Maharaja - Avery Brewing Company

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Fresh on-tap at Pizza Plant, good example of style and quite drinkable when I am not a big fan of the style. Looks like an aged peach with small soap bubbly white head. Fruity aroma, a bit citrus. Taste is substantially grapefruit, and smooth. Last beer of evening as it is a direct impact on you taste buds from the hops. A lot of grapefruit and the malts to make it drinkabale and it is.

Serving type: on-tap

01-17-2007 05:11:45 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.08/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Burnished orange-copper with golden butterscotch accents. Even though the pour wasn't overly aggressive, the head filled most of the pint glass. It's somewhere between palest caramel and ivory in color, with an upper surface that is occupied by thousands of fragile, glassy bubbles. A thick blanket of lace is currently visible.

The nose is the hop monster that was anticipated. However, two things keep me from being wildly enthusiastic. The citrus and spruce of Centennial and Simcoe aren't helped by what I assume is the contribution from Magnum. The second thing is that the almost double digit alcohol is incompletely buried.

The same faults apply to the flavor profile, although I hesitate to use that word in what is still a delicious beer. The bulwark-like maltiness practically oozes sweet, sticky caramel. I'm not sure about an 'insane quantity of malted barley', as the label claims, but it's at least mentally unbalanced. Maharaja is sweeter than most DIPAs. Probably too much so.

What would a DIPA be without hops? Relax, that's strictly a rhetorical question. While this DIPA has a massive amount of them, it doesn't have the 'deranged amount' that the label would have us believe. What is it with Avery and mental illness? (rhetorical again). Like the aroma, the flavor is dominated by candied citrus peel and pine sap, but the less desirable flavor qualities of the Magnum hops keep getting in the way.

Any beer with this much malt is bound to have a killer mouthfeel. It's expansive, smooth as heavy silk and some kinda likeable. It promotes sipping rather than gulping, which is a good thing since the beer tastes like a 12%'er and drinks like one too. Time and warming have smoothed some of the initial rough edges.

Maharaja Imperial India Pale Ale is the antithesis of a well-mannered DIPA. It's big, bold and bombastic. Avery has a penchant for brewing Big Beer, but they tend to forget that refinement is a necessary quality in even the biggest beer. The relatively high scores that I've granted are a testament to my love of all things hoppy. I'm guessing that those of you who don't belong to 'Hopheads For Life' won't feel so generous.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2005 21:45:31 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

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

The second beer of the sample I took last night. I was very excited to finally be able to try this one on tap. Consumed on 04/03/2009.

The pour was very nice with a rich light golden amber. Smooth and very cloudy, this thing looked like it was about to kick my ass, and as I was about to find out, it was defintley going to. Lots of ripe grapefruit and pineapple hops that just tore through the air as soon as I leaned in to it. Huge notes of hops dominated the entire flavor as well. Sharp flavor here as the resin like hops took all the moisture out of my mouth and left me parched, dry and looking for more. One of the best finishes I have had in a big IPA in a very, very long time. I would love to try this one again and will defitely be on the lookout to try it again.

Serving type: on-tap

04-04-2009 20:53:51 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

4.15/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to knucks999 for sending a fresh bottle of this to me as an extra in a recent trade!

A: The pour is absolutely gorgeous and just about perfect for an IPA. Amber in color with great clarity and a fluffy white head which leaves some great lacing.

S: The nose if full of grapefruit, pineapple, and some other tropical fruits. A blast of pine finishes things off quite nicely.

T: The flavor is fairly sweet with plenty of fruit notes. The grapefruit is not all that bitter and there is a lot of pineapple. The fruit is followed by a sweet caramel malt flavor and the sip is finished off by bitter pine.

M: The body is medium to full (for an IPA) with a moderate level of carbonation.

D: I was very pleased by this beer. I had it back when I first started getting into beer and wasn't impressed (very likely an old bottle), but this is really a great DIPA and very easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2010 05:41:45 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

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

The new top 100 is encouraging me to put in some old handwritten reviews!

Pours a reddish amber with a nice off-white head and decent lacing as it goes down. Smell is tropical fruits, some citrus, and a few hints of earth. The taste is much the same, but it lacks the punch of the nose and some of the more-intense West-coast DIPA's. Medium body and somewhat dry. Drinkability is affected by a bit of an alcohol taste and a slight lack of cohesion to the hop flavor and intensity.

Serving type: on-tap

08-10-2010 02:01:33 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.9/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a hazy, caramel-colored body with a bubbly white head.

Smell: Pungent, heavily hopped aroma with sweet-smelling notes of ripe apricots, grapefruit, and pine oils. The fragrant hop scent overlays some hints of freshly made dough and candy sugar.

Taste: Initial biscuity, toffee maltiness drops off into a tangy, sweetened citrus flavor. Grapefruit, mainly. Maybe some oranges, too. Finishes with a middling, restrained bitterness and a touch of alcohol.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, although its especially oily, and syrupy on the palate.

Drinkability: This beer does a fitting job of balancing both the bitter and sweet elements to make for a fair Double IPA.

*4/19/08: Feb. '07 bottle. For me, a toned down citrus character and a dialed up peppery lemongrass character, both in aroma and taste. Otherwise, it's fairly similar and received a score consistent with the original review.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2006 04:56:31 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

4.83/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Pours a clear amber color with a nice head and good lacing

Smell: Wonderful grapefruit and pineapple hops on the nose

Taste: Extraordinarily well-balanced with a grapefruit and pineapple hops flavor on top of a sweet, malty backbone; after the swallow, the grapefruit bitterness builds along with the sweet malt to a powerful finish of minty intensity

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: This is a wonderful brew where a ton of hops are well-balanced by the malts and the combination masks the high alcoholic content of the beer

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2005 14:15:20 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

4.38/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Boneyard Bistro in Sherman Oaks, CA.

Pours a clear honey brown with a khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Huge foamy rings of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of citrus zest and herbal hops, honey, and malt. Taste is of citrus zest and herbal hops up front with a nice honey, brown sugar, and malt finish. There is a medium bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good DIPA with a very nice balance in both the aromas and flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

03-22-2012 05:31:48 | More by UCLABrewN84

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a light beige color ale with a huge foamy head with great retention and lacing. Aroma of funky yeast with some nice spices and light ester. Taste is also dominated by some sweet fruit notes as well as some spices and the funky yeast. Average body with great carbonation. I thought it was a bit too sweet for my own palate but still enjoyable overall.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2007 16:37:00 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.35/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A very good Double I, but from the Avery 10 and 11, this is a slight step down. The hops are outragously flavorful and bitter. The aromas are a boquet of floral and earthy hops with a strong underlying malt presence. Big on the malts without becoming sweet. The hops IBU's keep this barley heavy beer dry and balanced. The feel is just short of thick. Greatly drinkable if not for the heavy and complex flavors. Spicy and dry in the aftertaste. The downside is that the northwestern hop character and malt fermentation leaves the beer a bit metalic and salty, thus slight of high drinkability. The 10% shows good heat and presence without becoming harsh or overwhelming. I'll be trying a few more in the future.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2006 15:21:01 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

4.18/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Nice to try another big bad double IPA,pours a slightly hazy deep orange with a tight one finger head that leaves a sheet of lace behind on the way down,well what would you expect from a double IPA aroma wise HOPS and more hops in the aroma pine and definent grapefruit coming thru srong not much malt profile but it wasnt expected.This beer coats the tongue somewhat thick in the mouthfeel dept the alcohol flavor doesnt overpower though by any means,big resiny and citrusy can make the tongue curl.Not quite as good in my opinion as its Colorado cousin Great Divid Hercules double IPA but this is no chump damn fine beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2005 02:35:40 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Wow, you can actually smell pungent and citrusy hops just upon opening the bottle! Avery usually delivers, and this one is no exception. It pours a slightly hazy reddish-copper body with orangeish highlights beneath a short but creamy head of white. Unfortunately, the head doesn't hold quite as well as might be hoped for (but with 9.7% alcohol by volume that's to be expected!), and it does leaves some thin rings of lace about the glass. A firmly caramelish and delicately biscuity malt comes into play within the aroma, although the hops are still clearly present with notes of grass, pineapple, orange peel, dried pine needles, and muddled grapefruit. In the mouth its filling and dextrinous as the very-fine-bubbled carbonation warms and becomes airy before sliding away like silk pajamas on silk sheets. The flavor delivers a heavier blow than the aroma suggests with its solid maltiness ducking and weaving between punches of hop flavor and hits of solid bitterness. There's no real pattern to the way that it appears on the palate, and slaps of hops or hits of malt seem to come and go in a different fashion with each sip. Everycomponent is always there, but certain characteristics just seem to pop at times. The one constant, however, is it's lingering, resinous and citrus-fruit-rind finish. There's bitterness there as well, but it doesn't come across as being raspy because of the thin but sticky layer of sweet malt that so stealthily hides itself while slowly receeding. It's a really nice, very well-balanced IPA that offers a decent amount of changing character in its profile; but might actually be lacking in complexity due to it's being "too balanced" - if that's possible. Still, this IPA rocks! The alcohol rarely appears, and its bitterness never overwhelms the palate! You can't drink too many because of the strength, but it's definitely drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2005 22:39:17 | More by NeroFiddled

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

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.47/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Lightly hazed coppery crimson hue, under an adequate layer of beigish foam.
Nose reeks of hops. Piney and citric, yeah, ripe and luscious, a refreshingly lively aroma, very raw, like steeping ones senses in the freshest form of hops.
Taste: thick with hoppiness, again, rich and full of flavor, not the least bit timid....hops and bitterness hang on the palate, dig in deep, stay a spell...
this is a menacing monster of an IPA, and I want to make it my friend!
A challenging ale, but exactly the challenge we hopheads require...each sip releases a succor which enacts a sublime kind of pleasure... (that means I liked it! ;^)...
Full-bodied, intensely flavored, long, bitter, fruity finish...
The Maharaja is a mighty ruler and commands the palate in full, it's reign lasts long beyond the length of the 22 ounce bottle...if you love the homulus lupus, he has you in his sway, no questions asked...damned good stuff. Ranks among the best IIPAs I've had, somewhere in there, anyway...blessedly hoppy, leaving hop trails all along the palate...goodness, they're coming out of my burps, now, too...may I say? a very nice drink, for those of us on the hoppy side...oh, yeah!!!

enormous thanks to mentor for the bottle!

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2005 09:49:11 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

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

The beer pours a golden color with a thick frothy offwhite head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a nice pale and bisquit malt scent along with a mild hop aroma. It's bitter with a warm malty feel. The taste is great. It has a wonderful hop wallop along with a solid malt bill that adds balance and an elevated abv. . It goes down easy with a bitter/bisquity finish. The mouthfeel is good. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a good drinking beer. It's got excellent malt character as well as hop presence. It's bold, but within reason. It's balanced and very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2007 01:22:35 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

3.6/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Beer served in a wine glass, 0.33 L. Beer is amber to red and kind of hazy. Forms a thick head of off white bubbles that leaves a lot of lacing on the glass. Carbonation is moderate.

The aroma is mostly piny and malty. Not too strong.

The beer is sweet first, medium to big in body. I suppose this is what people call a balanced IPA. Eh, its kind of malty and the bitterness is cut overall by the malt. Its not dry, its kind of boring. Definitely not my favorite IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

08-14-2010 16:01:44 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

4.22/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled on tap at the new Plano Gingerman.

The beer pours an orange color with a large white head. The aroma is heavy on the pine and resin. The flavor is a mix of West Coast hops with some grapefruit, pine and resin notes. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2010 04:22:11 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

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

Bottled in June 2006 Batch #4

A - Poured out a copper/amber color with a foamy, two-finger head. Very good lace.

S - It smelled of hops and grasses.

T - It tasted of hopas, grass and a little malt.

M - It was crisp and and sharp on the tongue. A heavy-bodied beer.

D - Very good. Another great Avery product and another great DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2007 14:08:29 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

4.18/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is slightly hazy light amber-orange in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high beige head that died down but thick rings of bubbles on the surface around the edge and down the sides of the glass.
S: There are moderately strong aromas of citrus hops in the nose—grapefruit stands out in particular.
T: Like the smell, the taste is filled with flavors of grapefruit and also has notes of caramel malts, pine resin hops and hints of sweetness. There is a light amount of bitterness.
M: It feels medium-bodied and relatively crisp on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation. There is a bit of dryness and hints of stickiness in the finish.
O: This beer is definitely a sipper given its strength. However, it’s not all that difficult to drink because only hints of alcohol are noticeable in the taste.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 23:36:23 | More by metter98

MasterSki

Illinois

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

Picked up a bottle of this one as soon as it showed up on shelves here in Chicago. Batch #13 from March 2011. Served in a Stone IRS tulip.

A - Quick-dissolving white foam that settles to a thin haze and persistent thick collar, leaving behind spotty lace. Transparent bronze body.

S - The hops have that slightly cheesy dank note to them that I get sometimes, along with tropical fruits and a bit of citrus. Brown sugar malt backbone is present, but this lies somewhere between the coasts in terms of balance. Alcohol is extremely well-hidden.

T - Huge tropical fruit character, with straight up melon and cantalope flavors mingling with lightly browned sugar and cookie malt character. Bitterness is surprisingly low, and alcohol is non-existent. Drinks a little bit like candy.

M - Smooth texture, medium carbonation, medium-full body, oily residuals. Could use a bit more dryness in the finish to offset some of the sweet flavors.

D - This is a balanced DIPA but a very good one. Too strong for sessions, but something that I would purchase again and have on-tap if I knew the keg was fresh.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2011 02:51:41 | More by MasterSki

Gueuzedude

Arizona

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

2005 bottling, Sampled March 2005
Pours a brilliantly clear deep copper color with hints of orange. It is topped by a creamy, reasonably dense tan head that is held up by hops and a mild carbonation. The aroma smells like a fresh cut mix of oranges and grapefruit from a distance. Up close the citrus character is intensified as it gains a lemon-like sharpness as well as the aforementioned orange and grapefruit. There are also notes of pine, fresh cut herbs, apricot, and tangerines.

The taste is lightly sweet with an intense fresh American hop character that plays up the fruit character of this beer. This beer finishes with a bit of astringent sharp hoppiness, a solid bitterness and a bit of alcoholic bite. This beer is quite smooth, and even has a nice creamy body that is quite pleasant and helps to make this beer that much more drinkable. The flavors of this beer run the gamut from grapefruit, tangerine, mint, basil, pine needles, and candied orange peel. This beer has a bunch of hops in it, but it is not all that balanced towards the bitterness, there is a solid malt backbone, that while not particularly noticeable over the hops is very important to the fruity hoppiness that characterizes this beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2005 01:44:09 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.83/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Label reads “Bottled in Fed. 2006 Batch 3”. Poured from a 22oz. bottle into an imperial pint glass.

A: The beer is a bright amber color, with a short foamy white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is intense and is a well-blended combination of hops and citrus, very pleasant. There are some notes of caramel and vanilla in the back ground, but it’s pretty much hops and citrus all the way as a good 2IPA should be.

T: The taste is very well-balanced. The strong hops bitterness and sweet citrus flavors couple each other excellently. The malt character provides just enough substance to make the beer smooth. The after-taste maintains the balance of hops & citrus.

M: Smooth and very crisp, medium body, medium carbonation, very clean finish.

D: Very tasty, goes does easy enough, not-too-filling, excellent representation of style, I liked this beer a lot. The only thing I regret about buying this beer is that I didn’t buy it sooner. Looking forward to trying more beers from Avery as this was my first from them.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2006 04:57:05 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Such a big brew. I love this one, had it a while ago from a bottle then later from a bottle and it wasn't as good. I saw it was on tap at Tap & Table in Emmaus so shot over after work. Got myself three wonderful glasses of this. The aroma and flavor mix well with each other the fruity hop aroma hits your nose on every sip. Then the piney sting of hops hits your tongue and just attacks it till you sip again and it just keeps coming. The color is a very nice golden color with a minimal head on it about 1 fingers worth. The brew is very tasty and if you haven't tried it please do so.

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2011 02:05:11 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.63/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I figure I'll give this another review, had it since my original review. I believe I shorted it, we'll see...

Pours a light amber with 3 fingers of rocky offwhite head. Super lacing & head retention.

S: Huge hops potpurri! Pine & grapefruit

T: Grapefruit, pineyness & some lemmon notes up front. Malt & caramel sweetness sneak around the hops as this warms, but not for long. Also jammy & fruitty notes infiltrate before getting crushed by the hops (herbal & piney). Finishes warming, uber herbal hoppy & a little fruitty (dates & apricots). A great total DIPA taste package

MF: Medim bodied, slightlty oily, with medium carbonation, skews hoppy, duh

Drinks fairly easy, a little to intense to session on, but I could if forced too! Still a bit pricey @ $6.50 a bomber

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2007 05:14:15 | More by russpowell

emerge077

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Goblet at Long Room.

Amber tinged orange, bright with a fine clarity. Bursting with citrusy orange, grapefruit aromas, approaching tropical proportions. Smooth bodied, a little bit syrupy, with sturdy anchoring malts holding down the fort under the huge dank/fruity hop load. The foam is lasting to the end, and leaves generous lace. A really nice DIPA that i'm glad to have discovered. Locally comparable to Flossmoor and FFF in quality and taste.

Serving type: on-tap

04-17-2009 23:40:30 | More by emerge077