Avery Anniversary Ale - Fifteen - Avery Brewing Company

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.05/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle opened on 1.12.13.

A - Pours a clear medium orange with a two inch foamy off-white head with good retention.

S - Strong Belgian yeast, citrus, lots of lemons.

T - Lemony citrus with a touch of peppery spice, Belgian yeast backbone.

D - Good carbonation with a light body.

O - Citrus and spicy. This one aged nicely.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 07:02:52 | More by HuskyinPDX

katan

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz into a pint

A - Pours a dark golden color. Heavy strong bright white formation, bubbly as can be. Breaks down quickly with a little bit of film.

S - heavy fruity, citrus - sour nose. Super strong amount of funky notes.

T - Starts off citrus, fruity. Sour, acidic, funky. Pilsner malts is the base, I think. Comes through with some white pepper and other spicy notes. Finishes off with grapefruit.

M - Very airy mouthfeel from all the stingy strong carbonation. A light sugary sweet cling finishes on the tongue. Alcohol warmth is present but light overall.

O/D - This one had a lot of time to "get funky" in the bottle. Brett yeast seems to have taken over big time. A little bit filling but that fits the still. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 23:27:49 | More by katan

AgentMunky

Alabama

3.88/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 750mL bottle into a brandy snifter. Bottled April 2008.

A: Some white head tops a murkily translucent straw-yellow beer. Scattered lacing.

S: Faint Brettanomyces. Some tart, tropical fruit.

T: Jaw-achingly tart initially. This yeast has got some serious funk, but by the latter half of the taste, the hibiscus becomes unmistakably prominent and leads to a smooth, clean finish. A trace of balancing spice is likely the black pepper. I really like what's going on in here. I have no idea what it's like fresh, but it seems to have aged well. The tartness fades with acquaintance, and mellows out into a saisonesque funk-forward yeasty beer with some sweet fruit undertones and spicy topnotes.

M: Middling.

O: I quite liked it, but it's certainly strange. Recommended if you can still find one laying about, as my friend did, languishing unappreciated on some dusty shelf.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 04:59:19 | More by AgentMunky

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

3.83/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

My local bottle shop got an old 2008 keg of this so I took some home. Served in a Dogfish Head snifter. Clear gold color with a thin head. The nose has some apples, light barnyard funk, and a hint of berries (possibly the mission figs used). Other than the light funk, it smells like a nice Chardonnay.

Nice tart acidic flavor. The tartness is balanced by a little bit of sweetness, but not much. Mouth feel is nice and firm, though it could use a bit more carbonation to wake up the palate. The beer is creamy in the front of the mouth with some oak and cedar notes. Tartness arrives at mid-palate with flavors of apple skins and green grapes, but does not destroy your taste buds. Rather, it brings a refreshing acidity.

I was surprised at some of the lukewarm reviews this beer got. Perhaps time has mellowed it out some and improved the flavor. I thought it was a solid, refreshing sour.

Serving type: growler

07-31-2012 20:41:41 | More by deadonhisfeet

DenverLogan

Colorado

3.55/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Gold, copper, orange...small lingering head. Giant aroma of a big mix of herbs, lavender, fruits, bread, pepper, funk. Big flavors of herbs but not too medicinally, minerals but in a refreshing manner, melon, and barnyard. Big and rich, complex, but not something I would drink more than a glass.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 20:34:03 | More by DenverLogan

superspak

Michigan

3.58/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 ounce bottle with gold foil into tulip glass, bottled in April 2008. Pours slightly cloudy golden amber color, with a nice 2-3 finger fairly dense white head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Some nice and thick soapy lacing on the glass, with a fair amount of carbonation streaming up. Aromas of big tart apple, grape, pear, lemon, hay, grass, fig, bread, pepper, herbal, floral, funk, and yeast spices. Some fairly nice aromas, with good strength and complexity. Taste of big apple, grape, pepper, pear, grass, herbal, fig, clove, lemon, floral, bread, and yeast spices. Fairly dry on the finish; with lingering notes of pepper, lemon, bread, grape, grass, and yeast spices on the finish for a bit. Slight tartness on the finish, but not anywhere near what I was expecting from the aromas. Medium-high carbonation and medium body; with a fairly crisp and prickly mouthfeel that fits well. Alcohol is extremely well hidden with pretty much no warming present at all. Quite easy to drink, but is still a sipper. Overall this is a nice and quite enjoyable spiced wild ale. Good amount of flavor complexity and balance; and very smooth to drink. It held up well to age as expected.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 03:17:21 | More by superspak

Naugros

New Jersey

3.6/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I always look forward to Avery's Anniversary Ales. They always bend the boundaries of the style guide and I love to see what style BA pigeon holes each year's offering into. I was betting they'd put this on in the saison category, but went with wild ale instead. Interesting.

Crystal clear amber with a creamy, white, tall head. Unlike most heads, the sides collapsed first, leaving a dense dollop in the center. The lace makes bands down the sides of the glass.

The smell is strong with the figs, smelling a lot like pears. There's some graham cracker, wet hay with the white pepper showing up on top of it all. The taste is very similar with an additional tang. The white pepper strengthens a little, changing the fruit character and masking it a little. In fact, the astringency from the pepper keeps this from becoming a nice crisp fruit beer with a solid measure of tartness. There's also some ash left behind on the tongue and the white pepper dominates the aftertaste. If the white pepper were toned down a bit I think it would be a much better beer.

A bit disappointed in the outcome, but I still applaud the concept.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 15:14:58 | More by Naugros

zeledonia

Minnesota

3.43/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottled April 2008. Probably the oldest beer I've ever had; not sure where or why I picked this up, but since it's never to be brewed again, here goes.

Cap pops with a nice hiss; still well-carbonated. Pours a clear, medium golden-straw yellow. Head erupts as I pour, but the big bubbles pop quickly, and it fades down to a nice white cap. Some good gobs of lacing. Big streams of bubbles continue to rush up from the bottom of the glass.

Smells like fruity sweet and sour. Crisp sugary apple sweetness comes as the vanguard, followed by a big wave of lemony sour. It's actually quite good, with both that crisp sour, and the hints of sweetness underneath. Biggest complaint is that I'd like it to be more potent.

Taste is where this beer falls off. It starts out slightly sour, but then gets really muddled. A jumble of flavors I can't place - slightly funky, slightly earthy, grassy. But it's a little like chewing on a big gob of peanut butter - too much all at once, without any clear idea where it's going. Much less fruity and sour than it was in the nose, and with a dry bitter finish that's just okay.

What looked good in the glass does not feel so good when it hits my tongue. Carbonation erupts from everywhere, and I want it to stop. Aside from that, it's light-bodied, pretty thin, and so dry that it's gone in a flash.

Still a good beer, but looks and smells better than it tastes and feels. I suspect it's fallen off since brewing, but I found it quite drinkable even at 4 years.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 00:20:52 | More by zeledonia

ummswimmin

New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I found this bottle a year ago at Oak Tree Liquors in Central New Jersey. A year ago I thought it was a huge find. I went a few weeks ago, and they still had it. I still think it is a great find, and Oak Tree probably bought too much of this brew from a great brewery.

On the pour I expected a far darker beer based on the style and description on the label. It came out as a orange-yellow color. There was quite a bit of fluffy head from the initial pour into my goblet. The head dissipates to a very small amount of foam on top.

I love the smell of wild ales. You get a ton of that spice coming off the top. The hibiscus really comes through here.

This is really one of those cases where the beer smells much better than the flavor. I get a ton of spice and flowers in the smell. In the taste all I get is the white pepper and flower taste.

I appreciate the opportunity to have this beer. However, I guess I didn't appreciate it enough.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 00:18:36 | More by ummswimmin

scottyg354

Pennsylvania

3.05/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Golden amber. Tiny yet foamy head. Some lacing.

S: Funkiness. Fresh baked bread and spice.

T: Almost complete funkiness. To be honest the funk in this one is a little to overwhelming. There are hits of bread, lemon and yeasty spice ness, but the funk totally over powers these noes.

M: The part that made this beer enjoyable. Fluffy and light. Smooth down the hatch. Typical medium carbonation for a farmhouse.

O: Like I say for all beers, give it a spin. I just think this is way to funky of a brew, but everyone got different tastes.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2011 02:13:35 | More by scottyg354

elNopalero

Texas

3.98/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a pale straw, very thin lacing around the top. Should I be surprised? This has had some time to sit. Although I missed out on it fresh I think it’s held up nicely. Lots of fruity esters and some spiciness comes through on the aromas. Very full-flavored,with a bite.

Happy belated quinceañera, Avery!

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 20:59:33 | More by elNopalero

Beerdregs

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle states that this beer was bottled in 2008.
A: This beer was still so alive that upon opening foam oozed out of the top of the bottle for a good minute before I got impatient and went ahead and poured it anyway. The appearance was straw colored effervescent looking brew that with ample white head.

S: First thought was "cheesy". But when I let the aroma permeate I also can pick up various fruit essences. Apples or hibiscus? Alot going on here.

T: The sourness from the brett is here but perhaps mellowed out over the past 3.5 years in the bottle. The brett is not as aggressive as the aroma would have you believe. What is left is a wonderful balance of fruits, sweet malt and sourness. I keep getting apples but I wonder if that is the synergy between the hibiscus and figs. This is a fun beer for being a sub 8%.

M: medium bodied beer with heavy carbonation which lends to a very lively experience on the palate.

O: This beer was really fun to drink. I enjoyed trying to pick apart all of the ingredients described on the label. This was a real find sitting in the refridgerator at haskels in woodbury a month ago! Well done Avery!

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2011 02:48:45 | More by Beerdregs

EgadBananas

Louisiana

4.05/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Big thanks to ThirstyHerf for this! He claimed it was drinking great right now, so here goes!

Pours a hazy sun color, with an unmistakable slight pinking hue. Head was not massive, but it sounded fizzy like a soda. Bright white and nice lace.

Aroma is slightly tart, earthy, fruity and malty, some funk, but it's over powered by the tartness.

Taste is mostly on par with the aroma. There's a faint tart fruitiness, but nicely funky and earthy. A bit of spiciness on the finish.

With age, and despite the fizzy sound, it's a bit creamy feeling and not hugely crisp. Still nice though

I never tried this fresh, but with a few years, it's quite nice in my opinion!

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2011 02:54:29 | More by EgadBananas

Bonis

Ohio

3.83/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Review from notes: 9/9/11

A - Pours golden in the glass with very lively champagne-like bubbles. Tall pillowy head leaves a white lacing behind.

S - Floral, funky, and sour. Smells barnyardish, like a sour saison. I haven't tried many (or any) American Wild Ales, so this is different for me, but definitely awesome. Somewhat fruity, I'm guessing from the figs. A touch of vinegar is noted, no alcohol.

T - Lots of funk and a nice dose of malt sweetness. I'm a little disappointed, as I expected more sourness that I got from the nose to carry over. This one is subtly sour at best. I wouldn't even call it tart. Not bad tasting overall, though. Herbal mint and flowers mingle in with the bretty funk, which is huge. Nice overall, but nothing exciting.

M - Lively carbonation with a big mouthfeel. Pretty much what I expected, so I'll give it a decent mark (even though I'm not normally a fan of beers that are this carbed).

O - A pretty nice beer that I'll probably never have or see again. I'd recommend to buy this if you see it, as it is still drinking good.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2011 06:42:45 | More by Bonis

JoeAmerican77

Colorado

4.38/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

You know I've taken the Avery Brewery tour at least 12 times (I lived five minutes away in college) and they always talk about their special strains of bugs rolling around in their barrel room. This beer smells exactly like that Avery home blend. Sour funk, some brettomyces and the whole barnyard crew jump in.

The flavor is a bit milder than the smell. Same bitter characteristics, wet horse blanket, some chewable vitamin C without the sweetness, definitly hibiscus. I really like the flavor

Medium mouthfeel, nice light carbonation

Overall, heck yes! I love when Avery pulls out a winner and this is a good addition to their portfolio

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 05:03:13 | More by JoeAmerican77

shoky01

Texas

4.45/5  rDev +24.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had in a goblet, on tap at the Houston Flying Saucer.

First impressions: I love this beer!

From the moment I saw it in the glass I knew it was a beauty. The smell gave away most of the flavor off the bat with the spices and grains. The taste left nothing to be desired, just a perfect balance of sweet, spice, malt and a tiny bit of bitter. I want this again and I want it now!! So happy I got to experience this.

Serving type: on-tap

08-21-2011 12:39:24 | More by shoky01

sjccmd

Minnesota

4.22/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottled in 2008, a lucky find at my local liquor store.

Pours a light copper, surprisingly clear with only a little haze. Large billowing white head. Lots of carbonation bubbles. As the head fades it leaves a nice lacing.

Smell is even better than I was expecting for a wild ale aged for 3 years. Loads of brett. Barnyard, overripe fruit, pineapple, figs, apricots. It has a nice musty basement sort of odor. Earthy and spicy. The amount of funk almost seems meaty. Very nice.

The flavor begins with tart apples which is followed by hibiscus. It's nice and earthy. The flowers add a slight earthy bitterness. I wouldn't have been able to point out figs, hibiscus, and white pepper if it didn't say so on the label, but I do believe they have a presence even after all this time in the bottle. Brett of course has a big presence providing more musty basement flavors, tartness, and a cheesy/earthy/meaty flavor. This is all balanced nicely with a good amount of bready malts.

Decent body with enough carbonation to deliver a nice little sting even after this long in the bottle. Super dry, finishing with earthy/spicy hops and yeast.

Overall an excellent beer. I have recently become a big fan of brett beers and this is right up my alley. Age, I'm sure, has served it well.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2011 01:19:46 | More by sjccmd

scbrew

California

3.78/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Light orangey-rose color with white head. Definite farmhouse aroma, with something different...hibiscus maybe. Moderately carbonated with a medium body. Very spicey (not picante), peppery. Subtle stone fruit flavors with light tartness. Very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2011 18:28:23 | More by scbrew

SHODriver

California

3.53/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Deep yellow to light orange with a fluffy white head and a constant stream of carbonation rising to the top. Very effervescent.
S: Sharp spice notes on the nose with some small notes of fruit and bready yeast
T: A bit of winy/sour grape flavor up front with some hints of apricot and some other fruity alcohol flavor. the spices come through toward the end but the vinous qualities are quite apparent the whole way through. Not very beery
M: kinda thin and heavy carbonation.
D: this one's different for sure but it's still decent.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2011 03:41:00 | More by SHODriver

CHILLINDYLAN

Washington

4/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled April 2008; Consumed Sept 30, 2010

Peach lemonade in color with a big creamy near white head with decent retention. Thick, tight bubbly walls of lace.

Funky brett and spicy white pepper. Some sourness. Floral citrus and lemongrass.

Sour and tart. Lemon and grass. spicy herbal and white pepper. floral notes. Subtle fig jam. Mild bitter funky aftertaste.

Fast lively carbonation, very refreshing. medium body with a bit of creaminess. slight dryness after the funk.

Very drinkable and enjoyable. Not overly tart, sour, or funky, but a good combo of all three that complement the other ingredients and let their complexities come through. Over two year aging, this one was drinking great when I had it. if you still have one cellaring, I don't think it will improve much more, drink it now if you havent already.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2011 21:11:14 | More by CHILLINDYLAN

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.8/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

had this as part of my avery cellar cleaning tonight. i must admit i had a few high hopes for this one. served in a snifter

the pour was a nice golden yellow color with with a smooth head of white that settled down quickly into just a thin film that wrapped around the edges. pungent sour aroma was too lopsided for me. lots of vinegar and sour apple, but little other then that to provide any depth or contrast to it. not exactly what i was looking for to be honest. very light carbonation on the first sip though it did not detract from the overall expierence. lots of interesting sour notes, but again that was about all, none of the really nice, interesting flavors i normally look for. very dry finish left me looking for more.

overall it was, ok. i will admit i really thought it could have been alot better.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2011 01:45:11 | More by mikesgroove

bamadog

Kentucky

3.58/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Picked this one up some time ago, aged for 3 years. Review is from notes taken on 4/8/2011 and poured from the bottle (bottled in April of 2008) to a tulip glass.

Appearance: Pour is a light and crisp lemony/gold color; starts with a big 3 finger white merengue-like head that fades eventually to a full and uneven fluffy cap; body has great clarity and shows pretty strong carbonation still bubbling throughout; some strands and spots of lacing are left behind; a fairly "pretty" beer, I would say, and I'm surprised at how clear the body is.

Smell: Some definite hay-like funk; tart and acidic green fruit (apple?); musky spiciness of coriander; not too bad

Taste: Three years may have been a bit too long as the flavors aren't very robust, but the they're still good; there is the tart/sour acidic green fruits that are definitely reminiscent of green apples or pears; there is a bit of a perfumey and musky spiciness; there is a bit of a lactic sour bite in the aftertaste; it's not bad overall -- this would be a good one for someone who hasn't a lot of wilds/sours to kind of break into the genre with.

Mouthfeel: Body is a little heavier than what I would consider light, and it comes across as a tad watery; carbonation is healthy and fitting -- not strong, but soft and "spritzy"; a fairly dry coating is left on the roof of the mouth and rest of the palate and it tends to hold the sour aftertaste; there are definitely wilds out there with better bodies than this (e.g., anything from RR would crush this attempt in this department). Not heavy though, so it's not as if it's going to weight you down, and I notice it's a little easier on the tummy since the acidity seems lesser in this one than in others with more robust tastes.

Overall: Worth trying, but not cellaring for this long. I think this one would have been much better fresh, or perhaps with just a year on it as it seems to be past its prime. Decent scents and flavors that match, could be better, but it could be a lot worse.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2011 02:05:49 | More by bamadog

GilGarp

Colorado

3.65/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottled in April, 2008. Let's see if the last three years have been kind to the Fifteen.

It pours into a goblet with an orange-copper color. The clarity is good but the head settles immediately. So, overall, this looks like cider.

At first the aroma reminds me of apple juice too but after a minute it starts to open up. The brett is subtle but noticible and there is a nice floral quality.

The flavor is pleasant and mild. It's not a hugely sour beer like many wild ales but it has a lot of complex flavors. There is orchard fruit, floral and herbal notes, and some pepper.

Mouthfeel is medium-light with a little too much carbonation. Alcohol is well-hidden.

Overall not a bad beer but not an exceptional one either. I think Avery has always had good 6-pack beers but has occasionally struggled with their "specials." This was not one of their best.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2011 23:51:56 | More by GilGarp

TheSarge

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This is either my second or third American Wild Ale. Enjoyed all of them so far, let's see how this one does...

Poured this one into a LA CHOUFFE tulip, and it produces about three fingers of off white rocky head, and has a cloudy orangish gold color.

The aroma is sour milk, yeast funk, and all sorts of crazy. I swear I smell pennies, lemon grass, and finally roses.

Taste wise it's very metallic with some yeast funk making it a bit sour. Grainy texture with lots of carbonation. Kind of refreshing for this abnormally warm day.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 21:55:16 | More by TheSarge

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to Smoked for sharing this bomber on 3/13/11. Bottled in April 2008 putting this just shy of 3 years old at time of this review.

Poured into a snifter, this brew appears a hazed yellow with a thin film of white bubbly and fizzy head. A light swirl revives the cap back to a finger of head. Spotty fingers of lace stick to the glass.

The smell of this brew is all over the place, generically it smells of funk and sulfur upfront. As more sniffs are taken, more specific scents are identified as spicy, sweet floral notes, pearish fruit, grass and crushed pepper. Quite interesting but the fruity notes don't blend very well with the spices and peppered aspect.

The taste mimics the aroma, it's tart with a sulfuric flavor that gives way to pears and spices that accent a very distinct dryness to the finish. The abv comes forward with a minor fruity flavor. The aftertaste is citrus rinds with lactic acidity and a peppery, earthy flavor that lasts.

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest level of carbonation. It is easy drinking with lots of lively bubbly and fizziness on the tongue. The 7+ abv is well integrated in both flavor and warmth but collectively this brew is a bit of a mess. In this case, flowers and fruits don't work very well with pepper and sulfur.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2011 19:20:45 | More by stakem