Old Jubilation - Avery Brewing Company

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark brown but yet opaque enough to see through. Two finger ivory colored head. Solid mouthfeel. Smell is awesome - all malts - rich, dark, some chocolate. Flavor reveals more of the same. I really appreciate this take on a holiday brew - no crazy spices - just a nice, thick, quality beer for warming up with by the fireside.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 21:45:53 | More by Oakenator

tkail

4.45/5  rDev +15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Dark carmel color with thick foam. Nice lacing that hung on. Scents of chocolate, caramel, and some slight grassy citrus aroma. Taste hits you right away. Extremely smooth, medium chocolate flavors with toasted barleys. Really smooth - could knock back several of these. High alcohol content makes 3-4 just perfect.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 00:34:37 | More by tkail

TXHops

Texas

4.43/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Old Jubilation is Avery’s winter seasonal, available October-December. My bottle (thanks to Marc77) poured a deep, brilliant, reddish brown with a thick head that lasted pretty well for about 90 seconds, before fading into uneven clumps of foam here and there on the top of the glass, streaming lace. The nose was vinous, spicy and brown sugary—like many west coast winter ales (MacTarnahan’s Bobbydazzler, Full Sail Wassail, and Pyramid Snowcap come to mind), though Old Jubilation smelled a bit more malty and a bit less spicy than those PNW offerings…

Old Jubilation has a medium-full body (about as expected from an 8% offering) with a nice, tight, non-prickly carbonation falling somewhere between soft and crisp. The flavor is malt driven, but not Crystal malts—I taste mostly dry chocolate malts. In fact, it’s the dryish aspect of the darker malts that give this beer a good chunk of its earthy, dry, pipe-tobacco-like character. The finish is the same—lingering, dry, roasted maltiness with a solid bitterness that doesn’t taste particularly hoppy. I understand that this beer is single-hopped with Bullions, but I wouldn’t know what a Bullion tasted like after having this beer alone, as the hops seem to mainly impart malt-balancing bitterness in the case of Old Jubilation. The sweetness is very appetizing, even as it’s juxtaposed against the dryness of the high-kilned malts and the hops, leaving a beautiful combination of brown sugar and roasted, sweetened nuts in my mouth. What a beautifully balanced, complex ale. I wish I had more of this one…

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2003 19:37:12 | More by TXHops

kosmoraios

Washington

4.43/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I've enjoyed every Avery product so far, and was in the mood for a seasonal, so I picked up a 6 of this. Pours a deep nutty brown color with a hint of red. The head bubbled to two fingers, decent for a slow pour, a foamy tan that laced well. Smell was nutty and malty-sweet, with some cocoa and plum. Taste was excellent, deep and rich, with hazlenut, cocoa, dark fruit and black tea, with a just-right hoppy finish. Not so thick as to be too filling, extremely drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2005 23:46:19 | More by kosmoraios

athensbeermaster

Georgia

4.43/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Burnt amber red just a hint of light shows thru on the color. The head is so impressive. Thick rootbeer like head two inches thick.
good lacing on the glass. The nose had a herbal almost a grey earl tea aroma. The rich flavor of roasted malts and a hint of toffy. The finish taste like a good french roast coffee. with a slight hint of clove. The reason I like this winter warmer is the brewer say's he adds no spices. The hint of clove I talked about was very faint.
The alcohol level is just right. They say this brew really shines at about two years in the cellar.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2006 18:23:14 | More by athensbeermaster

Zorro

California

4.43/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Sampled due to the kindness of gbontrag.

This is a clear dark brown colored beer with a good light brown head. The appearance is a lot like coke in the glass.

Smell is sweet malt and spicy. Lots of cinnamon and ginger in the aroma and a nice woody base aroma. Vanilla and chocolate are nice and strong here and there is a slight scent of menthol or mint.

Taste is medium sweet and very malty at the start along with a strong hit of dark roasted malt that comes through as chocolate. This ale stings the tongue a little bit from what I interpret to be ginger; I am mildly allergic to ginger so your sensation might differ some. Good warming sensation from this ale which is sort of the point of a beer called a "Winter Warmer." Spicy and woody with a decent amount of bitterness the hop level is about perfect here. Spices are vanilla, cinnamon, ginger and a little orange peel. Good amount of chocolate flavor here and just a trace of scorched sugar.

Mouthfeel is good.

A mighty and tasty beer here that is among the best of the winter warmers. The main feature of this beer is it is perfectly in balance with all its parts. A tasty beer that isn't overly sweet, bitter, spiced or dumbed down to suit the Budweiser fans. One of the better beers that Avery makes probably the best one in fact.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2006 04:37:57 | More by Zorro

ultralarry2006

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle. Leaves a one finger head that recedes to a longlasting surface skim, and there is excellent lacing. Body is a red tinted medium brown. Looks really good.

Smell - hearty aroma of caramel and malt toast, and malt biscuits. Very simple, but mouthwatering.

Taste - pretty much like the smell, but with a spicy tingle. There is caramel, malt toast, and malt biscuits, all spiced with ginger and black pepper. On the finish, there is some bitterness combined with cherries. Very interesting, and very good.

Mouthfeel - full, smooth, and " fluffy " ( like when you are eating puffed grain cereal ) .

Drinkability - this is very good ale, and only the high abv suppresses sessionability. This is very hearty, and I wish it was a year round option.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2007 20:04:42 | More by ultralarry2006

twiggamortis420

Texas

4.43/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This one is aged about 8 months, 2008 vintage. Pours a pretty clear reddish-amber color with an impressive pillow of tan foam that has good retention and average lacing.

This smells mighty tasty, a complex myriad of aromas. Heavily sweetened peanut brittle, maple syrup, overripe figs, molasses, sour cherries and citric hops...wow!

The taste does not disappoint, as raw vanilla beans, oak staves and dark chocolaty maltiness assault the tastebuds. All this with no spices? That is a mighty feat indeed. Malty goodness with a nice hop balance. This is a fine winter warmer from Avery.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2009 04:49:19 | More by twiggamortis420

omnigrits

Texas

4.43/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark amber colour with a moderate head that fades quickly to leave a ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.

The smell is immediately malt but with so many other elements in there. Toffee, caramel, even cognac.

The taste follows up with even more to enjoy. The hops in this one have faded a bit but there's still plenty of bitterness and hop flavour and a superbly bitter finish. An incredibly complex beer but not overdone.

Mouthfeel is good but not exceptional. Smooth but maybe lacking body a little for the style.

Really nice. I could drink a few of these.

Serving type: on-tap

07-10-2010 18:23:00 | More by omnigrits

grittybrews

Washington

4.43/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2010 bottle, opened 10/2011. Poured cola brown with a ruby tinge and a half finger of khaki head. Sweet, malt-dominated aroma with dark fruit, caramel, and spice.

Moderate carbonation and a full, creamy mouthfeel. Biscuity toffee malt up front with molasses, traces of dark cocoa, fig, dark fruit, and lingering cinnamon/spice. Just a touch of boozy warmth on the finish as the beer warms, with a gentle roasty bitterness that gradually emerges too.

Malty but not overly sweet. Really nice beer; I bought this bottle last year and stuck it in the cellar, and now I'm curious to try some fresh as well. Up there with Jubelale as a favorite winter warmer.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2011 04:32:31 | More by grittybrews

JackieTH

Minnesota

4.43/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Dark mahogany, translucent, with a half inch of khaki foam that recedes slowly leaving copious lacing. Smell is thoroughly caramel sweet malt and dark dried fruits with pervasive chocolate. Taste is caramel and dark chocolate malt, mildly sweet throughout but reigned in, finishing dry, subtle hop bitterness. Is there some coffee in here too?  Chocolate on the finish too. Mouthfeel is silly and well crafted. Perfect carbonation.  Very, very good. I added this bottle at random to a make your own six pack.  I'll definitely revisit it in the future. Jubilation indeed. 

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2012 05:53:42 | More by JackieTH

ummswimmin

New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I picked this up in Florida, but I am surprised that I didn't see it in New Jersey.

I poured this beer into a tulip. There was minimal foam. The color was very clean reddish.

THis beer had a sweet, fruity smell. It is almost like apple. It is a very proper smell for the style.

This has good old ale flavor, lots of toffee, nutty, and lots of malt. They brag on "no spices" and this beer really doesn't need any. This has great balance.

I would have aged a couple bottles of this for aging if I had seen this in New Jersey.

I am a big fan of Avery, and this beer is another reason why. They do a great job.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2012 01:34:57 | More by ummswimmin

DavoleBomb

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a snifter. 2007 vintage, so somewhere in the 5-6 year old range.

3.5 A: Deep brown borderline black color. Just a short frothy head formed and fell quickly. No lacing. In any case, I'm happy about the carbonation level at this point.

4.5 S: Seems that this has aged quite nicely. Still quite potent, but also with smooth, well integrated aromas. Big toastiness, dry caramel, light tobacco, and a pleasant spiciness. Dry overall, but balanced. Not a ton of complexity, but that tends to happen when a beer is aged so long. Despite this, it smells amazing.

4.5 T: Like the nose, it's hard to find any problem in the taste. Lots of toastiness, caramel, and dry graininess. No hints of booze at all. Fairly dry, but again, balanced.

4.25 M: Medium body. A little undercarbonated compared to what I'd expect fresh, but easily enough for a beer this age. Goes down super easy, but a bit more body and creaminess would be nice.

4.5 D: This drinks like a session beer. So easy to drink. I'm furious that I don't have another. Tons of flavor, great balance, and no problems.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 01:29:38 | More by DavoleBomb

hyuga

North Carolina

4.4/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A deep mahogany brew rests in my glass, topped with a creamy, sticky head of cream-color. The nose suggests Christmastime spices, but the website suggests that they used no spices whatsoever in the brewing of this ale, apart from, of course, our friends the hops. A woody and nutty aroma with hop crispness is present moreso than the aforementioned, however. It's very crisp on the tongue as well, but also deep and malty in a warming way. A well-placed hop bite at the beginning, balanced in the middle by thick grain and caramel malt with a nutty and woody character. Leafy at the back, leading to a crisp finish. Subtly creamy mouthfeel. A fine beer, perfect for a winter night with a book or other form of quiet enjoyment.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2003 07:40:03 | More by hyuga

mzwolinski

California

4.4/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Clear, dark amber in color -- almost red, actually. Head is a spotty, dirty white. Nice aroma -- molassess with a slight fruitiness and a floral hop bouquet. Rich in flavor -- brown sugar with a somewhat burnt malt taste. Unsweetened chocolate, raisins and other dark fruit. Finish is pleasantly bitter with a light smokiness to the aftertaste. Full bodied but well carbonated and balanced-seeming in terms of flavor. Good stuff, no less than what I'd expect from Avery!

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2004 22:54:00 | More by mzwolinski

jdhilt

New Hampshire

4.4/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours with a one-finger cream head that fades slowly leaving traces of lace. Clear amber color. Medium bodied. Nose is malty. Medium carbonation. Starts with a mix of malt and hops but as it warms more maltiness comes through. Different from other winter wamers - no spices, very warm finish. $1.75 for a 12oz bottle from Liquor Barn Lexington, KY.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2004 23:11:06 | More by jdhilt

BassAssassin

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

--2006 Vintage--

A: Amber in color, similar to maple syrup. Thick, almost tan head that stays until the last sip.

S: Sweet with strong aromas of plum, cherry, and raisin. The yeast adds a certain musty character that is very pleasant. It's hard to tell, but some diacetyl might be present, also.

T: Sweet, spicy, and fruity, much like the smell. Immediate alcohol warmth. Hints of diacetyl add character, rather than detract from this brew. Malt is definitely dominant. Finishes with a smoky hop bite that just barely keeps the malt in check.

M: Medium to full bodied. Smooth and round, but not cloying.

D: This could be my favorite winter warmer. Perfect sipping brew for a cold, snowy day. A definite "must buy" each winter season.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2007 17:43:36 | More by BassAssassin

DavidSeanNJ

New Jersey

4.4/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-Tap...

A- Dark muddy brown/amber color. Creamy off white tan head. This head was really wavy and hilly with lots of nooks and crannies. Lacing, yeah it was there, but not a ton. Nice looking beer.

S- Smell was of chocolate and spice. This beer was surprisngly sweet smelling, but in a really good way. It wasn't cloying, it wasn't artificial, it was just pleasant. You could tell that this one was going to be malty as hell.

T- Just as I suspected, this is a malt bomb. Absolutely terrific taste. Lots of chocolate, vanilla, cream, spice, and toffee. Really balanced. Nothing too sweet or over the top.

M- Rich, thick, creamy, sticky.

D- Well, this one is really filling. I could drink one or two but thats it. The flavors and ABV will kick your ass.

I loved this one...

Serving type: on-tap

11-02-2008 19:46:23 | More by DavidSeanNJ

beerluvr

New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Oh baby! A clingy and lacy ivory head, ultra deep rubine redness in the Sierra Nevada balloon glass. Intense heavy maltiness you can smell even before the glass is under your nose, with some dark fruitiness thrown in too. Deep fruity and malty flavors wash over the palate, unleashing bready/doughy notes as well. All balanced by a perfect hoppy bitterness. Wonderfully balanced between the malt and hop. The long delicious finish is teasingly bittersweet, just begs for another sip. Kick-ass!
Thanks, CRJM for this one!

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2004 20:01:41 | More by beerluvr

beerogre

New York

4.38/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I first encountered Old Jubilation last year, when I purchased it along with some Hibernation Ale, and I was immediately impressed by it as a very drinkable Winter Warmer, and as good as the Hibernation Ale was, I always slightly preferred this beer over it.

Towards the end of the Holiday Season last year, I decided to keep a bottle back, to see how it compared with the 2006 release, and I have to say that for those planning to get into cellaring, it really is worthwhile when you finally get to sample the goods.

This year's batch is every bit as good as I was expecting, but you really can taste the benefit the extra year has had on the 2005 version. It is just so much better in every way, the taste is richer, definitely sweeter and has acquired some sherry like aspects, and the mouthfeel is much smoother.

It makes me wonder how far you can go with this ageing process: If this is the result of my minor experiment with a good beer for one year, what about some of those great beers that are put down for several years or more?, They must be truely fantastic.

Interesting, very interesting.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2006 02:26:00 | More by beerogre

cindyjeffsmith

Georgia

4.38/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Purchased at Boo's in Columbus, Ga.
I had this last Christmas and loved it. Put a few bottles in the 'cellar' and I'll try to wait.
appearance - tawny and clear, like an aged port.
smell - something I can't pin down....maybe the hazelnuts mentioned by Avery? Maybe the combo of 5 malts.
taste - delicious.
This is exactly what I want on a cold winter day. We don't have many of those in Ga. but it's pretty chilly and my bones are still thawing from a trip to a snow laden UK.
This is a nice brew from one of my fave breweries.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2009 23:34:21 | More by cindyjeffsmith

TheHoppiest

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a vintage 2009 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Pours a deep ochre, with ruby highlights when held up to the light. A thick, pillowy ivory head settles at 1/4" high and remains.

Boozy, yeasty and malty, with caramel and burnt sugar aromas. There are also hints of figs in this beer.

Taste starts sweet, with definite alcohol and yeast, grapes, currants and other dark fruit, and raisins. Ends with a stripe of bitter down the middle of my tongue.

Buttery mouthfeel, this is a medium to full bodied brew.

Cellaring this beer for a year didn't hurt it one bit. My only disappointment was that I was not able to find a 2010 vintage (which was why I saved this from last year) to contemporaneously compare this to. Highly drinkable, this is an excellent winter warmer.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2011 02:42:17 | More by TheHoppiest

Backer2004

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Paid less than $1.50 by purchasing a single in a six pack mix. What a deal! Pours fantastic, a great head and lacing that sat in the glass for a good while. Not sure about the 8% alcohol content - North Carolina still limits selling beer over 6% and I could not find out anything on this. Drinks great from start to finish. Would definitely go back and purchase this "winter warmer" again.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2004 03:08:28 | More by Backer2004

hobbes2112

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle

Pours a cola brown with large (three finger) head that has really long retention (6 minutes to reduce by 50%! ) Smell is very heavy on the malts which is understandable considering they used 5 different types to make it. Also noted are roast nuts and coffee. Taste is wonderful and a perfect way to start the cool season. For lack of a better term it started "woody" reminding me of raking leaves and stacking firewood. Malt is strong as suggested by the head, but surprisingly there is quite a hop presence that I didn't note at all in the smell. Nutty and dry finish.

Fantastic winter warmer, one more reason I love this time of year.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2004 20:45:03 | More by hobbes2112

granger10

Wisconsin

4.35/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Got this bottle thanks to CRJMellor's cooler of goodies at the West Mich. BA Gathering!

Pours a deep burgundy color then looks almost purple in a different light. Very unusualy color. Medium frothy yellow head leaves a bit quickly. Moderate lacing. Almost looks like a dark wine in the end.

Lots of toffee, plums in the aroma but they're matched by a grapefruit citrus hoppiness, as this one warms I start getting more alcohol.

The taste in this beer is awesome, esp as it warms. When it's a bit colder its a little too sweet and rough but when it gets to around room temp the flavors really come out and combine together. Very thick bodied beer. Sherry notes at first (maybe from some oxidation?). Malts are chocolate in sweetness and nutty underneath. Alcohol warmth is apparent but there aren't really any fusels in here. Finish brings a hoppy acidity that lingers.

Great mouthfeel in here, good lively beer with a nice thick body. The alcohol seems just right here. Unlike most Avery beers that show much more alcohol than they really have this one packs the perfect punch for what a Winter Warmer should be. I was actually kind of hoping for some fusel alcohol's since its so damn cold up here in Michigan and I thought I'd get that with an Avery, but this one surprised me. Very good. Thanks Craig!

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2005 14:41:04 | More by granger10