Margarete - Avery Brewing Company

jrallen34

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

dark brown, almost black, a light tan ring... malt forward nose, decadent chocolate, subtle bourbon, a little oak, not getting any cherries not the crazy amount of alcohol, 15!.. tons going on here, dark chocolate on the front, the bourbon is gone and there is a nice tart cherry bite on the back, really nice, again no alcohol, this tastes great, I hope this is what Veritas 009 is like... get this, one of the best Avery beers hands down

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2011 22:31:53 | More by jrallen34

drummermattie02

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -13.8%

05-13-2013 14:30:50 | More by drummermattie02

bulldogg915

Wyoming

5/5  rDev +14.9%

04-03-2013 14:20:30 | More by bulldogg915

carteravebrew

Colorado

4/5  rDev -8%

02-16-2013 23:40:39 | More by carteravebrew

westcoastbeerlvr

California

3.5/5  rDev -19.5%

01-09-2013 00:00:11 | More by westcoastbeerlvr

drabmuh

Maryland

3.53/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer drinks like a chocolate cherry sour. Beer is dark brown to black with a tan head, small bubbles. No retention, low carbonation, no lacing.

Aroma is sour with cherries and this faint chocolate in the nose.

Beer is nice and sweet with this tartness on the finish, odd sour notes late on the palate and dryness that gives rise to a mild aftertaste. Not a great beer but not horrid.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 18:03:59 | More by drabmuh

bauermj

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -2.3%

10-19-2012 19:42:53 | More by bauermj

inflatablechair

Idaho

4.75/5  rDev +9.2%

09-12-2012 02:24:58 | More by inflatablechair

ehammond1

California

4.53/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Bottle (2011)

Adam Avery's First Barrel-Aged Dinner
Stone Brew co.
Escondido, CA

(Aged for 1.5 years)

Nearly black in color with a small to moderately sized dark brown head, eventually leaving spots of lacing down the glass.

Rich complex aroma, unlike anything I've ever experienced before in a beer: big notes of wood, chocolate, roast, and juicy, plump cherries. I was expecting more of an acidic or sour character, but there's perhaps only the slightest hint of one.

The flavor, too, is interesting, unique, rich, and delicious. The roast, dark malts, vanilla, cherry, and wood flavors combine into a marvelously drinkable while complex fruit stout. The alcohol is incredibly well hidden

Medium to full bodied with low-moderate carbonation.

Perhaps my favorite Avery beer to date.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 00:53:25 | More by ehammond1

FullObs

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +9.2%

08-20-2012 17:42:01 | More by FullObs

t0rin0

California

4.25/5  rDev -2.3%

08-18-2012 23:02:12 | More by t0rin0

CelticAleMan

California

4.25/5  rDev -2.3%

08-16-2012 17:49:25 | More by CelticAleMan

drewone

California

4.5/5  rDev +3.4%

08-07-2012 23:31:05 | More by drewone

jsanford

Georgia

3.48/5  rDev -20%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours dark mahogany with a reddish tint and thin ivory ring. Great aromas of chocolate, cherry, oak, and booze. Someone in my tasting group remarked "Cherry Tootsie Roll Pop", and I think that's pretty accurate. Taste is similar, with more cherry, chocolate, dark malt, and a slight tartness. Smooth and surprisingly easy-drinking given the high ABV, with a medium-full body and decent carbonation. Overall a unique beer, But not something I'd seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 01:41:44 | More by jsanford

hiphopj5

Colorado

4.5/5  rDev +3.4%

06-19-2012 20:26:40 | More by hiphopj5

Spider889

Ohio

4.6/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On draft at the brewery on 9/28/11.

They only allowed their bigger beers to be served in mini snifters for whatever reason, but I wound up getting a pour of this on two separate visits. Sorry Kef, but this beer is fucking delicious.

A - Black and fairly thick for such high abv and being barrel aged. The head is a very dark mocha color. Light smears of lace cling to the glass.

S - The aroma is immediately of chocolate fudge with a nice roasty malt finish. There's some nice vanilla coming off the barrel as well.

T - Everything up to this point in this beer is solid to say the least. But from my very first sip I knew that this beer was something special. I tend not to buy into the craze over super-high abv in beers and due to the incensed reaction some were having over the price of this beer when the bottles were sold I was all geared up to dislike Margarete. That said, I am happy to admit I was way off - what a delicious beer!

The barreling does wonders for this beer. Sweet and roasty chocolate fudge is sumptuous. The cherry isn't huge, but I can taste tart cherry skins on the finish. After warming a ripe black cherry flavor grows into the beer. The cherry is an excellent compliment to the barrel.

M - Waves of hot and lovely bourbon wash in for the aftertaste. Medium bodied and sticky. Definitely full of alcohol warmth, yet never overly boozy.

O - I was extremely impressed with Margarette. I'd love to try a bottle a year or two down the road to see how this beer ages.

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2012 03:12:21 | More by Spider889

WeisGuy

New York

3.75/5  rDev -13.8%

03-31-2012 20:33:26 | More by WeisGuy

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.6/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A steady pour into my large Tripel Karmeliet tulip produces a scant ¼-finger thick, light brown colored head. The beer is a dark, almost perfectly black color, that is quite opaque when held up to the light. The beer smells of up front tart cherries, that quickly subsumes underneath rich chocolate liquor notes (along with the warming alcohol notes), lots of smooth roasted dark malt, umami laden, almost teriyaki-like concentrated malt character, toasted brown grain notes, notes of smoky Bourbon like aromas, coconut liquor and then in the finish another light, but noticeable tart cherry character.

The beer is fairly sweet, though not as thick as it might have seemed. The sweetness accentuates a fruity cherry note, but this is dried out a fair amount in the finish by a burnt, roasted, bitter blackened malt notes, though it doesn’t quite beat out the sweetness. While this is lighter than it perhaps seems like it could be for a beer of this strength, it is still most definitely a sipping beer. A rich, umami-leaning, concentrated malt character contributes notes of smoked malt, slight teriyaki notes and even some balsamic like richness (but without the acetic character). The Bourbon barrel here isn’t very intrusive, in fact it plays a clearly supporting role; it provides some background woody structure that provides some astringency in the finish and a light woody note; a Bourbon spiciness that is a little peppery but mostly like spicy oak, some Bourbon heat (much of which is accentuated by the base alcohol in the beer) and some fruity Bourbon notes. Lots of bitterness (roast), and astringency from the oak comes out as it warms.

I wasn’t expecting a beer this big, for some reason I was expecting a funky / sour beer, but this is clearly not one of those. Still this isn’t nearly as bad as I might have expected, given that most of Avery’s huge beers don’t appeal to me. The rich chocolate notes pair well with the rich, sort of smoky and umami like concentrated malt, supporting fruity cherry notes, and light Bourbon character. This does walk a fine line between being a bit too hot and being smooth.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 02:12:34 | More by Gueuzedude

largadeer

California

3.43/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks, Andrew.

Dark opaque brown with a thin tan head that recedes to a collar.

Very, very sweet. Tar, brown sugar, bourbon -bals, asphalt. A hint of cherry, but not much, along with a pinch of vanilla. The malt character here reminds me a lot of Avery's other monster imperial stout, Mephistopheles. Very sugary and tar-like, not my favorite take on the style.

The palate is pretty good. Extremely sugary, a brown sugar sort of quality backed by blackened asphalt. Full bodied, chocolatey, fairly pleasant cherry sourness. Extremely sweet, the sugar balances the charred, tarry malt, but the combination of the two extremes is a bit much for me. Little cherry tartness and tannin in the finish that lends some balance. It's a fairly enjoyable beer overall, but not a great one.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 20:44:41 | More by largadeer

cosmicevan

New York

4.95/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

thank you to both 2beerornot2beer as well as biglobo8971 for sending this gem my way. bottled jan 8, 2011 (just over a year ago).

a - opened the bottle and filled my southampton IRS oversized snifter...poured a watery black that settled dark as night with a creamy white colored head that bubbled away quickly leaving spotty lacing. swirling the glass rebuilds and brings things to life.

s - deep rich indulgent chocolate with a glazing of booze. YUM. 5 out of 5...damn good smelling.

t - much like the nose, indulgent booze soaked chocolate. but the expensive stuff, not that cheap bakers chocolate or cocoa powder...this is godiva. as it warms, the sour cherries really start to show up. it just works. fantastic. chocolate, booze, sour cherries...heaven in a bottle.

m - rich and lush. incredible body and feel. the booze is strong but it works like magic. this one just works.

o - overall, i'm impressed. this beer is incredible. the 15+% is there, but feels like 8 or 9...really well integrated. this is indulgent. ISO this beer. fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 03:20:19 | More by cosmicevan

imperialking

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +3.4%

01-08-2012 23:09:59 | More by imperialking

vissai

California

4.5/5  rDev +3.4%

12-22-2011 17:48:59 | More by vissai

Anthony1

Colorado

5/5  rDev +14.9%

12-15-2011 06:57:32 | More by Anthony1

quine

Colorado

5/5  rDev +14.9%

12-09-2011 07:50:07 | More by quine

pperez38

California

4/5  rDev -8%

12-06-2011 05:21:13 | More by pperez38