Collaboration Not Litigation Ale - Avery Brewing Company

OneDropSoup

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Acquired this at Vintage Estate on my last trip.

Poured into a stemmed tulip: Orangey-brown body with bright orange highlights a finger of beautifully spongy, smooth head. Dumped some sediment in, so there are plenty of suspended bits. Wah-waaah. Spotty dabs of lacing.

Smells of Belgian yeast & a combo of cooked orange, nutmeg, anise, toasted sugar. Mild, funky mustiness. A rum-like, sugary alcohol shows up quick & hangs around.

Spiciness from smell carries through in the taste with a sweetness like yams & brown sugar. Strong alcohol, strong flavors that just get muddled together. Overly sweet & spicy in a way reminiscent of a strong fall or pumpkin ale.

Full-bodied & creamy with a quick & lasting booze heat.

Gotta say, this was pretty disappointing. The flavors were too heavy & muddy, alcohol too alcoholic. Really wanted to like this one, but it struck me as a generic Belgian-esque interpretation.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2010 12:11:12 | More by OneDropSoup

kingcrowing

Vermont

3/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22oz bomber poured into a Duvel tulip. Batch #3, bottled in February 2009.

Pours a murky, muddy odd brown color with a small light brown head with minimal lacing. Nose is really malty, raisins, dark fruits, molasses and brown sugar.

Mouthfeel is a bit lighter than I'd like but the finish is nice and smooth, it's very bready and yeasty with a light tartness that's nice but not over the top. Something is a bit odd about the beer though, I guess it's just an odd mix of beers. Super cool concept, not the best result.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2010 00:41:34 | More by kingcrowing

alexhahn82

California

3/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Batch#5 -- ABV 8.91%

A - 1.25 finger head that grows and dissipates at a medium pace.

S - Yeasty sweetness and yeast aka Yeast, Sweet, Yeast in that order!

T/M - A semi spicy and yeasty upfront with moderate carbonation, almost a pumpkin pie like spice to it.

O - Not too shabby, overall an average Belgian style Ale. Killer 8.91% ABV in batch#5. Not too overpoweringly sweet or spicy as some Belgian's go. Meh, make up your own mind, I am not into this style so I probably wouldn't go there again!

PP (Price Point) - $10.99 for a 22oz is a somewhat average bang for the buck, Definitely worth it if you are a Belgian Ale fan!

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 01:29:31 | More by alexhahn82

Bookseeb

Washington

3/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Batch #5
Appearance has a hazed copper color producing a thin head with moderate dissapation leaving spotty lace. Smell of Belgian yeast, spice, dark fruits having a light barnyard note. Taste as with the aroma thats a little musty maybe even a little more barnyardy. Mouthfeel is medium with good carbonation. Ok for the style, have had better.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 01:50:11 | More by Bookseeb

DogFood11

California

3.03/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Foiled and capped brown 750ml bottle. Poured into a tulip it forms an everlasting white head. Copper body is unusual for the style. Carbonation is plentifull and super fine.

I wasn't a "huge" fan of either of these attempts on their own but the mix sounded interesting. There is a soda feel to this in that the carbonation is fizzy, almost pop rock style on the palate. Candied at times and late in the aftertaste some light spices sink in. There is a subtle woody backer with a touch of tobacco that comes out as it fades. As it warmed it got a bit musky for my liking.

Notes: I would have liked a sturdier body and a bit more of the woody side that I liked. Ehhhh....this isn't that good of a mix to me. I thought it would be solid gold and bought 4 bottles, no worries though as its just below average.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2007 04:47:48 | More by DogFood11

NJpadreFan

New Jersey

3.03/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Avery- Collaboration Not Litigation

Appearance- Hazy reddish brown with no head.
Smell- Sweet dried fruits like prune, raisin, and cherry. Alcohol noted as well.
Taste- Immediate alcohol but quickly being replaced by a strong candi sugar. Huge raisin, prune, and cherry flavors come out.
Mouthfeel- Syrupy sweet with an alcohol twang.

Overall- I drank 2 pints of this and it became too cloying. Not a bad tasting beer but very its very sweet and the alcohol is always present.

Serving type: on-tap

03-18-2007 13:50:00 | More by NJpadreFan

ChazMania

California

3.05/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bomber, bottled Jan 2007. I have been chilling this for a few months, waiting for a good moment to savor. It pours lighter than I expected. The head is a good one finger and lingers with lacing. The aroma is faint, not very strong at all. The first flavor for me was faint banana. Some slight spice and fig flavor but it's not very pronounced. Although it is a good beer, i would not call it exceptional or unique to my palate.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2007 03:13:19 | More by ChazMania

hckyfn9999

Missouri

3.08/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Batch #2.

Pours a reddish brown color. Aroma is fruity and yeasty, also a bit spicy. Taste sort of sweet and sour. Lots of candied sugar combined with a cherry like tartness. Very musty like yeast flavor here. Mouthfeel is medium. This beer doesn't really do anything for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2008 00:03:45 | More by hckyfn9999

natelocc787

California

3.08/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

This beer had a decent amount of sediment which hurt my opinion of it but I am leaving an unbiased review of the beer as if it had none. Just thought potential buyers would like to know. Average IMO. The Avery Salvation was much better. Off flavor somewhere in this bottle. Dark raisin and prune juice. Red apple and fig jam. Silky,foamy and dry texture. Wasn't bad but I won't buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2009 01:39:10 | More by natelocc787

kraken6100

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Batch #3 from 2009, 22oz bottle poured into a 16oz Chimay goblet.

A- Walnut receding to a mahogany around the edges. small bits of yeast still escaped into the glass. Thumb sized head.

S- whoppers malted milk ball candy (sweet malt and chocolate?), with some banana esters and a sweet, bready aroma. There is a fruit somewhere along the line of prune or raisin. No figs or overly dark fruits. Caramel as well.

T- Vanilla without a barrel-aged heat. Certainly the sweet malts and caramel taste are prevalent. Some dry spiciness at the end, but goes pretty well. As it warms, I'm just getting more of the same, maybe more of a specific brown sugar taste. This might be that Turbinado sugar they allude to on the label. It's good, not great. Certainly not bad.

M- Nice and carbonated still. Surprisingly light, despite the big sweet flavors and spicier finish. Not syrupy or cloying at the end at all.

O- Not bad, not spectacular. It's already a bit on the sweet side, so I don't regret having busted it open. Not sure how much more this would've changed. I got it pretty cheap, and it was definitely a nice change from all the pales and sours I've been drinking lately.

Would be good with some Asiago cheese for sure.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2011 00:22:01 | More by kraken6100

Chaney

District of Columbia

3.1/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Bottled in January 2011; Batch 5

A: Sort of a brick, dirty brown color, no transparency due to cloudiness, and a small slightly off-white head that went almost flat fairly fast.

S: Belgian funk for sure, but this was muted substantially by pillowy yeast, and dark fruit (dates and raisons primarily).

T: Same as the nose, and a bit boring actually. It sort of reminded me of a slightly flat, sweeter version of RR Damnation. Fruity, smooth finish with ever the slightest bit of dryness.

M: A bit thin actually and VERY low in carbonation. Was this intentional? The lack of creaminess that might have given this brew a more interesting character followed suit. Absolutely no lacing whatsoever. Bummer...

O: Ho-hum...: I never thought I would use that to describe a RR (or even an Avery) beer. I had this one once last year before I started reviewing and didn't think much of it then either. It certainly looks like my taste for this one hasn't changed...

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2011 01:54:51 | More by Chaney

Stoneman78

California

3.13/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On draft at O'Brien's

Appearance is a dense orange-amber hue, thing sprinkling of white foam, moderate lacing

Smell is light fruits, sugary sweetness, Belgian yeasts, very subtle overall

Taste is also light fruits and belgian yeast, pale and caramel malts, hints of dark fruit in the middle, some brown sugar and molasses near the end, moderate alcohol in the finish

Mouthfeel is medium-bodied, creamy thick texture, high carbonation

Drinkability is moderate, initially pleasing flavor profile quickly fades from the palate leaving very little to linger, alcohol and carbonation are both on the verge of being distracting, expected more bold flavor for this style

Serving type: on-tap

06-25-2008 06:25:15 | More by Stoneman78

MaxSpang

Ohio

3.13/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served in a snifter. Batch 5 brewed in January 2011.

APPEARANCE

The beer pours a dark brownish red. There is some light that comes through the glass, and the beer is slightly hazy. There was a decent off-white head that disappeared fast and left no lacing in the glass. Not exactly "dark", but definitely a Belgian-looking brew.

SMELL

I get some juicy dark fruits and Belgian yeast spice at first. There's some citrus notes in the nose, and is followed by slight white pepper and some clove. There are notes of bread and slight raisin. Overall a pleasant smelling brew.

TASTE

Much, much sweeter than expected. Lots of bread notes and dark fruits in this one. There's a lot of alcohol, and the beer seems like it's a lot bigger than 8.91%, and not necessarily in a good way. There are some banana and clove flavors in the taste. The flavor is sort of all over the place, and the hot alcohol is surprisig.

MOUTHFEEL

This beer has a decent body. The alcohol and sweetness Don't make this the most drinkable beer, but it's not exactly hard to drink... It's just sort of a muddled and weird mouth feel that slows you down a bit.

OVERALL

I'm pretty disappointed in this brew. I like Russian River, and I like Avery - so what happened? This is almost a year old, so you'd think it would be smoother by now. I'm not saying this is a bad beer, but it sort of tastes like a Belgian inspired beer from a brewery that has no business making such a beer - which neither of these breweries are. It's close to being a nice beer, but it misses the mark. It's at least worth a taste.

Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 01:05:52 | More by MaxSpang

RidiculedDisplay

California

3.15/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours with a quarter-finger wood grain colored head that quickly dissipates into, well, not a whole lot. Lacing is there, but intermittent and not too impressive. Body is a rather one-trick-pony shade of deep brown, which I've seen before in other BSDA's, but most have a bit more effervescence than this.

Smell: Corky woodiness with some doughy bread qualities. Apples, cinnamon, raisins, hints of peach, some plum, a little too toned down to some degree. The esters I would have liked to have been more assertive. Perhaps a few years on this would do it good in that sense. An alcohol-ey, stinging musk is in the back end that isn't particularly pleasant.

Taste: Apple, cinnamon, still that corky woodiness. The plum esters are more playful here and a bit more assertive. Some banana I didn't notice in the nose. There remains a bitter, alcohol-y sting to this brew, however, which is particularly unpleasant on the swallow. Almost like cough medicine on the tongue. Ech. Sorry, only the esters really save this one.

Mouthfeel: Adequately carbonated. Astringent upon swallowing.

Drinkability: The bitterness/cough medicine-like quality to this brew keeps it from being very enjoyable, or drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2007 05:24:53 | More by RidiculedDisplay

snpub540

California

3.15/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Live review at 38 Degrees in Alhambra CA.

Comes a slightly hazy amber hue, with an eggshell colored head that leaves a nice web-like lacing down the glass. So far the best looking thing I have drank today.

Smell is pretty intense. Mostly cloves and parsley. Also a nice earthiness in there.

Taste is very interesting. A nice herbal belgian flavor. Upfront it is sweet but just for a second and then the herbal spice notes dominate. Clove and a medicinal numbing flavor take over. Very interesting.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied. Drinkability is complicated. The alcohol is not present, but the intense tongue numbing effect make it slightly hard to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

07-19-2010 22:06:35 | More by snpub540

packetknife

Idaho

3.18/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Garnet like color again with a bit more red than I expected and a near-white head that faded quickly and laced cleanly. Quite malty, spicy, and decent yeast on the nose. I'm not picking up any hops on the nose at all. The taste is about the same with some clove present and the missing hops. Good carbonation and body. The finish was ever-so-slightly harsh which makes it only average drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2009 23:23:30 | More by packetknife

bum732

Maryland

3.18/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a cloudy brown, lots of floaties, decent head that dissipates. Smells of bready malt, some chocolate, wine like fruit, some spiciness, . Tastes like a struggle between some fruitiness and some chocolate maltiness, dark maltiness wins. Some molasses and No spiciness that is traditional to belgians, not much bitterness finishing very mellow and earthy. Just a touch of spice and alcohol at the end.

An interesting mix, not quite sure it works. I feel like the taste falls flat, not enough spiciness or fruitiness to cut through the heavy chocolate and dark malt feel. Too bad.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2009 01:32:49 | More by bum732

redneckchugger

Florida

3.18/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a light brown with light head, some lacing.
Smells of bananas and dark fruits.
Taste is all bananas upfront with raisins, plums and a little bit of breadiness on the mid palette, the finish is more bananas and a bit of heat as well. I am really underwhelmed to be honest. Its flavors are disjointed, and too weak, the heat is a big distraction, this beer is a mess. Given Russian river and Avery's track records i expected this collaboration to be better, but its mediocre at best.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2009 17:18:03 | More by redneckchugger

Wisconsinality

Wisconsin

3.18/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Batch 5 poured into Delerium tulip.

A- Pours a dark reddish brown with a small one finger head that recedes quickly but leaves decent lacing on the side of the glass.

S- The Belgian yeast is apparent right away. There is also some candi sugar to go along with some dark fruits and a little bit of caramel. A little bit of wheat and cracker in there as well.

T- The Belgian yeast is a little more subdued than in the nose. The malt is sweet and smooth and there are hints of chocolate and dark fruits.

M- The body is light to medium bodied. I would have preferred it to be a touch heavier. The carbonation tickles the tongue but is relatively smooth on the way down.

O- I don't know how old this is or how long it sat on the shelf but it seems to be a slight bit oxidized. That or there is something a little off about it.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2011 12:39:00 | More by Wisconsinality

steeltown71

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Dark orange, lively carbonation, moderate head retention.

S: Cinnamon roll, raisins, nutmeg.

T: Considerable upfront sweetness, Belgian yeast, slight hop bitterness on the finish. Alcohol is barely noticeable.

M: Medium-bodied, good carbonation.

D: Deceptive 9% here, highly drinkable.

I haven't tried either of the component ales so I can't really comment on the effectiveness of the combination. On its own merits though, it makes for a solid Belgian dark ale, perhaps lacking in complexity.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2009 03:30:06 | More by steeltown71

jar2574

Missouri

3.23/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Cloudy brown colored beer, with less head than average.

The smell doesn't do much for me, there's just not much to it. Maybe some malts. No fruitiness. Unexpected for this type of beer.

I like the taste, but this is one of my favorite styles, and I think it compares poorly to others within the style. It's got a malty, earthy taste with just a little bit of sugar. Sort of syrupy, the mouthfeel is pretty chewy. But it goes down easily and the alcohol is well disguised.

Undistinguished for this style though. Lacks complexity.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2008 02:20:09 | More by jar2574

Halcyondays

California

3.23/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Beachwood BBQ,

A: Pours a murky orange with a full white head, excellent head retention and lacing.

S: Light overall, some orange and pear notes.

T: Avery Salvation stands out the most. Strong fruit ester, orange marmalade and some apricot. Not the best melding of flavours, has a bit of an unappetizing bitterness; I thought the flavours clashed more than they came together, OK taste for me.

M: Light/medium body, silky mouthfeel, smooth.

D: Not being the biggest fan of RR Salvation, I didn't know what to expect. Avery's beer is excellent, but in the end the combo fell short for me. I can drink it, but it's too expensive to buy again.

Serving type: on-tap

03-10-2009 20:00:48 | More by Halcyondays

AgentZero

Illinois

3.23/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Muddy orange color, this beer looks like a suspension almost that is settling. Looks much darker and cloudier in the middle, yellow on the edges and toward the top. Small head with little retention and no lacing.

S - Funky yeast smell and some fruits, almost comes across like raspberries to me.

T - A lot of confusing spice going on, but becomes hard to pick out with everything else there. Slight pear taste. No alcohol taste to speak of. Malty, some yeast.

M - Smooth, not tons of carbonation. Super-dry suck the moisture out of your mouth finish.

D - So much spice it becomes hard to drink. Very dry finish doesn't help, but for the alcohol it's not bad.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2010 00:43:51 | More by AgentZero

Schmaltzy

California

3.25/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Batch 2 from 2008
A-Nice light brown/copper color. Nice frothy head with some nice lace left behind.
S-Nice caramel/vanilla malt with a nice Belgian bready yeast. Definate malt and Belgian scents.
T-Malt off the bat, with a doughy yeast component that lasts in your mouth. Definate vanilla/caramel flavors coming through, almost like a fresh hot soft doughnut. Not much else though.
M-pretty good, could be better, maybe needs some more aging.
D-Nice but I don't know if I can finish a bomber of this stuff, one glass was nice though.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2009 22:46:00 | More by Schmaltzy

DoubleSimcoe

New York

3.25/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Avery Collaboration, 32-oz growler filled at Whole Foods Tribeca for $9.99.

Appearance: Classic Belgian, two fingers of fluffy white head, dark raisin color. No lacing, little retention. Only a little island of white remains after the head is gone.

Smell: Caramel, glue, booze, dark-fruit syrup. Spice, honey. Toasted malts.

Taste: More of the same, with a more pronounced spice note and sweetness. Heavily malty. Clove. Sugar, booze and sticky honey. Some prairie/wet cow pen.

Mouthfeel: A bit of a thin body, medium flavor, carbonation is lower than it appeared in the pour. A tad sticky at the end, but not dry or overwhelming. Well-rounded but boring.

Overall: I sure expected more from an Avery/Russian River collaboration. Not bad, drinkable despite the ABV, but just not something I will revisit. OK but disappointing.

Serving type: growler

10-19-2011 02:03:23 | More by DoubleSimcoe