit I'm too much of nerd to not constantly whiff aromatic hoppy beers all throughout the night - so these quirks take that away from the experience. I appreciate the unique hop profile, but it may be too much for me.

The flavor luckily does not hold those bizarre rotting, hop muted notes, and instead comes off as a fairly straightforward DIPA only distinguished by its high ABV. There's a full flavor of citrus (all kinds) and grapefruit that appear at first, to be followed by strong pine needles, and then an herbal, slightly floral profile that follows soon after. There's a larger malty flavor that melds with the bitterness in a slightly syrupy but pretty solid bready finish. The booze is well hidden here, unlike the aroma, and the astringency from all of the hop acids shows itself. I do not enjoy the off-grainy sensation that appears in the aftertaste, but luckily this is so melded in with hops that it never becomes too bothersome.

There's intense DIPAs, and then there's this one. Super herbal and dry and boozy all the way. This took me some time to drink, in fact. Definitely an extreme IPA that has a good citrus flavor to it, as well as comfortable mouthfeel, but a lot of these aromas and flavors are really doing strange stuff when they meld with one another. I feel that this may have been an older batch but I still think a beer this monstrous should hold up just fine. If you like your IPAs super dank and earthy and don't mind several irregularities as I mentioned above, give this a shot. Wasn't a fan but I'd be open to have a fresher batch if given the opportunity.

Serving type: on-tap

05-02-2013 17:17:01 | More by magictacosinus

Hopswagger

Oklahoma

4.21/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

P: Crystal clear orange copper body with minimal head. Webbed stairs of lacing.

S: Malt heaven opened up and bestowed its sweet goodness in the form of an IPA.

T/M: Robust toasted caramel malts, super sweet backed by a pungent pine resin that aggressively coats the palate. Wood essence and crisp bitters deliver a rustic flare that marries well with the intense malt base. Orange oil and citrus round out the after bite of this giant. Sticky syrupy body with aggressive carbonation. Finishes semi dry and delivers great citrus and pine bitterness.

O: A fantastic BIG beer that delivers everything you want in a DIPA. I almost overlooked this when choosing my beer but glad I didn't. Another hit from Avery.

Serving type: on-tap

04-21-2013 02:04:36 | More by Hopswagger

thedoubler55

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: A hazy golden orange with a dark tint to it as well, had a very small head at the top that left a bit of lacing around the glass.

S: The nose is very fruity, lots of tropical fruit and brown sugar. The hops and malts are very present and slight hint of caramel on the tail end.

T: The tropical fruit is very present as it was on the nose, the taste is somewhat boozie with the fruit and sweetness throughout.

M: Medium carbonation, and a nice stickyness to this one as well.

O: Lots of booze with this beer, but I enjoyed it anyway a very good brew by Avery.

Serving type: on-tap

04-17-2013 20:50:49 | More by thedoubler55

NiceTaps

New Jersey

4.11/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

On tap in a stemmed tulip glass.

A- This batch is not dark amber at all, but a nice looking hazy orange-gold color with a tan head that slowly fades but holds on and leaves some lacing. It's jumping with bubbles,too.

S- There is some citrus/grapefruit aroma but I pick up mostly tropical fruit notes like mango and pineapple. There are also notes of pine and strong caramel malts, sweet malts at that.

T- The citrus/tropical fruit, pine, and caramel malts all shine. There is a strong presence of sweetness from the malts and the high abv for sure.

M-Nice carbonation, some slick pine resin, sweet. The malts and 10.4% abv combine for a sweetness that tempers the hops.

O-As much as want to love this beer, the sweet alcohol character is a bit of a stumble for me. Not bad.

Serving type: on-tap

04-12-2013 20:56:46 | More by NiceTaps

DesertRat

North Carolina

4.91/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

A very unique DIPA. Very piney. Not very hop forward. Finishes smooth and surprising. I am currently under the influence of this 10.5+ abv masterpiece and WOW, I could not tell the alcohol while I was drinking it. Not a hop forward DIPA, which is what made this such a surprising beer. Very happy to have this beer. Will buy in a bomber soon.

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2013 02:29:50 | More by DesertRat

PaulieNumbers

Virginia

5/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

One of the best beers I've had lately. I'd go into further depth, but there's so many positive reviews I think it's a bit nuts to be skeptical on this brew. If it's on tap near you get one. I just had it at a local bar in northern Virginia that was insanely smooth and delicious with a full body.

Serving type: on-tap

04-04-2013 04:16:39 | More by PaulieNumbers

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.21/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from tap into pint at luckys in Dayton. I cant believe I havent had this yet...glad to see on tap!
Pours a golden slight amber with thick creamy head. Superb fruity hop aroma...maybe citra? With a great caramel malt balance. Taste is sweet caramel malt and a nice citrus and slight pine hop flavor. Really well balanced...probably the most malt ive had in a dipa and enjoyed. Usually it can be over malted imo but the malts work so well here.
Its slightly over bitter for me but still nice.
This is a great dipa...I think its the malts and balance that shine here but will somehow slip quietly aside of the hops. Get this if you want a great example of a huge balanced dipa.

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2013 21:40:12 | More by DrinkSlurm

merc7186

New York

4.33/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

On tap at World of Beer in Charlotte NC, poured into a snifter glass.

A: Amber Hue, Passes Some Light, White Head Ring, Great Lacing

S: Citrus, Floral, Hibiscus, Mild Onions

T: Floral, Oranges, Rind, Mild Bittering Hops, Mild Cracker

M: Great Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Semi Bitter, Mildly Drying

Overall, Pretty spot on bitter DIPA, drying and bitter, not overly palate killing though.

Serving type: on-tap

03-23-2013 05:35:14 | More by merc7186

Codyx

Ohio

4.94/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Great taste great lace.. just really an amazing beer.. From start to finish. Never gets old. But be careful how quick you drink these, they taste great and will sneak up on you by the time you hit your third one. A beer for the true connoisseur.. Enjoy

Serving type: on-tap

03-20-2013 17:06:46 | More by Codyx

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I've seen this beer before on beer store shelvies like at the beer store in sepa but where always past thier prime. Not gonna spend big bucks on stale beer, so when I seen this at the Blue Dog I jumped on it.
Maharaja has flavor most DIPA's are bitter.
This brew has burnished orange amber color with a long lasting head due to it fine attenuation.
Very aromaatic with a hop bouquet thats fresh smelling with flavors of the tropics. the malt bill counter nicely also.
First sip is all hops with candied fruits like pineapple and apricots. One can slao taste some piney resin if you dig deep. There is also some malty biscuits in there too. Then along came Sally to punch you in the face with nuckles full of bitterness.
Drinks surprising smooth and dry. Bitter ending into the aftertaste.
An excellent beer but not for the faint of heart.

Serving type: on-tap

03-17-2013 19:35:53 | More by micromaniac129

BeerHo

Pennsylvania

4.69/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Avery usually delivers a great product and this beer did not disappoint! It was served in a 12 ounce tulip glass and the copper color immediately captured my attention! The thick 1.5 finger foam seemed to be just floating on top leaving a nice lingering sticky lacing on the glass. The bouquet was sweet with mild maltiness and caramel with bitter orange peel. The first sip totally enveloped my tongue like a warm comforter would my body in a cold winter day! The flavors of star fruit, grapefruit and blood orange with hints of mango are unmistakable and delightful with the blood orange and grapefruit lingering long after the sip is gone! This beer left me wanting more because of how delicious it is but be careful, at 10.4 ABV this beer will sit you down in a hurry! This is certainly one of those powerhouse beers you must take your time with to enjoy! Avery has hit it out of the park with this one! If you are a fan of the Troeg's Nugget Nectar then you will like this beer! It's like the Nugget Nectar on steroids! Well done Avery and thanks to the West Reading Tavern in West Reading, PA for serving it on tap!

Serving type: on-tap

03-12-2013 18:04:56 | More by BeerHo

57md

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance is a burnt orange-to-copper color with a half finger of head that dissipated quickly. The nose is distinctly hoppy in a way that makes my mouth water for the first sip.

The taste is certainly NOT a disappointment - great combination of malt and hops. The hop bitterness gets bigger near the finish, but a touch of malty sweetness comes back to merge with the increased bitterness.

The alcohol is well-hidden here. All-in-all, a tasty and complex offering!

Serving type: on-tap

09-09-2012 01:10:23 | More by 57md

Murrhey

Montana

3.73/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured on-tap at Haven Gastropub in Orange, Calif. Reviewed from notes.

A- Little retention on a white head. Exsquisite lacing. Coppery brown and nice clarity.

S- Bitter hops with a metallic sort of nose. Aggressive smell but quite pleasing.

T- Hoppy with distinct dark bitterness. Like some dark fruits with a dark linger.

M- Thick and syrupy almost sort of feel. Not my favorite, but not repulsive.

O- Not my preferred style of beer, but a reasonable example of a DIPA.

Serving type: on-tap

08-20-2012 01:42:22 | More by Murrhey

brureview

Massachusetts

4.6/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Wow! I had this DIPA on tap, and it was great. It was served in a tulip and poured a beautiful tea color, with little head. The aroma was strong grapefruit.

The mouthfeel was very smooth for an IPA. No bitterness to speak of. The taste was excellent-fruity-especially strong grapefruit. A winner!

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2012 03:01:52 | More by brureview

denver10

Colorado

2.75/5  rDev -35.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a coppery orange with a white head. A floral and piney aroma sitting on top of a hefty malt base. Flavor follows suits. A fuller, kinda syrupy mouthfeel to this. Overall, can't say I was a fan of this one at all. I prefer my IIPA's to be fruity, this one seemed to be lacking in that completely.

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2012 20:50:57 | More by denver10

williamjbauer

West Virginia

4.28/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a nonical pint glass on tap

A . Pale amber with 2 finger fluffy white head with excellent retention and great lacing

S. sweet malt, caramel, grassy hops, and of floral hops as well

T. A composition staring sweet malt, wheat, and sugary note, quickly followed by mid to back palate grassy, floral hop bitterness. These two major players are present even to the end in this very well balance imperial. A moderate and welcomed taste of alcohol.

M. Medium body, moderate carbonation, chewy, moderate to high alcohol warming.

O. As compared to other beers from Colorado, it has a expectedly bold hop character but surprising sweet and mellow malt and wheat notes.

Serving type: on-tap

07-08-2012 09:19:13 | More by williamjbauer

tylerprince

Colorado

4.28/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed at Avery tap room in Boulder.

Pours a clear light copper with thin off white head. Nice rings of lacing down the beer.

Standard DIPA with a twist. Citrus, tobacco, grapefruit, with a pleasant grassiness. Some floral notes. A rye-like malt at the end provides a nice twist on the typical DIPA malt profile.

Citrus and grass give way to a rye-like malt with ample finishing bitterness. Hints of tobacco and caramel. Alcohol is extremely prevalent and amplifies floral and fruity esters. Complex and delicious; my only complaint is that the alcohol is almost overpowering. The lingering bitterness at the end is complex and lengthy...hop oils and fruits hang around for practically minutes.

I feel like all the Avery beers I've had lately have been a bit too light-bodied, and this is no exception. It's syrupy but undercarbonated with little in the way of sticky resins. I seem to recall the MF being better when I tried this a year ago.

Despite the mediocre mouthfeel, this is an awesome DIPA and one of the best that CO has to offer. I plan on having some more of these soon and hope that the MF is a little more in line with what I remember...medium-bodied and sticky.

Serving type: on-tap

06-22-2012 20:14:09 | More by tylerprince

LotsofLupulin

Colorado

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

Double Dry-Hopped Maharaja served on tap at Avery.

A - Rich amber color, with a slight opaqueness that differed fromm the original. Slight head retention, but excellent carbonation.

S - Resinous pine notes, and a slight fruitiness. Dare I say a hint of cannabis. You can smell a fair amount of the alcohol (~10.5% ABV) in the nose.

T - Citrus, pine, and a bit of bitterness and alcohol that blends with the sweetness of the malts.

M- Crisp, slightly viscous. Warming from the alcohol.

O- Probably one of my favorite beers, the Maharaja never disappoints. Add the double dry-hopped nose and you've got yourself a divine experience, especially served on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

05-05-2012 03:20:49 | More by LotsofLupulin

Hoptometrist

Oregon

3.68/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap into a tulip glass at Lizardville

A- Poured a clear dark orange color with a frothy head that dissipated quickly and left no lace

S- Big pungent aroma with floral notes, grapefruit, sweet sugary candy notes, and lots of alcohol

T- A big candy sugary taste, grapefruit syrup, some citrus notes, some spicy/herbal notes, big alcohol presence.

M- Syrupy, full bodied, big alcohol warming, and a slight alcohol burn

O- This is a super sweet DIPA that also has quite a bit of bitterness. Big, boozy, and sweet, which i usually do not like but it works here pretty well. The beer this most reminds me of is Unearthly, I think this is a bigger, boozier beer than that, but both are very sweet candy-like DIPAs.

Serving type: on-tap

04-22-2012 19:08:56 | More by Hoptometrist

CaptDavyJones

New York

4.48/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this on tap at the Neighborhood in San Diego.
Hazy golden-orange color with a fingers worth of foamy,sticky head that dissipates ever so slowly and leaves a LOT of lacing.
Aroma is just an explosion of fruity hops; with lots of peach, mango, pineapple in the nose. Hints of alcohol, caramel malt and sweet esters as well.
This is a really BIG beer. Lots of hops upfront which slowly give way to a nice caramel, chewy malty sweet coating of the palate. There is a nice lingering after taste of the hops in the finish. There isn't a lot of bitterness, just a good balance of hops and malt. To me this is a sipper.
Very good mouthfeel and visually very appealing.
One of the best imperial/double IPA's out there.
This is a 'must-try' for every hop-head and comes highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2012 06:34:45 | More by CaptDavyJones

thydarkprevails

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On draft in a tulip. Pours a slightly hazy copper. One finger head with great lacing. Aroma is pine and citrus with a toffeeish touch. Flavor is citrus. Pineapple, apricot, and grapefruit with a caramel malt. Mouthfeel is syrupy and on the thick side. Really good DIPA

Serving type: on-tap

04-02-2012 11:27:31 | More by thydarkprevails

zeledonia

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

On-tap at Stub and Herb's in Minneapolis. Poured into a 10 oz. goblet.

Pours a clear deep medium amber. Brought poured to the brim, so I don't know about head, but it did leave excellent lacing, at least at first. Very little visible carbonation.

Smells pretty darn malty, in the barleywine-DIPA-hybrid vein of Dark Horse Double Crooked Tree, though nowhere near as sweet as that beer. Hops are pushing their way through, piney and resinous and sticky. Smell has a nice warmth to it. Definitely big on the hops and the malts.

Taste starts out rich, bold, and slightly sweet before piney bitterness kicks up bigtime. Well-balanced throughout, with the light grainy sweetness of the malts and the pine of the hops playing off each other. Finishes long and bitter, but surprisingly smooth. Alcohol is quite well hidden.

Mouthfeel is the low point of the beer. Medium-bodied and slightly stick, but definitely lacking in the carbonation department. Feels pretty flat.

A smooth, malty, piney DIPA. Nicely balanced, with solid hop and malt presence. Good, but not outstanding.

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2012 19:25:49 | More by zeledonia

challenja

Virginia

4.55/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap at Fireworks Courthouse,VA (in Arlington ya'll)

A: Honey almond blood Tang. Light white lacing entices the young teen athlete.
S: Sweet nectarines, honey, fresh golf tee grass, hoppy tree resin.
T: Sweet nectarines mashed with sour lemons. White grapefruit laced with a dash of white table sugar. Warrior hop bitters. Nice hop sour mouthful that lingers like a super sour lemon rind in the mouth.
M: Medium carbo, frothy, with a slick resin middle with a tingling carbo sour palate ending. The finish is extremely long and sour packed, a great midrange thickness to this sappy brew.
O: A really decent DIPA that lacks another taste profile to take into top tier contention. Definitely worth a try and buy.

Serving type: on-tap

03-27-2012 20:47:54 | More by challenja