Old Jubilation - Avery Brewing Company

RBorsato

Virginia

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Copper, auburn color with a nice tan head that leaves good lace. A hoppy malty balanced aroma and taste. Piney and sprucey aromas from the hops (?) Hard to tell if this is spiced or not ... Full bodied (leans medium) and creamy with a bitter finish.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2002 13:15:32 | More by RBorsato

DarthMalt

Virginia

3.85/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Wow! 8% a.b.v.? I find that hard to believe, since the entire beer hardly hints of anything alcoholic.

But this is certainly a Jingle Bells beer. The Currier-and-Ives looking label is very classy and gets you feeling all warm and fuzzy before the cap is even off. A nice dark-amber-red color looks warm and inviting.

Hops get the party started, however. There's a strong and "stanky" hop wiff just daring you to join in the fun. And you won't be disappointed, as an explosion of fruity hops, plum-like esters, and sugary crystal malts all jump in the pit and mosh heavily.

A smidge of roasted-toasted malts foil the fun, but you'd actually have to stop halfway through a chug to find them, which is not likely to happen with this beer.

Happy Holidays!

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2002 20:24:22 | More by DarthMalt

ZAP

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A very nice old ale....great nose of raisens/dark fruits and some floral hops....reddish borwn with a nifty little tan lace that rims the glass....great maltiness on the buds...has a bit of a Barley Wine flavor to it...dark fruits and also some nutty characteristic...the floral hop finish is wonderfull....some alcohol is evident but it is 8 %...pretty easy drinking...very solid overall

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2002 22:09:02 | More by ZAP

Bighuge

Minnesota

3.78/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This brew is a deep dark ruby. A one finger creamy tan head tops the brew and sticks around for awhile. Sweet malt dominates on the nose, but there are also some hints of flowery hop notes. This is a solid old ale, but just a notch below some of the great old ales that come out around X-mas time (like Summit's). The malt presence is very firm and almost dominating in this beer. Sweet caramel like tones. There is a bit of a lingering bitterness though. And it's just a little "off." That is what dropped the drinkability rating to a 3.

Thanks once again to cokes for landing my a solid brew that I can't get my hands on here in the Twin Cities.


Some additional notes on Feb. 11, 2003:

I also recoginize a slight dry roasted character to this brew. And I upped the drinkability since I no longer notice the lingering off bitterness. Thank you to Davo for my second sampling of this brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2002 21:22:20 | More by Bighuge

Andy

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark ruby color with nutty malt nose. Very malty upfront, almost cloying, with too much hop flavor. Hops actually detract from the malt flavor.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2002 19:49:40 | More by Andy

cokes

Wisconsin

3.98/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a nice deep scarlet hue with a lasting dense, frothy head. Smell of dark fruit and quite malty.
These scents materialize in the taste. A nice stab at an Old Ale. Raisin and other dark fruit tastes. Just enough floral hops to keep things evened out. Very enjoyable and drinkable for a brew of this magnitude. This one has been sitting on the shelf for several months and has the integration to prove it. Slightly sweet, alcoholic finish that brings with it a little warming sensation
Maybe a tad too thin for a brew of this strength, but this helps add to the overall drinkability.
Probably the best Avery Brew I have had to date.
A very nice seasonal.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2002 00:21:09 | More by cokes