Collaboration Not Litigation Ale - Avery Brewing Company

KaptinKrunches

California

4.45/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance:The color of the beer is a dark, murky brown. This is due in part to yeast floating around the beer. It has little hold.
Smell:It smells like dark chocolate with a slight fruity smell to it.
Taste:It tastes just like it smells, chocolate. It has a very sweet, subtle chocolate taste even though there is physically no chocolate put into it. It is very malty and is not bitter at all but when you swallow it, there is a slight burning sensation. There is very little/no carbonation.
Mouthfeel: It has a medium mouth feel as it coats your mouth just ever so slightly.
Overall: I overall enjoyed this beer a lot. The chocolate flavor is what made this beer great. This is the first beer that i tried where I can see live yeast which adds aesthetic appeal to it when poured. I can only imagine how much more flavor will come out of it if it was aged even longer.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 02:48:07 | More by KaptinKrunches

Olivia55555

California

3.35/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Collaboration not Litigation- another delightful smelling beer. My second favorite smelling beer so far. It has a strong scent of soy sauce and it is very appealing! The dark, brownish color of this beer is lovely as well. There are particles that float to the bottom, must be the live yeast that gives it its taste! The mouthfeel is not too heavy, and overall this is one of the best beers I have tried!

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 19:57:22 | More by Olivia55555

hopfacebrew

Colorado

3.95/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

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.

Poured from 1 Pint 6 Fl. Oz. bottle which was bottled in February 2008, Batch #2, to a globe glass.

A - The beer pours a crystal clear copper/amber color with a nice 1.5 finger cream colored head which slowly fades to a thin film with nice lacing.

S - The nose is very malt forward with caramel, toffee, hints of fruit and spice. Herbal.

T/M - Very malt heavy with warm earthy tones. The beer opens up sweet but has a nice blend of fruit and spice. The beer is medium bodied with a slick character and little carbonation. It really coats the palette with a pleasant flavor. Great mouthfeel.

D - Very drinkable. Hides the alcohol fairly well.

Overall, this was the second bottle I had before reviewing. It's a solid brew. I'd recommend a sample if you're able.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 02-09-2011 02:32:52

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 17:50:32 | More by hopfacebrew

abrand

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bomber poured into pint glass.

This pours a copper color with a quick fading off white head that leaves some lacing on the glass. Smells of some funk, pear, grains, and raisins. Pretty good smelling beer. Taste is pretty smooth and mellow. Some fruits with a slightly alcoholic finish. Medium bodied. I enjoyed this.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 19:57:41 | More by abrand

duckrabbitfan

North Carolina

2.8/5  rDev -28.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

cloudy, off-white head

dates, rasins, and what not... average.

a bit too sweet, and lacking in certain areas. not what i expect of one of my favorite styles.

little lacing or carbonation; this was the most disappointing aspect.

this one's a misfire for avery, and that is absolutely the only time i've ever said that. lots of areas for improvement.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 02:51:50 | More by duckrabbitfan

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

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

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.5/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served onto a tulip.

Appearance: Semi-cloudy amber, head is an off-white orange which comes off roughly a full inch off the body.

Smell: Mmmm...pretty good if you ask me, yeast plus the hops throw in a bit of dark fruits I am awaiting the greatness to come.

Taste: I have to say I smell and keep tasting and not to mention I pairing with sharp cheddar and I am still not getting it. You taste it but honestly I am not overly impressed. Avery has come out with better. You feel the fruits and yeast but not memorably tasteful.

Mouth: Great texture with medium carbonation. After taste is there and not hard to adjust to.

Overall: Might need to be little tweaked. Little more alcohol taste might help or maybe a hint of fruit. Sorry I have built a slight bias when is comes to anything of Belgian ales and the way they should taste and obviously feel. Try it for your self and cheers to all!

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 06:54:23 | More by BlurryVisi0n

CFHMagnet

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch #5, poured into oversize wine glass.

My average pour got me a finger of milky head that shrank down to a ring in a few minutes. Body is a dark amber/light brown color about a shade or so darker than a good apple cider. Very little activity noted noted carbonation wise. Some decent lacing noted.

Light caramel, figs, raisins, and Belgian sugar are the main body of the nose. It's rounded out with light malt, a hint of yeast and a kiss of maraschino cherry.

Candy sugar, dark fruit and light caramel take you on a ride before dropping you off at a very pleasant malt taste. The very end is a light usage of spice. Almost as complex as the nose.

Medium bodied, it coats the mouth well and soothes going down. After letting it warm a little I did detect just a little alcohol in the background, with a little burn building near the end of the beer. Very solid offering.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2011 23:47:32 | More by CFHMagnet

Westmeister

Georgia

3.7/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Batch 4 from Suwanee Package.

A: muddied amber brown, with off white head that turns to a ring and has good speckled lacing. last 1/3 of the bottle revealed some chunky sediment.

S: semi complex aromas of raisins, vinous notes, dried fruit, sweet caramel.

T: initially big caramel sweetness, with fig, plum and some other dark dried fruits. big maltiness is probably the dominating characteristic.

O: I would say if the taste lived up to the nose, i would have been much happier. still this is a fine offering and I think the 1 year of age did this some good.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2011 01:37:50 | More by Westmeister

DeSoto

Texas

3.6/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I'm tasting this for the first time. Great collabo from Avery and Russian River. Let's get into it. . .

Bottle Type: 22oz bomber
Batch #5
Served in a 15 oz snifter
Bottled Jan. 2011

Appearance: Good lacing. Light brown hue. Head retention is great with 35+ seconds.

Smell: Great Belgian sugars come through. Nice fig and apricot notes. Nice funky yeast. Really inviting

Taste: A bit alcohol on the front. None the less, great flavor. Good malt and good sugars come through.

Mouthfeel: Sharp. Nice weight on the palate. Not a long finish but nice profile.

Overall: Nice beer. Wanted a bit more color in the appearance.
The strong alcohol presence disappointed but overall it was a good drink.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 07:00:08 | More by DeSoto

doughanson78

Washington

2.83/5  rDev -27.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22oz bottle poured into a snifter. Batch #4 Feb. 2010

A: Dark amber. Some sediment slight haze. Finger and a half white head with good retention and lacing.

S: Sweet cherry raisin. Dates. A touch of sourness. A little nuttiness. Caramel. Belgian yeast. Very light chocolate. Brown sugar. Pretty complex. Not well blended. Slightly ashy.

T: Caramel. Raisins, dates, figs. cherries. Touch of chocolate. Belgian yeast. Brown sugar. Finishing with alcohol. Again fairly complex but the flavors are a mess.

M: Medium body. Low carbonation. Light creaminess. Alcohol bite.

O: Was happy when I seen this on the shelf. Never heard of it and it was already aged for me. Glad I only paid $6.99. Not digging this at all.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2011 19:45:18 | More by doughanson78

avalon07

South Carolina

2.95/5  rDev -24.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: Poured from a bottle to a tulip glass. Had a brownish color and a cloudy texture. There was a big, foamy, long-lasting head. Very good lacing.

S: An odd aroma of yeast, malt, and a grassy quality.

T: The aforementioned grassy quality (at least that's what it tasted like to me) dominated the flavor, with only a few hints of malt and yeast to be found. Not a particularly pleasant flavor.

M: A good amount of carbonation with a smooth, clean finish. Medium-bodied.

O: While this beer has some good qualities, it comes off the rails at critical junctures (i.e., the taste). Very uneven.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 12:04:35 | More by avalon07

kojevergas

California

3.33/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

1 pint 6 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into De Molen stemware in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Batch number 5 with 8.91% ABV.

A: Pours a one finger head of nice slight cream, decent thickness, and pretty good retention - especially for the abv. Colour is a dark caramel-copper.

Sm: Caramel, heavy candied sugar, and biscuity yeast. The candy sugar dominates. A moderate strength aroma.

T: Pleasant candied sugar with biscuity yeast. No caramel comes through. Fairly complex, and nicely balanced. For a beer blend, this is pretty impressive fare. I'd like to try it on draught.

Mf: Smooth and wet, but not too thick. Suits the flavour.

Dr: Though too simple to warrant purchasing again, I enjoyed this beer as a blend of two brewery's beers. I consider it a successful experiment. It's very drinkable for the ABV. Worth a try for hardcore fans of either brewery (I consider myself a pretty serious Russian River fan), but I don't think serious fans of the style will be impressed.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 06:13:33 | More by kojevergas

GarrettMD

New York

3.95/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Opaque dark honey orange hue with half a finger eggshell white head even after a fairly aggressive pour.

S - Extremely fruity. Cherries, peach, apple, fig, apricot, what isn't in this aroma? Some slight spice notes from the yeast, and a nice background of the malts.

T - Spice almost as if a Saison or Hefe is very dominant. That peppercorn, bubblegum, banana, lemon type taste is very present. Starts off with those flavors and transitions towards a healthy malt base. Nice sweet caramel malts round out that flavor with some sweet residual sugars and just a hint of alcohol.

M - Medium body, low carbonation, slightly sticky and very sweet. Finish is slightly drying and sweet with a long lingering spicy aftertaste.

O - Fairly tasty brew. Good mix of flavors, not sure if it fits Strong Dark Ale much but I enjoy it all the same.

Batch #5 Bottles Jan 2011

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2011 22:00:50 | More by GarrettMD

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

Rhettroactive

Virginia

2.17/5  rDev -44.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

From 22oz bomber to Bruges hybrid glass on 9/28/11
*From notes

-- Batch No 3 --

A: Unfiltered, dirty cider. A decent pour yields a one finger head that fade fast and zero lacing.

S: Sun dried apricots that've been sitting in the sun a bit too long.

T: Uninspiried and kinda bland, to be honest. Cigarette ashtray up front to mid. The finish is overly sweet and yeasty. Blech!

M: Meh. Thin and slick.

O: Avery/RR's Collaboration Not Litigation was a pretty big dissapointment. Maybe it was me, maybe cellaring this for a year was a mistake. Regardless, this hit the drain, and isn't a beer I'd return to. I'd go so far as to call this the redheaded brainchild of two great breweries.

A certifiable miss.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2011 22:30:20 | More by Rhettroactive

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle poured into snifter - Batch 4

Pours a clouded copper color with some brownish hues. Off-white head slowly fades, leaving some spots of lacing with some cloudy retention. A few floaties in here as well.

Fairly warm on the nose, rich dark fruit with raisin and date. Some brown sugar and roasted malt. Decent amount of alcohol.

Coating layers of malts with roasty and warm character. Candied fruit with dates and figs. Burnt and brown sugar, decent sweetness. Caramel and bready notes in the malt backbone. Finishes a little sweet, boozy, and dry.

Fuller body, slightly lower carbonation, sticky and coating on the tongue. Pretty decent, some age has mellowed this but there's still some decent heat in the nose.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 00:36:19 | More by xnicknj

ElGallo

New Hampshire

4.22/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch 3 (February 2009) split with chowdahead into a couple balloon glasses. 'Twas a fine day to share a beer, but not a good day to fix a tractor. Pours a rusty dark color with very little head, some lacing though.

Smells of dark fruits, raisins, a little molasses, and candi sugar. Similar notes in the taste, with that nice chewy, sweet yeastiness that you find in well-made Belgian Strong Dark Ales. With nearly three years in the bottle this developed some nice character and was thoroughly enjoyable, like Leslie Nielsen. I hope to have each of the respective Salvations blended to make this some day soon, assuming I survive the lunar landing.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2011 03:35:21 | More by ElGallo

jtingue

New York

3.9/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle dated February 2008, Batch 2. Poured into a snifter.

Appearance. Reddish brown in color with a somewhat cloudy appearance. Pours with a half a finger of head which dissipates to a nice layer on top of the beer. Nice retention of this layer.

Smell. Slightly musty overtone. A strong fruity smell is reminiscent of fresh picked cherries, with a little apple in there as well. Some sourness hits the nose along with the fruit.

Taste. Again, slightly musty up front. This comes along with a hearty amount of sweetness that is more towards a hard candy side than a fruity one. Some fruits try to break their way through, but are completely overpowered by a more and more sugary sweetness. Also, a light sourness starts to build and balance out the overwhelming sweetness of the brew. The sourness really helps to transition well into a nice semi-dry, refreshing finish.

Mouthfeel. Is quite thin, with a light amount of carbonation.

A very interesting and very complex brew. Evidence of the collaboration is definitely present. Two complaints: the musty character is off-putting to me, though it is appropriate in this beer. Second: the amount of carbonation leaves something to be desired.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 01:08:48 | More by jtingue

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

reviewed from a Batch 3 bottle from 2009 last night.

A-chestnut colored with a thin uneven head

S-dark fruits and fairly sugary and creamy caramel. strong and good scent

T-comes in with a strong taste of dates and prunes. mainly this. there are some small tastes of caramel sugars and other dark fruits. very high quality taste. some chocolate notes. it makes up a good but not long lasting after-taste. its quite complex and rich!

M-smooth medium carbonation with a crisp finish

O-oh wow i'm a fan of this. much more so than i expected. i actually enjoy this more than the Russian River Salvation itself. its a great BDSA and does a great job setting itself apart from others. this is so much more than a cute little concoction of the 2 breweries striving to be clever, its an outstanding example of the style. its so smooth and can either be quaffed or sipped for extended enjoyment.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 17:42:54 | More by AdamBear

vandemonian

Maryland

4.05/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Avery/Russian River Collaboration Not Litigation Ale is a tasty strong dark ale. Not exceptional and it doesn't really have any particular quality that sets it apart, but still very nice.

A: Light brown/amber colour with a 5 mm head that fades pretty quickly. 4

S: Malty with a hint of nuttiness. Smells like a brown ale (not very Belgian), but still very nice. 4

T: Malty with some tangy sourness. The aftertase is a mix of sweetness and caramelised flavours. Quite yum, but not exceptional. 4

M: Big and foamy. 4.5

O: Yum. 4

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 02:31:40 | More by vandemonian

capeannbass36

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Batch #5 dated January 2011. Pours a clear, deep amber, copper color with a 1-1/2 finger off white head that dissapates rather quickly, leaving some spotty lacing behind. Thin film left on surface of remaining beer.

S- Some sweet malt, some caramel, a little hops.
Perhaps a whiff of very weak rootbeer.

T- I am liking it a lot! Some dark fruit. A little caramel. Only a hint of bitter on the finish.

M- Very light carbonation. Smooth. Tad sticky.
Sort of dry finish.

O- Sat on this for a couple of months...atleast. Really enjoyed this beer. Would definitely purchase again.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 20:50:11 | More by capeannbass36

KevinBrewer

California

3.8/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Batch#2 Thanks to a liquor store in Yuma that gets some amazing beer that they can't seem to sell.

A- Clear rusty brown color with a smallish off-white head that dissipates to a film, leaving patchy lacing down the glass.

N- Dried dark fruits (raisins, prunes) and nuts (walnuts?). Some caramel sweetness in there from the malt. Also a slight metallic twang to it with wisps of alcohol.

T- Similar to the nose, lots of dried dark fruits. Definitely taste prunes and raisins. Slightly oxidized sticky caramel/toffee malt lays down some sweetness, which is balanced by a soft spicy herbal bitterness. A subtle nuttiness creates another layer on the malt. There's a very faint tartness to the beer which adds a refreshing quality. Also, way in the back, there are some phenols which are at the threshold of perception. The phenols add that classic "belgian" character without distracting from all the other delicious flavors going on. Some ephemeral floral notes arise in the middle. The finish dries out a little with a soft lingering herbal bitterness, spice, and some toast and toffee from the malt.

M- Medium mouthfeel, a little bit a stickiness, moderate carbonation, and a semidry finish.

D- Overall, I'm not a huge belgian beer fan, but this beer grows on you. Tons of malty goodness with plenty of complexity to balance the sweetness. By the second half of the bomber, I'm actually really digging it. The sticky toffee dessert character is just hitting the spot with all the other complex belgian beery flavors going on.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2011 04:37:09 | More by KevinBrewer

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.03/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I couldn't believe when I saw this bottle on the shelf at D & L truck stop in Auburn, NY...which is an outstanding store by the way.

Batch #3. Bottled in February 2009, reviewed in August 2011

Appearance:
This beer is a deep, rosy amber with a centimeter white head that fades fast. There are plenty of floating particulates in this beer. The deep red hue of this beer is what makes it look absolutely divine and worth drinking.
Unfortunately, I would have liked this beer to be darker in color, but that's strictly from a stylistic standpoint.

Smell:
Wow, what a complex aroma. There is a strong zest that reminds me of lemon and lime rinds, tomato, followed by a tiny bit of the beer's alcohol bite after a deep breath. I am glad I decided to open this bottle before it got too cold, there is a lot going on that I would have missed.

Taste:
Impressively strong and flavorful beer. I am impressed by the fusion. The candi sugar that presents itself in the nose is powerfully sweet in the taste. The yeast is spicy and a little funky. The aftertaste is gushing with juicy fruit reminiscent of grape, tobacco, and apples. There is very little bitterness, which would have been much appreciated for balance.

Mouthfeel:
Adequate carbonation with lots of complex character. Sweetness dominates the palate, but spice helps break apart its inherent sweetness. Aftertaste is of tobacco and fig and it lingers for an appreciable amount of time.

Overall:
This is a terrific beer that exemplifies great execution of a Belgian strong/dark, even if it's not quite as dark as I would have liked. One thing that's strange about this beer is the accuracy of its abv (down the the hundredth!). Even if 8.72% is a strangely accurate number, it does a nice job to amplify, yet not overpower the beer's other flavors. This beer is worth the money and definitely worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2011 04:05:03 | More by ThePorterSorter