The Czar - Avery Brewing Company

pmcadamis

Illinois

4.97/5  rDev +26.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A - Tar black with a slowly developing brown cream head. The foam looks like whipped chocolate milk, and I want to eat it with a spoon. Lots of creamy lace is left around my snifter, and the two finger head falls to a fat collar and a little haze on top of the brew. This brew shows the slightest hints of brown around the edges when held directly to the light.

S - Dark bitter chocolate, milk chocolate, caramel filled chocolates, double chocolate chip ice cream. In fact, this smells like about every kind of assorted chocolates that you might find in Gump's proverbial box. Profound walnut notes are there along with cream cheese and chocolate flavored graham crackers. This is one of the most outstanding noses that I've ever encountered. A big ole five for smells here!

T - The flavors have all the chocolate complexity from the nose, and bring a big smoky woodfire element in to the mix. The charcoal, smoke, campfires, and wet lumber notes are part of what I'm experiencing during retro olfaction (breathing out of your nose after you swallow). There is an astonishing amount of sugar in this beer, but it's expertly balanced with smoky roasted notes, bitter and tangy hops, and a good alcohol burn. Outstanding.

M - This is as full bodied as a bevy of full figured beauties on a cupcake binge. Ridiculously sugary like cake batter, but it's never too much to handle since the massive hops and astringent alcohol keep things in check.

D - A simply outstanding beer. One could discount this for the amazingly high alcohol content, but for me dinkability refers to my overall enjoyment and opinion of the beer. I'm sure there are threads on this site devoted to discussing the definition of drinkability, and for some it means sessionable low alcohol content. But I rarely drink more than two beers in one sitting, and I'd rather have one bomber of this than three other weaker brews. This is one of the best beers that I've ever had. No shit.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2008 23:39:32 | More by pmcadamis

carlosega

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%

05-17-2013 19:30:01 | More by carlosega

ElizabethEleanor

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +14.5%

05-17-2013 03:11:41 | More by ElizabethEleanor

mtbdonn

United Kingdom (England)

4/5  rDev +1.8%

05-16-2013 21:16:59 | More by mtbdonn

Zbeetleman

California

4/5  rDev +1.8%

05-15-2013 05:28:32 | More by Zbeetleman

Beer21

Florida

4/5  rDev +1.8%

05-13-2013 23:23:17 | More by Beer21

MinorThreat

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%

05-11-2013 21:24:44 | More by MinorThreat

twenty5

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1.8%

05-10-2013 14:44:47 | More by twenty5

ncstateplaya

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%

05-10-2013 14:02:59 | More by ncstateplaya

bootdown21

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +1.8%

05-10-2013 13:51:37 | More by bootdown21

bigorange

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +1.8%

05-10-2013 01:33:27 | More by bigorange

blknikon

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%

05-08-2013 19:43:13 | More by blknikon

Jordantb313

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%

05-05-2013 02:45:10 | More by Jordantb313

Kreaux

Texas

2/5  rDev -49.1%

05-03-2013 22:53:45 | More by Kreaux

LambicPentameter

Kansas

4.3/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Served on tap at Bier Station into a 6 oz tulip style glass.

Appearance - Pours with a healthy tan, toasted marshmallow head sitting atop a body of dark walnut to black. Holding up to light yields pretty much zero translucence. Solid lacing as the ample one-finger head clings to the side of the glass as I drink it down.

Smell - Roasted malt and dark, dried fruits are the dominant aroma. Doesn't quite kick me in the nose like I would expect of an 11% Russian imperial.

Taste - Definitely drinkable, Heavy with molasses, burnt sugar giving way to more of a bittersweet chocolate flavor. Notes of coffee bean bitterness as well. I can't help but wonder if the tamer aroma plays into the way the flavor is rich and decadent without being overpowering.

Mouthfeel - Exceedingly pleasant and smooth. Taste lingers, but without a cloying bitterness that I sometimes get from the style. It reminds me of the smoothness of a stout on nitro, but this one definitely is not on nitro.

Overall a wonderful representation of the style in my opinion. I could drink this by itself, with dessert, or poured over ice cream, quite honestly. The taste is definitely where it shines.

Serving type: on-tap

05-03-2013 04:29:27 | More by LambicPentameter

DerekMorgan

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +1.8%

05-03-2013 03:58:23 | More by DerekMorgan

rfbenavi80

Missouri

4.5/5  rDev +14.5%

05-02-2013 10:28:52 | More by rfbenavi80

trodam

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +1.8%

04-20-2013 20:03:24 | More by trodam

browniewithnuts

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -10.9%

04-20-2013 03:08:33 | More by browniewithnuts

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

3.86/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

***Batch No. 11***

Thanks to mklever42 for this one.

Poured from a 1 pint 6oz. bottle, bottled Nov. 2012.

Appearance: A very dark brown pour with a light brown head that fills up the glass nicely and lazily sits there while forming a seal around the glass. Chunks of lacing are left behind and as it slowly recedes, makes for a mountainous head.

Smell: Roasted/burnt coffee, nut;, sweet, milky chocolate.

Taste: Strong bittersweet chocolate, raisins, sweetened bitter coffee, very rich.

Mouthfeel: Bit of bitterness that is covered by a mostly thick creaminess.

Overall: A good stout, maybe a bit unbalanced and slightly too sweet (and this is me talking) but overall a nice pick.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 11:28:15 | More by papat444

prlykens

Colorado

4/5  rDev +1.8%

04-16-2013 03:37:20 | More by prlykens

Rhettroactive

Virginia

3/5  rDev -23.7%

04-15-2013 03:28:09 | More by Rhettroactive

Pecafaced

Maryland

4/5  rDev +1.8%

04-12-2013 06:09:01 | More by Pecafaced

Sludgeman

District of Columbia

4.16/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Batch 11, Nov 2012. A 22oz bomber. $9.99. Poured into a chalice.

A - Slightly viscous, black, opaque with a two-finger rocky head. Nice lacing. Well carbonated.

S - Sweet, maltly, some dark fruit (but not overwhelming like some), some spiceness).

T - Raisins, roasted malt, coffee is there but in the background. Slight sweetness. Mild hoppy bitterness. Some spiceness up front. Alcohol in the finish. Immediately warming.

MF - Slight creaminess, but a bit thin.

O - A very complex beer that shows its 11.1% ABV. Rather balanced. Maybe could do with some cellaring to smooth it out. Made me think of a Belgian Strong Dark Ale. One of the more unique imperial stouts I have tasted. Definitely a beer that should be a the proper temperature and maybe even a little warmer.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 01:44:56 | More by Sludgeman

Atomicskis5

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%

04-11-2013 02:22:11 | More by Atomicskis5