Maharaja - Avery Brewing Company

joeseppy

Illinois

4.46/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Big cascading effervescence with a one inch head that resembles the thickness of my shaving foam. Deep golden amber with ruby hues in the sunlight. Severe lacing.

As far as aroma, not much happening. Faint wafts of sweet grapefruit and hops.

Wowza, wowza, wowza....what a IIPA bonanza! Deep malt backing that supports a muddled sweet mellifluous tropical fruit rush. Guava, papaya, mango and grapefruit. I also imagine myself sucking on a hop bud.

Low carbonation, resinous, sticky, chewy deliciousness.

A tremendously tremendous IIPA holding true to form. This is like squeezing a grapefruit right into your mouth. This is one you can crush. I say amen to this this sir.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 22:54:47 | More by joeseppy

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

Beerandboards

New Mexico

4.08/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle about 2 months old

A - coppery red, good clarity, loose white head pours to about 1.5 inches and dissipates pretty quickly.

S - citrusy and floral hops, pine, alcohol

T - sweet citrus with a fair amount of alcohol heat. Some pitchy pine bitterness and then more malty alcohol sweetness.

M - definitely the beers low point. At little syrupy almost, the high alcohol content and corresponding sweetness turn the beer almost cloying by the end.

O - an enjoyable beer. I think it would have been better off if it would have stopped around 7%. The citrusy and floral hop notes are great, but are overshadowed by alcohol heat and sweetness. Still, a good IIPA, compared to the average of what's out there, this is a good 2-3 notches better.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 23:20:55 | More by Beerandboards

KYGunner

Kentucky

4.24/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Strong amber/scarlet hue with exceptionally active carbonation. The bubbles built a fluffy white head that lasted for quite some time.

Sweet citrus fruits hit the nose with tangerines, orange, lemon and even a little grapefruit. Light hints of malt, tea leaves and sweet grass hold the back of the scent.

There is a full bodied Pale Ale element to this IPA. Tons of malt flavor with hearty earthy notes like , tea leaves, grasses and caramel malt. No pine or floral hops can be found. At 102 IBU there is a very nice, smooth bitterness and at 10 percent there is an easy warmth. Only complaint is that there is a heavy dryness that assaults the palate in the end.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 21:16:26 | More by KYGunner

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

darksunshaman

Ohio

3.14/5  rDev -25.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I was let down by what I think is best described as the body of this. I think I was expecting more of a fullness rather than a distinct and almost overwhelming booziness. As far as hoppiness, I like a much more bitter IPA then this. To me the bitterness was almost overwhelmed by the alcohol. I also tend to like more carbonation in my I DIPA, the mouthfeel of this was definitely short of what I was wanting. I think now, my standards for DIPA / IIPA are Alchemy Hour / Leviathan respectively. As much as I love Avery IPA in a can, this just falls disappointingly flat for me. Wouldn't recommend.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 08:59:18 | More by darksunshaman

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

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

4.24/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: It has a nice hazy golden/orange color to it. It has a nice off-white head that dies down moderately and leaves nice lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitely give out hints of citrus, pineapple, piney resin and some caramelly malts.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has citrus, some pineapple, a nice resiny pine bitterness and some sweet caramelly malts to balance it out.

Mouthfeel: It has a low/medium carbonation with a nice overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with great flavors and aromas.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 20:31:04 | More by SebD

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

4.38/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A: poured from a 22 oz bottle into a pint glass, deep orange amber colored with a huge yellow white head that lingers leaving good lacing, clear

S: huge floral hop aroma, pineapple, mango, grapefruit, pine

T: heavy bitter grapefruit up front, tropical fruit sweetness with caramel malt flavors, finish is quite sweet with heavy alcohol flavors and pine

M: oily, medium carbonation, alcohol makes itself known

O: a good DIPA that packs a punch, nice tropical fruity flavors

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 02:40:34 | More by M_C_Hampton

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

pvo

Virginia

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

Out of the bottle on 4/4/13, 2013 release. I've had these in previous years, and always try to get at least one per year.

Appearance: Dark amber, hazy.

Smell: hoppy, as one would expect.

Taste: Hoppy, but less biting due to the high ABV.

Mouthfeel: substantial, lasting.

Overall: thoroughly enjoyable. It's still identifiable as an IPA, has more flavor between the hops and alcohol than most DIPAs, and I really enjoy the citrus and floral notes that dominate the hop flavors.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 00:25:47 | More by pvo

trxxpaxxs

New York

3.69/5  rDev -13%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Big thanks to quirkzoo for this bottle...

A: Pours a translucent apricot color with about a half finger of pure white head. The foam settles quickly, and there is only minimal lacing as it drinks.

S: The nose is big and boozy with a big malt backbone, a good amount of pine, and some mild grapefruit.

T: The beers starts out with a big burst of pine and grapefruit that totally blows up my palate. The malt in this beer comes on strong in the middle, and I'm a bit overwhelmed with alcohol. I know this beer is above 10%, but the boozy burn, the big hops, and the sweet malt are super intense. I'm actually a bit taken aback by how hot this beer is.

M: This is a full bodied beer. It's biting to start, sticky and oily in the middle, and super boozy in the back end. The flavors linger on the palate for quite some time.

O: I'm not overly impressed by this beer. It just seems to be too much. It's over the top hop up front, over the top abv, and it's way more malty than I would have wanted out of a DIPA. This is not going to make my favorites list. In fact, I don't see myself ever seeking this beer out again in the future. There are just way too many better DIPA option out there.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 13:00:10 | More by trxxpaxxs

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

superspak

Michigan

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

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass; 2013 bottling, just released recently. Pours crystal clear orange amber color with a 2 finger dense off white head with incredible retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of big grapefruit, orange zest, pine, tangerine, pineapple, lemon, orange rind, caramel, floral, grass, pine resin, and floral earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great complexity and balance of dank hop notes with moderate malt sweetness; with slight alcohol as it warms. Taste of big grapefruit, orange zest, pineapple, tangerine, pine, floral, grass, honey, light caramel, pine resin, and floral earthiness. Nice amount of citrus and pine bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, citrus zest, pineapple, pine, floral, grass, honey, light caramel, pine resin, and floral earthiness on the finish for a while. Fantastic balance and complexity of citrus and pine hop flavors; with a near perfect malt balance that does not overwhelm; and zero cloying flavors present after the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a light creamy, slick, and very sticky mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic DIPA! Great balance and complexity of hop notes with nice malt balance; and dangerously smooth to sip on for the ABV. A highly enjoyable offering as expected.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 03:57:04 | More by superspak

Jree261

California

4.6/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

Appearance: Beautiful copper amber out of the bottle with bright egg shell foam.

Smell: Not that it matters particularly to the technical aspects of the nose but I walked to put the bottle back in the fridge and I could smell the beer out of the glass from across the room. That being said; it's an incredibly potent strawberry, red fruit and pine hopped nose. Great aroma.

Taste: The smell gives way to a butterscotch and chocolate with wood and charcoal and a long finish.

Mouthfeel: The heat of the alcohol is readily apparent but given the fact that it is 10.8% it's neither surprising nor overpowering. A strong, heavy beer that should (and really has to be) drunk slowly.

Overall: Wonderful nose, great flavor and balance, one of the best beers I've had in several months.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 23:53:25 | More by Jree261

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

arfenhouse

California

4.46/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A: Dark copper orange with off white head. Retention is good, some lacing.

S: Biggest scent I'm getting is pineapple and pine needles. Sweet tangerines.

T: Start off with a jab of pineapple bitterness. Orange peel and sweet malts that linger for a while. Ends with a drying pine cone flavor.

M: Medium-full mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Sticky and drying.

O: Sweet and hoppy IPA. Very tasty. Nice alcohol kick.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 07:43:36 | More by arfenhouse

cjoc83

Pennsylvania

4.06/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

"Batch #17, 2013" printed on the label of the bomber. Pours a slightly hazy amber-copper color with a 3 finger, cream colored head. Good retention and moderate patches of lace.

Smell is a lot of sweet, pitted fruit...strawberries, apricot, with a nice honeydew melon and caramel malt backbone.

Mostly sweet in the front and middle of the tongue, with sweet, floral hops accented by apricot, melon, and caramel malt before finishing with a some slightly bitter, earthy hops and a little heat.

Medium bodied, creamy mouthfeel. The 10% abv is very well hidden. Dry finish.

My first time with this one, and I can see why it's so popular. A little on the sweet side, but a nice hop profile and the alcohol is barely noticeable. It's no Heady Topper, but a super tasty DIPA that's definitely worth the $8.99 price tag.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 00:33:19 | More by cjoc83

YieldToNothing

New York

4.75/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

bomber poured into a duvel tulip
pours a beautiful dark copper with a foamy head of about an inch. smells like a DIPA should, grapefruit dominates the nose..in a really good way. very hoppy, but not in a way than ruins the experience. perfect example of the style and i'd deifinitely go back to this beer. excellent, just excellent.

wish i could find this in a smaller serving, but i have no problems with a bomber, this is delicious.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 03:59:58 | More by YieldToNothing

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

rringler

California

4.28/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Very clear medium copper color, pours with about 3/4 of a finger of off-white head, composed of small/medium bubbles. Leaves behind lots of great lacing.

S: Starts a little fruity, with lots of solid malts to back it up. Not an overly bitter/hoppy smell.

T: Less fruity then it smells, but perhaps even maltier; the taste is dominated by sweet, caramely malts. Somewhat mild hop finish, which I suppose shouldn't be surprising given the smell. Never would have guessed that this is 10.4% abv. I've had 6-7% abv beers that have more dry alcohol taste than this brew.

M: Pretty full bodied; a bit bigger, thicker, and heavier than most IPAs. Carbonation is very good.

O: Malt lovers' beer, sort of like Lagunitas Copper. Claims 102 IBUs, but I'm not really sure I believe that. While it's nowhere near as hoppy as a decent west coast IPA, that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's a rich, malty beer that non-hopheads might find more enjoyable. It also packs a punch at 10.4% abv.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 05:22:55 | More by rringler

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

ThickNStout

Georgia

4.38/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

22oz bottle from Sprayberry Bottle Shoppe (Marietta, GA). 7.99. Early 2013 release. Served in a Terrapin snifter.

Pours red orange with a thick finger and a half of pale head that fades rather quickly and leaves nice big sheets of lace.

Smells of big dank hops. Cat urine (not in a bad way), onion/ garlic, oranges, flowers, melon and caramel.

Taste is absolutely chock full of hops. Pine, orange, bitter garlic, sweet berry-like fruit, melon, flower petals, wet grass, caramel, biscuit, apricots, white pepper and alcohol. A blast of hops on a good sweet malt base. Good stuff with seemingly every extreme hop flavor possible.

Oily, resinous, medium thick feel with moderate carbonation. A nip of booze in the dry bitter dank hoppy finish.

Glad to finally get around to reviewimg this. One of my favorite of Avery's offerings. Huge, bitter complex hops and a nice, sweet bready malt body. Not an every day IPA for me but it's a great occasional khop shock to the system.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 04:14:24 | More by ThickNStout

Jparker37

Wisconsin

4.61/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

1pt 6oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Release no.17 2013.

A - Big pillowy light tan head, tight bubbles. Excellent clarity inside its copper color. Good lacing.

S - Tropical; pineapple, melon. Citrus; sweet tangerine. Catty/dank presence (more as it warms up).

T - Great level of toasty malt holds a perfect backbone. Huge hop flavor has a citrus and somewhat herbal/spicy feel. Hops lend a wallop of bitterness but are very smooth. Finishes with warming alcohol alongside moderate lasting hop flavor.

M - Shows some sweetness in the taste but goes pretty dry at the finish. Medium-full bodied, less than moderate carbonation.

O - Wow, quite impressed by this brew. Looks perfect and smells just as good. Hop aroma far exceeds the typical DIPA and is unique and complex. Flavor is right there with malt striking a good balance. Full bodied for the style and overall excellent mouthfeel. Much thanks goes to Chugalug06 for sending me the best DIPA I've had to date.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 01:51:15 | More by Jparker37

mikeborglum

Missouri

4.63/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Poured a 22oz bottle in a shaker glass with a nice creamy egg shell white head and good lacing - dark orange slightly hazy color; citrus, caramel, aromas; taste is very bitter, light sweetness,;medium body, sticky, soft carbonation, bitter, long finish,; very enjoyable

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 23:59:53 | More by mikeborglum