Karma - Avery Brewing Company

PeterIngemi

Massachusetts

3.05/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had on tap at gulu cafe in Salem, serves in a pint glass

A: dark yellow, kind of like apple juice or pee, with half a finger of fluffy head, very clean looking, can see intense carbonation bubbles rushing to the top of the glass, very nice sticky lacing
All the way down the glass.

S: a touch of soap, and a wheaty malt sweetness, a touch of barnyard funk and citrus in there as well, a touch of spicyness, not a huge fan of the Aroma here.

T: a bit of funk an spice blending into a pear like flavor, not really a lot of hops here, a bit of Melon and toasty caramel as well, in a strange way it almost reminds me of bud heavy, well balanced I suppose.

M: high tight bubble carbonation , very very drinkable, leavs me with a strange melon like aftertaste which I am not fond of. Bet crisp.

O: not bad but nothing amazing.... Not a huge fan.

Serving type: on-tap

05-18-2012 00:13:28 | More by PeterIngemi

soulfly1492

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Aroma: Lots of fruity esters, apricot and peaches. Some peppery yeast. Mild clove. Some clean Munich malt, lots of sugars. Some barley and wheat. Little to no hop character. Very bold, nearly as strong as a mild barleywine.

Appearance: Very light copper. Lots of haze. Head is off-white with orange highlights, medium height. Mild retention and little lacing.

Flavor: Wow, lots of peach and orange citrus. Lightly astringent tannins. Black pepper phenols and yeast. Lightly bitter Munich malt. Mild clove, not as much as I picked up in the aroma. Very little to no hop flavor, what's there is floral (the website says they used American Sterling hops). Grainy, lightly toasty.

Mouthfeel: Medium body. Slick and oily. Finishes just barely dry. Low carbonation that you feel at the back of your throat on the way down. Mildly warming.

Overall: Beautiful savory fruit flavors here. Very full flavor, yet easily drinkable. No bold and/or bitter aftertaste. I will be getting this again.

Notes: Consumed on 5/7/2012.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 02:30:44 | More by soulfly1492

troysoy2

Pennsylvania

2.8/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Poured into a tulip, I got a good two fingers of loosely packed white head, which quickly receded to become a thin smattering of bubbles. Amber body. Not a whole lot going on as far as lacing.

"What on earth?" This beer smells like straight molasses, and maybe if you use your imagination, pecan pie. The grassy hop aroma is barely there, but it floats around, and doesn't quite seem to fit.

Much like the smell, but with a hint of cherry and plum. Very thin in both flavor and mouthfeel. Easy drinking, but never satisfying. There's a slight tartness on the finish. Almost nonexistent carbonation.

Not what I was expecting at all. I'm glad I tried it -- it's decently tasty, but nothing I'll be coming back to. Avery can, and has done better.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 19:14:52 | More by troysoy2

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.43/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

a deep amber pour with a nice initial amount of head which quickly diminished into a light ring of bubbles around the glass. smells of caramel, nuts, dates. the taste, much like the smell, is very faint.. light notes of honey, dates, a bit of an oak flavor.. not much there honestly. light/medium bodied with lots of fizzy carbonation.

i'm a bit disappointed with this beer.. it looked like it was going to be great but really ended up lacking in most aspects. as far as belgian pale ales go, it's not bad, but there are many that are tastier. as far as beers by avery, this is the only bland beer that i can remember having from them. maybe i got a bad bottle or something, i'd be willing to try it again.. it wasn't terrible, it just didn't have much taste to it.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 19:17:59 | More by facundoCNB

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

a very average beer by avery standards. totally nondescript in a lot of ways, but especially in the nose. after a pale amber pour with a good tall white head, it smells fairly sweet and malt based, somehow entirely missing is the belgian yeast that is supposed to power this brew. this is a majorly dumbed down beer. feel is off a bit, very weak carbonation makes the beer feel flat and heavy, instead of the bright crispy feeling usually characteristic of belgian pale ales. overall a real letdown from a brewery i have come to associate with exceptional beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2012 19:35:12 | More by StonedTrippin

gtermi

Texas

2.83/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: This pours a nice copper orange body with a thick white head that slowly fades.

S: Seems to have a ton of alcohol on the nose and the malt really is faint. Im getting some weird sweetness too, but really cant explain what it is.

T: There really isnt much here at all. It tastes like stale grain with tap water. Also has a weird lager taste to it. Really do not care for the taste of this beer.

M: Leaves a very full feeling in my mouth and a crispness on the tip of the tongue. Really nothing special here either.

O: I have loved almost every beer that Avery has put out, but this one truly falls flat. Just not a good beer at all.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 04:21:28 | More by gtermi

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a caramel color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of fruits, malts, yeast. Taste is mild, some spices, fruits, a bit malty, smooth but not strong flavor. Feels full bodied in the mouth and overall is a refreshing and easy drinking beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 14:52:05 | More by tone77

chinchill

South Carolina

3.63/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle. No clear date despite codes stamped on the bottle.

A: Apricot/amber in color; Hazy with a small, cream-colored head after a semi-vigorous pour. Head, and particularly the ring, has good retention. Decent lacing. Some sediment coated the bottom of the empty bottle.

S: Subtle; Sweet, fruity and floral, with notes of caramel and toffee over light malt. Mild and tame for style.

T: Follows the aroma: again, quite pleasant but not particularly true to style and too mild.

M: Medium-light body. Excellent carbonation. A bit watery.

O: A refreshing and exceptionally easy to drink Belgian pale ale. But this meek beer lacks substance; if there were a category for light Belgian pales, this beer would fit there. So, a decent session ale and a good transitional beer for those new to craft beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 00:13:22 | More by chinchill

Lemke10

Wisconsin

3.23/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I got this as part of a M&M 6pk at Everett's in South Beloit, IL for $9.99 in Early 2012.

Pours a golden amber color with a bubbly off white head. Not much of a scent other then some hints of grains as nothing stands out. Texture is smooth and creamy. Wheats and sweet citrus tickle your taste buds. Some hints of coriander and banana are evident as well. A good refreshing drink that is what I consider to be a high end Blue Moon beer. A great summertime drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 03:46:27 | More by Lemke10

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

2.28/5  rDev -33.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

12oz bottle to stange. Batch 11103B1. Sampled 11/13/11.

A: A small, cream-colored head 1 finger high is produced on the pour, semi-long lasting. The body is lightly cloudy and golden amber in color. Spare lacing.

S: Caramel and toffee scented malts with a light and slightly faded floral hop character. Vague fruit inclusions. Spicy/fruity esters courtesy of the yeast strain. Not particularly Belgian-esque either.

T: The malt foundation sort of interferes with the hop and yeast selection. Flesh of plum and caramel struggle to co-exist. The flavor doesn't provide a whole lot to react to. Nearly void.

M: Medium body. Just the right amount of carbonation. Semi-dry finish.

O: Without a bottle date - and this being my first crack at Karma - I can't tell if this beer is fresh or not. If it is fresh, it's not apparent, and I am not a fan of this beer at all. (A quick check on Avery's website indicates that this beer is anywhere from 3 to 7 months old so, no, not very fresh at all.)

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 13:40:06 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

metter98

New York

3.35/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: The beer is clear amber-orange in color and has a light amount of carbonation. It poured with a half finger high light beige head that quickly died down, leaving a thin film of bubbles covering the surface and a thin ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light aromas of caramel malts and spicy and herbal hops in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and additionally has flavors of apples and pears. There are notes of malty sweetness; no bitterness is noticeable.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a low amount of carbonation. There are some hints of dryness in the finish.
O: The beer has an interesting smell and taste but could use stronger aromas and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 00:49:36 | More by metter98

mountdew1

New Hampshire

3.13/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a chalice. A nice dark golden amer color, with a 2 finger bubbly dirty white head. Plenty of carbonation rose from the bottom. Head clung to the sides nicely, and left a thin central layer on top. Aroma was floral, with a small hint of spice hiding in the back. Very small tad of sour. Taste was yeasty up front, but then shifted to a light floral/citrus. Felt ok in the mouth, perhaps a smidge thin, and a smidge overcarbonated, but not terrible. Overall a reasonable beer, but nothing I would go out of my way for.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 23:13:05 | More by mountdew1

Jplachy

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: I didn't get much of a head from this beer but it poured a beautiful copper color.

S: I get mostly fruit followed by malt or caramel.

T: It's sweet with almost no bitterness. Lightly fruity, mildly malty.

M: Mildly carbonation and even a little....oily.

O: I enjoyed this beer but it was nothing special. Drinking one was good and that's probably all I need.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 20:43:38 | More by Jplachy

gustogasmic

Michigan

3.15/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

it's a beautiful clear light red-brown with a quick-forming head, and big soda bubbles for a short second after pouring. light tan lacing.

smells ale-y, syrup and light hops. a little yeast.

taste is simple and great. acidic hit gives way to a beer-y leave that hangs on for a minute and sweetens in the mouth. light, crisp- harsh carbonation at first with a dry leave.

got some respect for avery after a Maharaja on tap. this is nothing close but might be an old bottle- no date listed.

a great sessionable bpa with unique equatorial hop chaacter. gotta get a fresh one.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 07:05:41 | More by gustogasmic

tdm168

North Carolina

3.6/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a light amber with an orangish hue. There's a quarter of an inch of soft, white head that has decent retention. The nose has notes of red apples and faint caramel malt. The flavor is heavy caramel with some faint apple-like fruitiness and some faint yeasty notes. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and smooth with some faint carbonation.

Overall, this is a good beer, but in the long run it's uninteresting. The taste is one dimensional, though enjoyable, the enjoyment is short lived. I wouldn't have this again.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 02:22:03 | More by tdm168

hopfacebrew

Colorado

2.9/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

After rave reviews by both Steve McKenna and my man Paul I thought I would pick some Karma up.

A - Poured from 12oz brown bottle without any dates to a pint. The beer pours a slight copper orange color with a nice 1 finger white head with decent retention and lacing. Some yeast on the bottom of the bottle.

S - A slight bit of spice on the nose along with a light honey, malt, and yeast character. Not a lot to report.

T - The beer starts with a fairly pleasant flavors with a pleasant yeast crisoness to accompany the toasted caramal malt. A mild bitterness with a wheat hint. However as the beer develops the pleasantness of the flavor dissapates to a thin watery disappointing flavor. It dies.

M - Light bodied and semi crisp and dry finish.

O - I want to like this beer but I don't. I think the aroma is lacking and the flavor dies and fades and really drops the ball. Starts out nice but just doesn't cut it. Won't be back.

Note: This review was a re-post from my former account, jmkratt, which was hacked and I lost all my reviews...sorry for the redundancy.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 03-31-2011 01:52:01

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 13:51:52 | More by hopfacebrew

buschbeer

Ohio

3.48/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle
Served in a snifter

A - It pours a deep amber color, and is topped with two inches of beige head.

S - The aroma is fruity and spicy. I get pear, peach, and spices.

T - The taste leans more towards the spicy side. I really don't detect the pear or peach, but I get a green apple flavor.

M - Medium with heavy carbonation.

O - It is an alright beer that I won't be getting excited over each "limited release".

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 03:09:32 | More by buschbeer

KDawg

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

poured into a tulip. Pours a nice dark orange color with a small head that disappears rather fast

nice aromas of orange peels, citrus and some hops. Lacking some depth though

medium bodied with a nice feel. Still lacking depth with some orange peels and hops

a decent beer. Lacking on both the aromas and flavor, but very drinkable with some decent hops along with it

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 03:00:15 | More by KDawg

TTAmod

Michigan

2.93/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz. bottle poured into tulip.

This beer dark for a BPA. It's a clear, dark orange. There is a minimal white head, but good lacing.

Smell is also minimal, but I detect some dark fruits (grape?)

Taste is pretty subdued dark fruits, yeast, sugar, and a hint of pepper on the finish. It's not bitter at all and tastes more like a soda rather than a beer.

Mouthfeel is fairly thin and the carbonation is prickly.

This is really the first time I've been a bit disappointed by Avery. It's not a horrible beer, but it's just "meh" and the BPA is a pretty tough category. Picked this up as part of a mixed six pack, so that's good. I couldn't really imagine having to drink six of these.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2011 23:32:47 | More by TTAmod

dorianmarley

Ohio

3.35/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Appearance is very nice golden orange. Pancake white head and nice lacing.

Nose is caramelized malt, orange zest, and hardy hops.

Taste is an exciting assortment of caramel, orange zest, sour candy, light bread, and light hops. Tastes shift like a good Belgian. However, after a few sips, the flavors fade and mesh into a soda-like sensation.

Mouthfeel is clean and refreshing with mild carbonation. However, the carbonation picks up at the end like club soda; muddling the taste.

Overall, starts off great, but the carbonation and mouthfeel are so distracting that the entire brew becomes a disapointment.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 01:07:01 | More by dorianmarley

kennylopez

New Jersey

2.98/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: a hazy golden yellow with a 1/4 inch of white head that fades after the pour and leaves no lacing.

Smells: there is a mild Belgian yeast note that I pick up through the floral hop base.

Tastes/mouthfeel: this is a unique pale ale with a tangy sort of Belgian twist. there is a cream kind of front from in the carbonation that finishes with the bitterness of the deliciousness from a good balance of hops.

Overall: I personally don't think I am going to buy it again for myself, but my girlfriend and the brother like quite a bit so it will probably make its way back into my beer fridge again in the future.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 18:26:40 | More by kennylopez

jwhancher

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a slightly hazy gold color with smallish head. Perfume like aromas with slight berry notes. Tastes pretty clean and neutral. Almost seems like a blond ale to me. Feels light with low bitterness. Overall, was expecting more from this brew, but it's not bad by any means. Would be a great starter beer for a novice craft beer drinker.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 00:49:08 | More by jwhancher

3HovsepiansBrews

California

3.1/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Opaque burnt orange with a cream head and long-lasting lace.

S - Pungent fruity and spicy esters. Some grassiness as well.

T - Some sour fruit flavors that turn into more subtle dark fruits like prunes. There is a little caramel, but not much. There is a sour finish of citrus fruit that sits on the front of your tongue at the end of the sip along with some yeast flavor.

M - The head is pretty creamy and fluffy.

O - This beer looks nice and is trying hard to be a Belgian Pale Ale. However ,the nose and flavor profile don't quite make it. There are hints of the genre, but it is lacking overall.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 04:11:35 | More by 3HovsepiansBrews

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

3.15/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Orange and mostly clear with a little haze, big fluffy head with staying power and very good lace.

Smell is a blend of spice, malt, yeast and a little hops, not real strong but pleasant enough.

Taste is toasty malts and a slightly astringent spiciness, with a touch of hops crispness and a touch of lemon peel.

Body is a little thinner than I'd like. Carbonation was ok enough.

Overall it's not very memorable for the style

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 19:32:38 | More by AlCaponeJunior

MsRif

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a lovely golden color with a decent beige head. Head mostly receded, with a small amount of lacing. Aroma was that of funky earthiness. Yeasty, sweet, citrusy and funky. Dark fruit was barely noticeable but still there in the taste, while the yeast and earthiness took over for the most part. Still some light citrus notes.

Medium-bodied. A funky but drinkable beer with decent carbonation. Complexity is there, but not totally balanced. Refreshing, but not that memorable and not a preferred Belgian Pale Ale for me.

Serving type: on-tap

10-27-2011 22:10:01 | More by MsRif