Collaboration Not Litigation Ale - Avery Brewing Company

Dope

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch #5, bottled January 2011, making this just about 2 years old.

A: Pours a murky dark amber. Large fluffy tan head. Fades slowly with decent retention. Just spotty lacing here and there.

S: Sweet and fruity. Lots of raisin, apple and caramel. Hint of banana and a touch of brown sugar.

T: Good amount of cocoa and caramel up front along with a more subtle dark fruitiness. Raisin is still there with a bit of apple and brown sugar. Earthy and spicy in the middle with a hint of banana. Finishes with a little spiced raisin.

M: Medium bodied, sweet and slick.

O: Overall a pretty solid example of a BSDA. Sweet and fruity with lots of malty flavors and some belgian yeast flavors as well. Mellow and drinkable to boot (perhaps a product of the aging). Enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 04:09:21 | More by Dope

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.83/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Batch #6 - Jan 2012

A: Pours a very lightly hazy reddish brown in color with very light amounts of visible carbonation near the surface and a moderate amount of small white visible yeast sediment. The beer has a half finger tall sudsy off-white head that reduces to a very thin film covering the majority of the surface of the beer and a thin ring of large bubbles at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of dark fruits (raisin and prune), spices, and yeast as I would expect for the style.

T: Upfront there is a malty presence that has the notes of brown sugar and caramel sweetness that also has some dark fruits (raisin and prune) present. The finish of this beer is all spices and yeast with a light amount of lingering bitterness.

M: Medium bodied with light amounts of carbonation. Smooth with some light dryness and alcohol warming in the finish.

O: Enjoyable and the beer is rather easy to drink for the style - the alcohol is pretty well hidden. I like the story behind this beer and both these brewer's earned respect from me for not litigating. The flavors and aromas are very true to the style.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 23:29:40 | More by dbrauneis

TheCondor

Missouri

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

I love the name, and the story behind the name as well. Excellent! I have been meaning to pick this dude up for a while, but just haven't gotten around to it. Side poured from a bottle into my Chimay goblet. That only fits well, since probably my favorite Belgian Strong Dark Ale is Chimay Blue, or Grand Reserve for you snotty types.

Appearance - Nice one finger, creamy head comes from a murky, amber brown body that continues to agitate and show carbonation. Leaves ridiculous lacing on the sides of the glass. Awesome presentation!

Smell - Dark fruits are powerful, along with sweetness, some malts, brown sugar, and a little caramel. Complex, but the fruits really carry the torch here.

Taste - Very much like the nose. The brown sugar and caramel first hit the palate, but the dark fruits take over after that. Fantastic brew, tastes awesome. It gets even more aggressively fruity and a little sour as it warms, I liked it a little colder, but some may like it warmer. Good either way.

Mouthfeel - Smooth, creamy, finishes very well. Moderate body with medium carbonation. Done very well.

Overall - Excellent beer that I would highly recommend. Stays true to style, very close to the bellwether of the style, which in my opinion is Chimay Blue. The two beers are very similar in all aspects. Go try this out!

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 01:36:32 | More by TheCondor

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2011 bottle

a clean deep amber pour with 2 fingers of off white foamy head. nice retention, good lacing.
smells of raisins, dates, nuts, grapes, chocolate, caramel.
a bitter-sweet plum-like flavor up front. nutty, also getting a weird taste in the back end of the palate.. almost mushroom-like. definite earth notes, roasted malts, caramel.
medium body with a good amount of carbonation, creamy, yet thin enough to go down smooth.
overall an EXCELLENT beer. i know it's just a cuvee of both salvations, but this is just damn great.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 00:17:07 | More by facundoCNB

claspada

New Jersey

3.83/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy opaque, mahogany-hued color with a very thin white head that leaves minimal lacing.

Aromas are quite sweet-smelling with notes of raisins, stone fruit and toasted malts. As it warms you get some light caramel and stronger emerging dark brown sugar/candy sugar with some cloves and freshly-grated nutmeg.

The tastes begin with the sweet candy sugar and lighter sweet caramel maltiness. Then you get the fruitiness highlighted by white grapes, green raisins and apricot. As it warms you get the spicy clove and earthy nutmeg component.

The mouthfeel is medium-full bodied with medium carbonation. The finish has a very light stickiness and I wish there was a slight uptick in carbonation as is typical in the authentic Belgian styles.

Overall this was a nice beer and I appreciate the story of how it was formed but I feel the authentic Belgian examples are better and would always prefer them over most if not all American interpretations. Definitely higher on the drinkability scale but somehow just doesn't enthrall me enough to want to revisit anytime soon.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 20:05:17 | More by claspada

superspak

Michigan

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

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, batch 5 bottled Jan 2011. Pours lightly cloudy orange copper color with a nice 2 finger dense off white head with great retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Good spotty lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of prune, raisin, clove, caramel, biscuit, banana, nuttiness, pepper, and yeast spiciness. Very nice aromas with good balance, complexity, and strength. Taste of raisin, banana, clove, caramel, biscuit, pepper, prune, molasses, herbal, earth, and yeast spiciness. Lingering notes of dark fruit, banana, clove, caramel, biscuit, molasses, earth, pepper and yeast spices on the finish for a good bit. Nice complexity and balance of flavors; no cloying sweetness at all. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a fairly slick and creamy mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is extremely well hidden with hardly any warming noticed after the finish. Very smooth to sip on. Overall this is a very nice Belgian dark ale. Nice flavor balance and complexity; and very smooth to sip on. Really enjoyable collaboration offering.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 05:34:41 | More by superspak

Sean9689

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours rusty orange/copper, cream-colored head, thin collar. Nose is dark fruits, caramel, light spice, smooth light booze. The age has smoothed this one out in both the nose and palate. Flavor is dark fruit, caramel, molasses, spice, and biscuit. Medium to full body, good carbonation, creamy finish.

There's some oxidization, but still, it's drinking pretty good IMO. The age has smoothed this one out and I don't think it's getting much better. I'd probably drink any bottles I had in the cellar, but alas, this was my only one. Decent stuff.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 01:33:26 | More by Sean9689

rfbenavi80

Missouri

4.18/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a tulip. Enjoyed with a friend.

A- Pours a dark caramel color with huge yeast chunks floating around in it. It has 2 fingers of off white colored head that leaves good lacing as it leaves moderately slow.

S- Rich dark fruits. Smells very sweet. Lots of brown sugar, and spicy Belgian yeast.

T- Follows nose will. Rich and malty with lots of Belgian candied sugar. So rich and sweet it almost drinks like a dessert. Mighty tasty.

M- Definitely on the low side of medium body. Moderate amount of carbonation. At almost 9% ABV this one is an easy drinker.

O- Stays on par with Russian River quality on the smell and aroma. I'm not too impressed with the appearance of the chunky floating yeast, but on a good note it didn't change the flavor or aroma of this beer. I could drink this beer with any meal easily.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 10:34:28 | More by rfbenavi80

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I love me some Avery Salvation so I was glad to pick this up for 10 bucks a bomber, mostly since I have never had a Russian river beer EVER!

A - Can't knock the appearance since it's pretty much spot on what it looks like on the label. Dark hazy amber with a 1/2 inch of opaque colored head that sticks around for a bit.

S - Ah I can smell the fruity yeasts and spices of the Avery Salvation but when poured into the glass they get kind of muddled with sour cherry notes and dark fruits. Hope it's good.

T - Well it taste of a well crafted Belgium Dark ale. ABV is well hidden and it does have a mix of great flavors but it just doesn't seem to click. The sour cherry and dark fruit aspect of the Russian River Salvation seems to have taken the thunder out of the fruity yeasts and great spices of the Avery Salvation. Still not bad.

M - Kind of medium to heavy and the alcohol is in the finish but what can you expect from a Belgium Dark strong ale?

Overall I am on the fence with this one. I never tried the Russian River Salvation but I can tell it's very fruit forward and sour. Not bad for a collab.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 02:42:19 | More by DrDemento456

tlazaroff

Virginia

3.53/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Very strange aroma, it's not bad, just different. I get things like sawdust, sour apples, cherries, and hickory. Very strange indeed.

Collaboration not Litigation is about halfway between a honey-orange color and a ruby red. It's topped by a slightly off-white head which laces perfectly around the glass.

Fruity in the taste, but also I get this slightly sour note without the puckering sensation. Apricots, red plums, and cherries are what I can get out of this, with a little bit of background caramel taste on the finish.

Medium carbonation with a slightly higher than medium body. The alcohol in this beer is going straight to my head, and I don't know how I feel about that. It's a sipper for sure.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 01:31:21 | More by tlazaroff

cindyjeffsmith

Georgia

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

appearance: cloudy amber. off white head with some lingering lace.
smell: Very nice. Cherry notes on a sweet, yeasty malt bed.
taste: Very nice again. Much like the nose with a perfect, refreshing balance.
overall: I don't often give a higher overall score than any of the individual scores but in rare cases like this, it's warranted. Nice job.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 22:54:09 | More by cindyjeffsmith

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark amber/light brown in colour. Small white head. Good lacing.

Dark fruit and bready malt present in the nose. Some Belgian yeast. Some spice as well, and a hint of ginger.

Like the nose, dark fruit in the taste: raisin and fig. Some spice and a bit of candied fruit. Bready malt.

Medium bodied, moderate carbonation. Bready.

Overall, good stuff. Not a standout, but good all around.

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2012 00:20:18 | More by jrenihan

grittybrews

Washington

4.08/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a hazy ruby brown with a finger of off-white head and lots of yeast floaties. Aroma of toffee, banana, and a slight cherry tartness.

Moderate carbonation and a thick, creamy mouthfeel. Bready toffee sweetness up front with some banana, dark fruit, and peppery spice.

Tasty but a little sweet. I thought the aroma was a little more balanced than the flavor.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 15:07:09 | More by grittybrews

warnerry

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Batch 2, I think from 2008.

A - Pours a slightly hazy mahogany with one finger of tan head. Head has decent retention but doesn't leave much lacing.

S - Caramel, candi sugar and dark fruits, with some Belgian yeast notes of banana and a bit of spice.

T - Caramel and spice, with candi sugar, dark fruits, a bit of booze and banana. Unfortunately, also seems a bit oxidized. Still pretty tasty though.

M - Medium mouthfeel with a semi-dry spicy finish.

O - I think this is a bit past prime, as i had this same batch about a year ago and ran out to get another bottle. Still a pretty tasty BSDA.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 01:25:28 | More by warnerry

BucannonXC5

California

4.18/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter at KnB Wine Cellars on May 13, 2012. Hardly any head when I got it. Color was toffee brown, mahogany. Light layer of icy white lacing, looked a bit like icicles. It dissipated rather quickly. Good-looking film, even and cobwebby. Stayed throughout the pour.

Smelled dark fruit, mainly apple and plum. Light note of cloves.

Complex taste of dark fruits - plum and apple, and cloves.

Medium body. Sticky texture. Average carbonation. Smooth finish.

Really liked this beer overall. It went down easy and smooth.

Serving type: on-tap

05-14-2012 06:59:16 | More by BucannonXC5

chinchill

South Carolina

4.14/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

22 oz bottle served in a Trois Pistoles snifter. Batch #5 bottled Jan. 2011.

A: modest size and short-lived, light tan head reduces to a lasting ring and leaves some spotty lacing. Clear (1st pour) amber/copper body. Slightly hazy

Jumped into this without knowing what style to expect, immediately finding a great imitation (no offense, Avery/RR) of a fine Belgian dark ale. Using the right glassware for this, then. Not to say this tastes just like some other beer, but it is an excellent example of a style mastered by some Belgians and few others.

The nose is nicely fruity (dates, prunes, raisins), sweet, and lightly spicy including a bit of white pepper. Nonetheless, it is not quite as complex, deep and rich as the flavor. Seems rather clean for this style. Sweet up front, it turns nicely tart and mildly bitter in the finish, then leaves a fruity (mainly dark fruits but also cherries) and lightly sweet aftertaste. The nearly 9% ABV is very well hidden! Great complexity, with numerous flavor components that seem to vary in composition or sequence from sip to sip.

O: a superb beer. I regret buying just the one bottle and will try to add more to my cellar. {success: and review tweaked on Aug. 2012)

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 23:50:01 | More by chinchill

ksimons

New York

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-a hazy amber toffee color with a fingers worth of cream head that leaves a frothy ring around the top

S-rich malt, molasses, caramel, dark fruit mixed with banana sweetness

T-rich malt, sweet fruit, cherries, caramel, and a nice warming sensation

M-medium body, good carbonation, leaves a sweet coating in the mouth

Overall a nice collaboration beer, will certainly drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 23:21:00 | More by ksimons

stampfler07

Georgia

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

A- Cloudy amber with thick lacing, some suspended sediment and a light head

S- Belgian-style yeast aroma, some sweetness

T- Belgian-style yeast tang, alcohol body, light fruitiness, slight bitterness at the end

M- Almost no carbonation, moderate body and some warmness

O- Pretty enjoyable, had a nice Belgian feel to it, wouldn't mind picking up another

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 03:35:45 | More by stampfler07

Hopdaemon39

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap at the otherside- pored a hazy mahogany color with a one finger bone-white hear. Decent retention and exceptional sticky lacing.

Smell is unimpressive- kinda sweet, some dark fruit. BARELY any trace of yeast.

Taste is excellent- smooth and rich dark malt and candi sugar. Definitely dark fruit going on (prunes?) and some earthy yeast towards the end.

Mouthfeel is also great- medium body with moderate carbonation. Pretty rich and smooth. Seek it out!!

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2012 20:06:49 | More by Hopdaemon39

Immortale25

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a pint glass. Label says Batch #6 Bottled JAN 2012.

A- Pours a medium brown color with a 1/2 inch off-white head that retains before becoming a thin ring around the edge of the glass and a honeycomb-like pattern of surface foam. Full ring of draping lacing.

S- Faint aroma of dark fruit and an even fainter aroma of malt. Trace notes of banana and some spice.

T- The dark fruit is much more vibrant in the flavor. Cherry, honey, blackberry and even some apricot layer on top of notes of rosemary and more banana. There's also a sort of meaty, robust flavor I can't put my finger on. Whatever it is, it's great.

M- Medium carbonation and a bit vapory from the yeast.

O- Quite awesome, but I would expect nothing less from two first-class breweries.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 02:04:51 | More by Immortale25

ehammond1

California

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

Bottle (2012/Batch 6)

The Bruery Provisions
Orange, CA

A dark amber and auburn in color with a quickly forming very light brown head. This leaves spots and thin lines of lace down the glass.

The aroma is a nice combination of Belgian-style yeast and sweet caramel and toffee. There's lots of banana and black pepper aroma leaping from the glass, with some dark grape and bread rounding things out.

The flavor is banana-forward, along with some bread, a hint of dried cherry, and a low level of bitterness.

Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

A delicious beer that has a great story to go along with it.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 16:01:08 | More by ehammond1

Hex92

Virginia

4.23/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch 6 Jan 2012

A- some lacing, nothing special
S- dried fruits a hint of alcohol
T- this is where this beer shines. Great flavor, nice dried fruit and malt. Tastes like the style and I am a fan of the style.
M- maybe a bit thinner than I would like, but not overly so.
O- tasty beer. I like it. I definitely will buy it again...maybe buy 2 and hold one back for a year or so.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 00:48:58 | More by Hex92

Drinkerofales

California

3.93/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch 5, bottled January '11

Pours clear amber, almost brown. A big light tan head forms and is quick to dissipate, leaving not much lacing, but a nice ring stays throughout.

Smell is rock candy, with a touch of fruit, followed by a dry maltiness.

Taste is akin to a barleywine. Rich roasted malts, candy, with a touch of booze, not as complex as I was expecting.

Texture is very smooth, with only a light boozy sting. Medium bodied and creamy, but not quite viscous. Feels lowly carbonated, but in a good way.

Glad I could find me a pre-aged beer sitting on the shelf, especially a pretty darn good beer. A bit more booze show than I would have liked, especially for a sub 9% beer.

DOA

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 23:20:37 | More by Drinkerofales

intensify

Colorado

3.55/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Batch #6Poured into an Orval glass. Dark iced tea colored body with a small head which disolved quite fast, average for a higher abv strong ale. Not much on the nose. Dark fruits up front, bready and fruityness from the yeast. Taste: Kinda blan body. Wish it was a bit thicker. Dark fruits i.e; plums, serious tones of raisins. fruityness from the yeast stands out somewhat, but its still just okay.

Overall its a drinkable beer but could use a tune-up. It needs a bit more "kick"

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 06:34:16 | More by intensify

PatrickSwayze

California

4.83/5  rDev +23.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Batch 6

A: Pours a beautiful brownish amber with light white head that creeps at the edges of the glass.

S: White grapes and estery floral notes that explode from this lovely gem

T: A lovely blend of very light cinnamon that falls in the background of apple, pears, and gorgeously blended fruits. 

M: Welcomely dry and holds up extremely well in the flavor department

O: This is a phenomenal beer that i cant help but keep buying. And i cant wait to try the Batch 5 that has been cellaring in my basement for over a year. A flavor bomb that does nothing but please my taste buds. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2012 03:31:17 | More by PatrickSwayze