Tweak - Avery Brewing Company

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.6/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

From notes, on tap at Union Jack's on the Manatawny ~2010.

Pours a standard pitch black, opaque and a thin tan head. Intense roast espresso nose, light bitter chocolate and intense alcohol. Very smooth, creamy and chewy body, minimal carbonation and surprise surprise, a potent wallop of warming booze. Coffee is a little less intense in the nose with molasses and dark fruit adding some sweetness, but this is still an intense coffee bomb with a ton of booze. Easier to drink than expected (or than I probably described), but this was a chore and I'll pass on revisiting.

Serving type: on-tap

05-23-2012 01:50:52 | More by yourefragile

BretSikkink

Mexico

3.75/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

I could almost start and end my review with a single word: Kahlua.

Dark brown color with a short head with dissipates quickly. Most of my time with this beer, it had neither cap nor foam. Nose is full of chocolate and espresso. Highly roasted, but also a sweet presence. Alcohol is all over this one.

The flavor is very boozy. Switches from chocolate to coffee as the dominant flavor, with plenty of good stuff like molasses and dark fruit. Full, thick mouthfeel, and a velvety soft finish.

There's a lot to be said about this one, but to my taste buds it was way too sweet - almost like hot chocolate - and the booze was far too apparent. This was a shot at a gold medal in abv and that's about it. Dial this one back and you've probably got a damn fine ale, but as it stands I can't recommend this.

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2010 05:26:33 | More by BretSikkink

axeman9182

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev -14%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Rattle n Hum, this one was served in an 8oz wine glass.

Mephaddict pours a standard stout black, totally impenetrable by light. The wispy tan foam that crowns the beer is barely there, and definitely not enough of a base off of which to make any judgements about head retention or lacing. The nose is a one note coffee bomb. The almost espresso-like aroma is great, but the novelty wears off quickly with nothing else behind it. I hope there's more to this beer, as I'm not a huge fan of anything that drinks like straight cold coffee. Thankfully, in addition to the expected heavy handed coffee flavor, a nice robust dark chocolate note fills out the profile. I still would have preferred the base beer to come through a bit more relative to the coffee, but the balance here is certainly serviceable. The body is full, but not as viscous as I might have guessed given the ABV. The carbonation is just a little too bubbly though, to the point where it distracts from all the malty goodness on occasion. Mephaddict is one of the better cofee infused stouts I've had in a while.

Serving type: on-tap

12-06-2011 01:19:07 | More by axeman9182

Mebuzzard

Colorado

3.93/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Falling Rock was pouring this one tonight. What a pour! Black and luscious, creamy head and soft. Nice. Reddish hints on the rim. Oooh-la-la...

Coffee. Black rich coffee in the nose. That's it.

Coffee again in the taste. This time, though, it's accompanied by black plum and a bit of roasted malt. Not much else to describe this one. It rivals KBS and is a bit thicker on the palate.

Easy drinking for a 16% whopper. Dangerous.

Serving type: on-tap

04-09-2011 09:34:37 | More by Mebuzzard

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

on draft at the Avery tap take-over event at the Craft Ale House.

Appears jet black, thin tan head that leaves great lacing. Smells like a cup of espresso. Monster coffee bean aroma. Taste is pretty much as expected, all coffee. roasty, but not overly bitter.
Seems thinner than the base beer, and has low carbonation.

amazingly, it hides the huge alcohol content very well, totally different than the regular Mephistophele's.

Serving type: on-tap

12-16-2011 02:57:04 | More by jmdrpi

mcallister

Ohio

4.13/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Tribes Aleshouse.

Pours deep black with a thick creamy mocha head with long retention. Very surprising considering ABV.

Thick deep roasty Chocolate and cocoa aromas, vanilla, black fruits, red currant ant layers of coffee, latte, mocha, espresso, burnt caramel and rum soaked raisins, black cherry, and licorice.

Thick, rich, good sweetness yet not copying and delicious. Deep dark chocolate, roasted charred malts and caramel, layers of complex tannic coffee, run soaked raisin, not as much alcohol burn as anticipated. Abuse, black cherry, black fruits, burnt marshmallows and a bit of vanilla and lots of espresso. Delicious.

Serving type: on-tap

04-28-2011 23:43:14 | More by mcallister

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

First had: on tap at Capone's, Norristown, PA

Called "Mephaddict" at the time.

Poured into a little baby 5.5oz snifter, impenetrable dark brown-black with a thin layer of tan head that receded quite a bit, leaving some lacing on the glass. Aroma was coffee-forward, earthy, dark chocolate, roasty malts, and a bit woody. Taste of roasted coffee, smooth, dry; cocoa and dark chocolate make a serious appearance too, lending to a little bitterness, maybe a little oatmeal in this? Alcohol warmth was felt more than tasted. Full-bodied, intensely roasty; it had a little edge to it: something tells me this beer would benefit from some aging. Good selection though, and nicely drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

12-22-2011 08:25:29 | More by Rifugium

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.16/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had during Brewvival 2013! Served from tap into a Brewvival sampler shaker. Poured pitch black with a minimal brown head. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, roasted malt, dark fruit, dark chocolate, coffee, and sweet alcohol. The flavor was of sweet malt, dark chocolate, coffee, roasted malt, wood, and sweet alcohol. It had a medium feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a pretty good brew. When I saw this one pop up on this list available at the festival I was rather excited to say the least. For the ABV level of this one I was really expecting this one to be an absolute booze-bomb. However, what I found was a pretty well balanced and rather enjoyable brew. The coffee added a nice touch to this one and definitely took it to a new level. Really well done high ABV brew that I would not hesitate to have again at any time it is put in front of me.

Serving type: on-tap

03-09-2013 00:58:15 | More by thagr81us

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Draft at Varga Bar.

Pours pitch black and complete opaque with faint mahogany edges and a one finger frothy mocha head.  Good retention slowly fading into to lasting ring.  Spotty chocolate colored lacing left behind.  

Roasted coffee and dark malt aroma with lots of roasty espresso and toast but not burnt smelling.  Hints of sweet chocolate, nut, oatmeal and subtle booze.  Smells like really roasted chocolate coffee.  

Chewy viscous body with a blast of smooth roasted coffee up front that lingers over the roasted malt notes into a lingering dry finish.  Smooth coffee flavor that is roasted wihout being acrid or burnt.  Countered by hints of toast, dark choc, oatmeal and nuttiness.  Subtle lactic creaminess with faint sweet booziness in the finish.  Abv very well masked with little heat in the back end and faint warmth in the finish.

Serving type: on-tap

06-28-2011 18:03:44 | More by corby112

mdfb79

New York

4.22/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From 12/1/11 notes. Had this on tap at Churchkey in Washington, DC at their Avery tap takeover event. Glad to see it as I missed out on it at EBF last year. 4 oz. pour in a snifter, brewed on 12/14/10 according to the menu.

a - Pours a dark brown, almost black color, with one inch of very dark tan head and light carbonation evident. Looks as expected, like a thick ass dark stout.

s - Smells of coffee, roasted malts, alcohol, sweet chocolate, sweet fruit, and bitter chocolate. As expected, lots of coffee, but not as much alcohol as I was expecting. Don't get me wrong it is there, but for over 16% ABV it isn't bad, and some nice sweet chocolate and fruits come through as well. Pretty complex and really nice here.

t - Tastes of coffee, alcohol, roasted malts, bitter chocolate, sweet chocolate, light wood or smoke as well. Again, coffee dominates up front, but alcohol is a little more prominent here than in the nose. Not as much sweetness as well, so a step down from the nose for me. Again, not nearly as much alcohol as I expected.

m - Medium to full body and low carbonation, smooth and thick. Some alcohol warmth.

o - Overall I thought this was a very good stout, and a huge improvement over Mephistopheles'. I've had Mephistopheles' fresh and wasn't a big fan of it, and got to try a version on tap tonight that was 1 or 2 years old, and this was much better than both. Would really like to have it again sometime.

Serving type: on-tap

12-06-2011 18:50:14 | More by mdfb79

ryantaussig

New York

4.25/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

It was meant to be on tap at The Good Life, but by the time I showed up it was already kicked! Now that's a release party. Luckily one of the owners (Pete) had an extra growler and hooked me up. Love that guy.

The look is exactly what an Imperial Stout should be. It's nearly opaque black with a wonderfully chocolate colored head and lace. The smell is a bit over the top with the alcohol for me, but other notes like vanilla, bourbon, coffee, and even a bit of chocolate are there. I'd have to say the same about the flavor, the alcohol is completely unmasked and is quite dominant, but the coffee does a great job of balancing the bourbon notes. Chocolate comes into play a little more as well. I only noticed it in the nose after tasting it. Absolutely smooth and quite viscous. Overall a very solid beer, but a bit high in the ABV.

Serving type: growler

06-25-2011 14:52:55 | More by ryantaussig

ucusty

North Carolina

4.28/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Draft brewvival. Okay I want to first start of by saying that I strongly dislike the standard version of Mephistopheles. I think its a hot cloying mess. With that being said some people really eat up the under-attenuated stouts, its just not my thing. So onto meph-addict.. Thick viscous dark pour with a thin tan head . Nose is punch you in the face coffee. Flavor is much of the same. The coffee really improved a mediocre base beer. Alcohol well masked

Serving type: on-tap

05-29-2010 15:50:16 | More by ucusty

scout

District of Columbia

4.28/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On draft at Blind Tiger in NYC.

Pours jet black with a small, brown, frothy head. Smell is straight espresso and maybe some chocolately malts too. First sip is sweeter than I would have expected. Lots going on -- caramel, sticky malt, raisins, vanilla and definitely some other fruits I can't put my finger on. Espresso flavor is still there too and I love how well the sweet malty/fruity flavors balance the bitter chocolate and espresso. Great, smooth, balanced flavor and you'd never know it was 16%. The alcohol content warms you up but never even so much as gets in the way.

Exceptionally smooth mouthfeel with a creamy, roasted malt and back to the heavy espresso flavor for the finish. Great stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

11-02-2011 00:27:06 | More by scout

RuckusDu

Colorado

4.3/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

5 oz taster at Avery Rumpkin release. Head is thin but a deep mocha and sticks around. Body is pitch black. Tons of bourbon on the nose. Vanilla, caramel, and a little alcohol. You can tell it is going to be big. Coffee up front, bitter chocolate and some sweet vanilla. Still boozy but at 16% it hides well. mouth is lots of carbonation on a medium body. A little harsh.

Overall a wonderful beer that would make a good after dinner drink. Just sip on this in front of the fire on a warm night with a good girl in my arms. Life would be good.

Serving type: on-tap

12-06-2012 01:13:13 | More by RuckusDu

BeerForMuscle

New Jersey

4.31/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Black syrup, espresso, sticky brown lacing. Looks strong and viscous.

S - Bitter black coffee, espesso, semi sweet chocolate, and cocoa.

T - Bitter sweet espresso, and coffee. Cocoa powder and faint dark chocolate. Burnt grains and booze.

M - Soft, smooth, velvety. Soft, tiny bubbled carbonation with a warming dry finish.

O - Rich and luxurious all the way.

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2013 20:17:07 | More by BeerForMuscle

bierenutz

Michigan

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

I had this on tap as a guest beer at FFF on DLD.
A-Dark brown with no head and minimal lacing, probably due to the tap pour.
S-Rich roasted malts and coffee with chocolate and dark fruit aromas.
T-Syrupy with cocoa and dark fruit flavors and a nice blend of coffee and liquor that was not overstated. Very pleasant.
M-Creamy, but not necessarily thick with low carbonation and overall nice feel.
D-I didn't know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised at this beer's complexity. Avery has done a nice job with this one.

Serving type: on-tap

05-01-2010 23:44:32 | More by bierenutz

htomsirveaux

Texas

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

~3 oz. pour tried at the Avery dinner, 24 Diner, Austin, 29 Jul 2010.

Served in a white wine glass. Small dark brown head. Opaque chocolate brown color. Light carbonation. Aromas of espresso, dark chocolate, lots of roastiness, ethanol. Flavor is dominated by the espresso. Also plenty of chocolate and cocoa, vanilla. Ethanol is upfront and in your face but not hot. Mouthfeel is like melted dark chocolate, thick. Finish is roasty bitter.

Excellent replacement for coffee or espresso at the end of a meal.

Serving type: on-tap

07-31-2010 15:46:35 | More by htomsirveaux

Sean9689

Illinois

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

On-tap at The Long Room during CCBW. Poured into snifter.

A - Pours black, mocha-colored head, thin cap, spotty lacing.

S - Coffee is right up front, followed by dark chocolate, smooth booze, some toffee, slight roast. Basically, lots of coffee and booze, both very-well done and smooth.

T - Coffee beans, black coffee, dark chocolate, cream, toffee, expresso. Lots of caffeine and lots of alcohol. The 15% (which is what the menu said) is noticeable, but man, it's still pretty damn smooth.

M - Medium, rich and smooth, light carbonation, creamy roast finish.

O - After a few sips, my face started to feel a bit fuzzy. This is one potent beer, to say the least. The alcohol is very-well hidden and the coffee notes are wonderful. This is what you order for an after dinner drink, no doubt about it. Yum!

Serving type: on-tap

05-21-2011 01:59:16 | More by Sean9689

Mora2000

Texas

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

On tap at the Avery Tap Takeover at The Common Table.

The beer pours a pitch black color with a brown head. The aroma is full of coffee with some roasted malt thrown in. The coffee is extremely intense in the aroma, as well as the flavor. This tastes like I imagine iced espresso with a shot of alcohol would taste. There is also some roasted malt and chocolate but this is really all about the coffee. Medium to thick mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Very, very nice.

Serving type: on-tap

11-12-2012 02:24:00 | More by Mora2000

MasterSki

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

After trying this at DLD 2010, I scheduled my Friday evening around the tapping of a sixth barrel of this gem at The Long Room. Served in a snifter - I was initially shocked by the $10 sticker price, but then realized it had the same amount of alcohol as two 7.5% beers. This batch clocked in at 15.1%. Kicked in about 3.5 hours more or less.

A - Served with a finger of tan foam that settles to a thin cap, leaving glass-coating lace. Body is straight-up black, although it was hard to be 100% certain in the low light conditions.

S - Big earthy intense coffee leaps out of the glass, following by peripheral notes of dark fruits, dark chocolate, anise, roasted malts, and a hint of booze. Really fantastic - a beer I'd happily nurse all night just to keep drawing in deep breaths of this fine aroma.

T - The taste has less overt coffee, and more sweetness to it. There's still plenty of dark chocolate, but more rum-soaked fruits and burnt sugars tip the scales a bit. The espresso pops back up in the finish, providing lingering roasty bitterness. Alcohol is minimally present in the taste.

M - There's some definite alcohol warmth here - my face started tingling after nary a few ounces and I started to feel flush. Sticky, viscous, chewy and clingy full body with lower carbonation otherwise.

D - Definitely a one and done kind of beer. I ordered two glasses as I was worried it would kick before Sean arrived and the bartender gave me an incredulous look. I also was forced to text Sean telling him that if he didn't show up to drink his glass he could find me passed out on Irving Park the following morning. Great nightcap beer though, and a great start to Chicago Craft Beer Week (even if the Avery event wasn't officially part of it).

Serving type: on-tap

05-21-2011 15:46:19 | More by MasterSki

glid02

Georgia

4.47/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Brewvival.

Pours black with a small brown head. The head quickly recedes into a thin ring around the glass leaving light lacing.

Smells of loads and loads of espresso coffee. Serving as the backbone are good amounts of molasses, roasted malts, and unsweetened chocolate, in that order.

Tastes similar to how it smells, although the coffee influence isn't quite as large. Smooth coffee flavors kick things off with roasted malts lurking in the background. Midway through the sip molasses flavors join in and sweeten things up a bit. Coffee and chocolate flavors with a decidedly sweet edge then carry through to an ending that's neither sweet nor bitter.

Mouthfeel is very good. It's got a smooth thickness with soft carbonation.

Drinkability is also very good. I didn't have a problem finishing my glass and could have a few more, even at such a big ABV.

Overall I enjoyed this one more with coffee than without as it cut some of the sweetness. Well worth a shot.

Serving type: on-tap

03-01-2010 21:47:57 | More by glid02

coldmeat23

Oklahoma

4.47/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

GLASS: Snifter
TEMP: Served at approx 40 degrees, allowed to warm about 10 degrees before drinking
I was lucky enough to try this one at DLD 2010.

Pours a very nice black color with some dark crimson highlights. A creamy, light brown colored head forms on top, then recedes rather quickly, leaving a small surface ring of bubbles. Lacing is very minimal, and slides down the oily sides of the glass.

The nose is filled with very rich notes of roasted malts. It has an almost fudge/brownie like chocolatey-ness to it. Beautiful notes of espresso. Hints of molasses and dark fruits.

The flavor follows the nose. There are nice notes of molasses that come forward. The espresso notes seem to be blended with sweetened condensed milk. The balance of roasty to sweet to almost burnt/bitter plays off of each other component very well.

Beautiful, full body. Mild level of carbonation. Extremely smooth, but sadly lacks any real depth of creaminess. Silky for sure, but could easily be velvet-like with a bit of tweaking.

I'm not sure if the 16.03%abv is correct or not, but if it is then this brew is criminal. It certainly drinks a whole lot easier than that. It does have a certain touch of booziness to it, but I think that the high presence of espresso/coffee flavor gives it a lot of balance, or at least helps mask it well.

Serving type: on-tap

05-26-2010 01:57:03 | More by coldmeat23

dbossman

Nebraska

4.47/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Quite black with a thin head and minimal lacing--actually kind of looks like espresso--if only I had some steamed milk

S: This is an espresso bomb; so much espresso with a touch of roasty malts, dark chocolates, and dark fruits underneath

T: So much espresso and so much booze; this is such a sipper; underneath the loads and loads of coffee, which do help hold down the alcohol burn that you would expect from a 16% beer; also some sweet dark fruits and chocolates hiding beneath the espresso blast

F: Sticky and viscous with very little carbonation

O: Such a great, huge beer with so much espresso; I honestly felt like I had more of a coffee than beer breath after this puppy; boy, is this good, Avery!

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2011 01:10:46 | More by dbossman

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.5/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On draft at Churchkey in D.C.

Served alongside Avery Mephistopheles.

The beer is black with a quarter inch of oily, dark beige head. The aroma offers a potent dose of rich coffee, followed by light booze, roast, espresso, malt, chocolate. What a bold flavor! Rich and intense with a grand coffee presence. Alcohol warmth in the finish, but not nearly the heat I was expecting and even fearing from a beer of this stature. Full bodied with moderately low carbonation. A delightful brew to sip and savor. I'm so glad I finally came across this one. Delicious.

Serving type: on-tap

03-30-2013 21:21:24 | More by Huhzubendah

rye726

Colorado

4.53/5  rDev +0.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark oily black with tints of mahogany. Silky tan head has nice lace for a beer of this size.

Nose has sweet espresso, chocolate fudge, nutty malts, molasses, ripe pitted fruits, anise and vanilla.

Taste has dark cocoa, coffee, rum, cherries, plums, bitter hops and molasses.

Thick body is delicately carbonated. Nice finish. Quite tasty, coffee really helps mask the booze.

Serving type: on-tap

02-18-2010 21:25:04 | More by rye726