Avery Anniversary Ale - Nineteen - Avery Brewing Company

BuckeyeSlim

Ohio

2.74/5  rDev -28.3%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.75

22 oz. bomber poured into a NB snifter.

A - Pours a very light, pale straw yellow. A one-inch head of very loose, bubbly, off-white foam almost immediately disappears, leaving lots of tiny bubbles bursting at the surface, almost as if this is really a sparkling wine. Held to a full-spectrum light, the beer is a hazy lemon-lime and somewhat opaque, with a pillar of bubbles rising through the center from the bottom.

S - Esters of lighter sugar-forward fruits are what's prominent, although the nose itself is rather soft. Pear, bubblegum, apple, honey. Bready yeast in the background along with some very light toasted malts and hints of caramel. A touch of white pepper when it warms.

T - Taste is more malt-forward than the nose, and really pretty simple: light wheat toast with apple butter and honey, with a bit of green seedless grapes on the side. Noticeable floral hops on the back-end really snap off the taste, and seem unbalanced for a Tripel. A bit of subtle spicing in the background.

M - Rather fizzy at first, but the carbonation doesn't hold in the mouth, and the quaff comes off as almost flat. Body is rather thin with an airy, somewhat disjointed structure. Finish is quite short. ABV is a bit hot on the tongue.

O - Meh. If this was my first homebrew Tripel, I wouldn't be ashamed to share it, but it's really quite a pedestrian expression of the style, especially compared to the notable Belgiums. It's almost a malt-based fermented apple juice with some honey for sweetness mixed in. The components of this beer not only didn't come together as one, they are each lacking in the sense of qualitative, substantive contributions. A swing and a miss from a usually solid brewery.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 05:14:44 | More by BuckeyeSlim

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter.

A: Hazy golden yellow with one-finger, white, foamy head that lasted a minute or two. Okay lacing.

S: Belgian spice, fruit esters. Sweet.

T: Moderate sweetness and light bitterness. Malt, fruit, yeast, alcohol.

M: Medium bodied with fizzy carbonation.

O: An average Tripel. Nothing too special.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 02:29:04 | More by SolipsismalCat

Braz

Washington

3/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

From Tacoma Boys. Very blonde color, clear with a bit of chill haze. Thin white head leaves some decent bubbles. Fruit and yeast scents. Apple, maybe a little coriander. Slightly sweet bitter and acidic taste. White grape. Dull finish. Slight metallic notes too. Body is very thin for me. Booze not well masked either. For the most part, the beer fits a tripel but is just not a real good one. Drinkable but for this style not a great one.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 13:58:31 | More by Braz

Aaron_Ramson

California

4.68/5  rDev +22.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Hazy golden hue, particles suspended and floating in the brew, long lasting, rocky head that left a lacy web of foam on the glass. Smells of spices; light clove, cinnamon, floral. It tastes exactly like it smells with no surprises, floral, perfumery, spices. There is no alcoholic burn, no heat. This is very pleasant. Medium thick mouthfeel with a lingering burn from the carbonation which is full without being fizzy. There is an aftertaste of bitterness which I associate with "Belgian beers". All in all this was a great example of a tripel, and one of the best belgian style beers I've ever tried.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 05:24:10 | More by Aaron_Ramson

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Hazy honey colored brew. A rich and dense head sits on top and when it fades it leaves alot of lacing. Looks more like a wit then Tripel.
Aroma is dry and crisp pale malts, spicy and yeasty.
Taste is dry and tart with some fruity notes. Pale malts and spice too.
Drinks smooth and clean. Really nothing to dislike about this brew. not exactly to style in my opinion but very drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

03-17-2013 18:58:56 | More by micromaniac129

n2185

North Carolina

3.33/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

A: purs a hazy yellow with two fingers of white head that fades into a thin ring with little lacing.

S: Belgian spices with candy sugar and sweet light fruits dominate the nose with hints of citrus.

T: spices here as well with notes of citrus, candy sugar, and fruits. A strong yeasty character brings up the finish with a slight bitterness.

M: medium-light body with medium carbonation, this beer is a bit watery, but not too bad.

O: a decent tripel overall, though a little bland and undercarbonated for me.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 13:11:48 | More by n2185

Hopswagger

Oklahoma

3.64/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

P: Pale bright yellow color that is evenly hazed. White fizzy head that lasts a few seconds and disappears.

S: Lime, lemon, tart and acidic, yikes stripes fruit striped gum, mango, pineapples, warmed milk in cereal, and bready yeast.

T/M: Dank earthy tropical fruit, musty mouth coating, tart lemon and limes. Belgian candy sugar, spices, and powdery yeast. Bitterness is apparent but subdued by the sweet alcohol. Booze starts to swarm once warm. Medium body with moderate carbonation. Finish is dry and bitter fruit soaked alcohol.

O: A nice anniversary surprise. A solid tripel that delivers complex flavors. The acidity was a tad much but overall a great beer to enjoy. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 01:26:57 | More by Hopswagger

N3rdM3t4l

Oregon

4/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Silver foil capped bomber bottled April 2012 into standard pint.

A: hazy straw colored got about a finger of frothy white head that fell to a fantastic cap of froth.

S: strong pale malt smell with a bit of mild hops keeping it from being sweet. A bit of spice and very light citrus notes almost like lemongrass. But mostly big rich pale malts. Not as much belgian funk as I was expecting, only a slight yeast smell.

T: Opens malty and rich, slight spicy notes. Finishes with some citrus and a good hard yeast flavor almost like a bread starter.

M: chewey and pretty heavy. Good stuff.

O: my first trippel, had a couple strongs and dubbels. I like this despite it being a lighter beer (color wise) for my taste. The belgian yeast flavor hits right when it should.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 04:47:45 | More by N3rdM3t4l

kristiekatk

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Nineteen pours a beautiful straw/golden color, hazy, with a 3-finger off-white head that slowly settles into a thick, whipped topping layer and leaving terrific Belgian lace.

The aroma is heavy golden fruit esters; peaches, pears, etc. There are some flowery bouquet notes, mild alcohol, and some grainy notes. Flavor is sweet with a huge fruit presence that leans more towards the citrus rather than bananas. You’ll find some light peppery phenols and a great, spicy yeast flavor.

The 8.23% alcohol creates a pleasant creaminess in this medium-bodied beer, and it’s well-carbonated, effervescent qualities lead to a crisp and dry finish. It stays sweet all the way through, but there is some light grassy hop action in the finish. There is a slight bit of alcohol warmth, but nothing overly noticeable.

Overall, a sweet and crisp tripel that I really enjoyed.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 04:28:44 | More by kristiekatk

Living816

Northwest Territories (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

It's a shame this is a one-time beer. Avery did an outstanding job here. A convincingly Belgian tripel without any inappropriate embellishments or adornments. Very nice aroma of sweet malt, fruits, slight banana and spice. Exceedingly smooth on the mouth without inappropriate hot or solventy alcohols. You can tell it's a proper strong beer but it doesn't have any hot or unpleasant burn to it. The yeast and malt carry this beer. Mine was bottled in April. No idea how it changed over time, except that it aged quite well.

You'll feel it for sure. Very drinkable beer. Simple, clean, straightforward tripel. No new ground paved here, but a good tripel is hard to find. The road to Belgium is littered with half-assed attempts to doctor up a style that, by definition, is clean and yeast driven.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 23:53:51 | More by Living816

rapidsequence

Virginia

3.53/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bottle from Total Wine in NoVA. Bottled April 2012.

Appearance: Hazy dark yellow, like concentrated urine. Soapy white head lasts 10 seconds and leaves no lacing-- at all.

Smell: Spicy phenolic yeast notes. Pear, apple, much less banana. Bready malt. Good smelling tripel.

Taste: Very yeast driven and spicy. Plenty sweet, not too much though. Not enough bright fruity esters to really round this out. Very little alcohol heat in this one.

Mouthfeel: I think this bottle may be a bit undercarbed. Other that some sweet stickiness on the finish, this beer is pretty boring in the mouth. None of the creaminess and silkiness that really good tripels have.

Overall: I think this may have been better fresh, and I wouldn't have aged it 8 months. I bought it a few weeks ago on an endcap at Total Wine and just assumed it was new. Oh well.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 01:47:24 | More by rapidsequence

ngeunit1

California

4.23/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a cloudy golden-orange with a finger of frothy white head. The head fades down at a normal pace leaving behind some nice lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of some citrus hops, sweet bready and grainy malts, Belgian yeast, coriander and other spices, and lemon zest.

T - Starts off with a mix of citrus hops, some light bitterness, some sweet grainy malts, some lemon zest, and coriander. Through the middle, some more Belgian yeast comes through with some more spices, and a bit of farmhouse flavor. The finish is a mix of sweet bready malts, Belgian yeast, spices, fruity esters, and lemon zest.

M - Medium-plus bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a dry, spicy, and estery finish.

D - Very drinkable. Nice balanced Tripel. Very smooth.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 05:28:32 | More by ngeunit1

ummswimmin

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I poured this into a tulip style glass. The coloring is a little darker than straw with very minimal head coming off. There is a lot of stuff floating in this beer, which you would expect from the bottle conditioning.

Off the top I get pretty strong banana esthers and the sour presence. It smells pretty good, but there isn't a lot of balance there.

The flavor is pretty strong. It has the elements of the tripel from the yeast. You get a lot of flavor in each sip, and it seems pretty over-whelming.

This is a decent tripel, but I think I would go pick up a Unibroue trippel in the future.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 02:45:18 | More by ummswimmin

Vec2267

Florida

3.6/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - hazy pale yellow, an inch of white foam that fades quickly leaving some lacing

S - quite aromatic, yeast, spice, floral, honey

T - Belgian yeast, spice (Coriander/clove/pepper), apples, a grape Pinot Noir tart note more than the typical sweet

M - heavier and more syrupy than a typical Belgian, not the expected effervescence

O - a very enjoyable beer, the spice components give it more a Wit quality than a typical Triple

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 01:19:59 | More by Vec2267

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

2.9/5  rDev -24.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22 ounce bottle - $7.98 at Sherlock's in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours a hazed, yellow toned body with a smallish, brief head of near white suds.

Smell: A nose smelling of light pale malts, wheat included, some husky hints and additional notes of peach/pear, ineffusive lemon, florals, faint spice, but a big pop of liquor.

Taste: Ultra pale maltiness with grainy unrefined wheat followed by a big pinch of sugar. Some orchard fruitiness, though essentially nothing in the way of banana esters. Small hint of citrus, too. Minor phenolic spiciness. Quick into the taste, there's a sizable bite of alcohol that's nearly solvent in character and fairly bitter. Remains sweet, sugary until the warm finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium carbonation. Some sticky chewiness present.

Overall: Nineteen is just too sweet and too boozy for me and a bit coarse, much the way I was at nineteen. Maybe it's simply Avery really lowering their anniversary beer expectations to completely blow us away for the 20th anniversary release. Crafty, them Avery boys.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 15:34:23 | More by ChainGangGuy

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev -5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a goblet.

3.0 A: Moderately hazed yellow wheat color. Just a whisp of fizzy white head formed then fell just as quickly.

4.0 S: This is a nice, earthy tripel. Not overly fruity like some - just right. Honey, pepper and clove spiciness dominate the nose. Hay and grassy hoppiness. Lightly floral with a dirty earthiness that I like a lot. Mildly yeasty. Overall, solid.

3.5 T: Like the nose, this is earthy and spicy. Honey, pepper, and clove are again the leading flavors. Hay, grassy, flowers, earth to follow. Not a lot of complexity, but what is there is done quite well.

4.0 M: Light to lighter medium body. Good carbonation level for the style, but on the lower end. Spritzy, light, and fluffy. Good here.

3.5 D: Good overall effort. Lacking in the complexity department, but other than that I have no complaints.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 03:53:10 | More by DavoleBomb

TexIndy

Texas

3.65/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22oz bomber into a tulip glass. Label says "Bottled in April 2012". It was golden sunshine color with good carb streams. It had a large, foamy white head that slowly settled to a constant 1/8" foam cap. Great lacing with lots sticking.

The aroma was yeasty with coriander and other peppery notes along with good level of fruitiness and sweet malt. Moderately dry aroma. The taste leads off with the fruit and then quickly joined by the spices for a dry and spicy finish. I can't pin it down but there is something in the aftertaste that I didn't enjoy and threw it off. Mouthfeel was medium with good carbonation but had that off aftertaste.

Overall, a good but not great Tripel for me. Avery is one of my favorite breweries and I've enjoyed most of the Anniversary Ales but this one was a slight miss for me. Avail here in TX. Rotation - one time release but if released again I'd have to pass.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 01:39:11 | More by TexIndy

JayQue

Virginia

3.88/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pretty good Tripel. Avery got the hard part down...the yeasty, almost cheese-like presence of the really good Tripels. It was a bit short in the fruity / spicy flavors which many lesser Tripels achieve.

Pours a hazy, light straw gold color into my Chimay goblet. Small delicately bubbly white head that fades quickly...like many Tripels. Not much in the way of lacing

The yeast is really prominent in the aroma, a little light fruit (apples/pears) and some mild citrus (lemon).

Tastes pretty good!!! The yeast really makes it, as good as some of the better Tripels out there. I was expecting to notice more sweet light fruit and a little black pepper spiciness. Those aspects were pretty mild. The citrus presence was prominent.

Mouthfeel is rich as it should be. Could have used a bit more black pepper, but overall just right. There is a little alcohol presence but not too much. Very easy on the palate....goes down very smooth.

Overall a good but not great Tripel. One of the better American takes on this style.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 13:05:32 | More by JayQue

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.88/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a snifter glass.

Appearance: Pale gold color, not bad at all. Slightly hazy with a white head that is weak in frame but the beer still looks good. Head is maybe 1/3" disappearing before the first sip.

Smell: Light yeast scent and hoppy feel. But keep in mind it is light.

Taste: Little all over the place with the yeast, lightly sour but bitter. Honestly really like it. It isn't the best tripel but that doesn't mean it isn't good.

Mouth: Little sticky, incredibly smooth.

Overall: I drank this without seeing a review and Avery has made better. I love tripels, but there are other brews out there that stand out. This is really a quality drink just depends on how and what you are comparing it to. Drink up and Salud!

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 01:34:19 | More by BlurryVisi0n

beertunes

Washington

2.53/5  rDev -33.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Poured into 10oz goblet. Poured a hazy pale yellow color, with just a thin cap of white head that had very low retention and lacing. Not the big, pillowey, long-lasting and sticky head I expect (and love) in the style.

The aroma hit all the expected notes, grains, spice and yeast, of the style, but nothing really took control. Taste-wise, something was missing. All the things that should have been there were there, but it didn't come together like it should have. The flavors were soft, not bold and crisp (except for a sharp alcohol bite that shouldn't have been there, given that this is on the low side of the scale for the style) like I look for, the taste was bland and harsh at the same time.

The body was very much on the the thin side of typical for the style. Drinkability was not very pleasant, it was almost a chore to finish the bottle. Overall, a disappointment. Avery makes some very good beers and their White Rascal is among the best, and my favorites, of the Wit style. I expected much more from them in a Tripel. Take a pass if you see this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 21:53:09 | More by beertunes

flagmantho

Washington

3.98/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 22oz bomber into a tulip.

Appearance: silvery-golden hue with a touch of haze to the body and a nice effervescence. Head is a thin cap of frothy white foam. Not too bad.

Smell: light, sweet malt with a nice pear and apple aroma and a tiny hint of grain. Quite good; just what I like in a tripel.

Taste: sweet malt with a bigger pear and apple character than the aroma, along with a little bit of chalkiness. Bitterness is relatively low but definitely present toward the end. I like it.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a good level of carbonation and a nice creaminess. Good.

Overall: a good, if not outstanding, tripel. Good enough to have again, if I have limited tripel options.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 19:10:08 | More by flagmantho

cracgor

Texas

3.55/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A cloudy yellow beer with almost no head. It smells delicious though I am a fan of Tripels. The normal arrangement of citrus/corriander to my nose. It also has a nice flavor though the multistoried to overpower some of the subtleties. The mouthful is full and spicy. Overall-god but could definitely be better.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 03:22:30 | More by cracgor

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

An aggressive pour yields a decent fluffy pasty white bubbly 1/2 finger head that does stick around for a while, with lots of lacing, over semi clear lemony yellow golden colored beer.

Nose is nice floral Belgian, tripel aroma, some citrus and orange rind, light floral spices, coriander like, light fruity esters, light golden sweet malt, hint of phenols, a touch bready malts, hint of fruity floral hops.

Taste starts with more golden malts, very Belgian-y, a bit of sweetness, with hint of warming booze, plenty of esters, a touch of phenols comes out later. Light floral spices as well, little coriander, hint clove like, plenty of orange zest and citrus flavors, etc. typical Belgian tripel flavors. It has a light fluffy malt flavor, with touch bready malts. Finish is dry, more warming and slight tingly booze, some bitterness with orange peel spices and a bit of a citrusy, tangy, and floral hop character, more spices and esters.

Mouth is med to slightly bigger bodied, good carb, some warming slightly tingly booze.

Overall nice, about as good as you can get for an American made Belgian tripel, nice malts, floral spices, esters, phenols done well, some booze at the right tickle, slightly tingles and tickles the mouth nicely, but still drinkable and tasty, and just the right amount of a bit of hops. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 00:20:05 | More by jlindros

Greywulfken

New York

4.35/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: somewhere between pale and deep gold in color; didn't kick up much head for me - thin lid of fizzy haze; by the time it'd warmed a bit, there was nothing left; quick swirls bring up a brief flash of fine bubbles

S: fairly normal tripel smells of orchard fruits, pale malts, and tart yeasty citrus

T: this is a spot-on tripel - nothing flashy, no attempt to infuse an interesting new ingredient; tastes like citron and white wine, distant pale fruits soaked in white wine; nice back-end tartness

M: cleansing and bracing - crisp with tart edges providing astringency; lively on the palate

O: again, a great tripel - I'm a big fan of Westmalle's Tripel and the Tripel Karmeliet - this beer shares a similar flavor profile; I'd put it on par with Thirsty Dog's Cerberus Tripel and Unibroue's La Fin du Monde in terms of craftmanship. So, if you're familiar with the aforementioned and of like mind, or if you're just getting into tripels, this is a great tasting (and representative) example of the style. Good drinking - refined and elegant/classy while still drinking like a beer. Get some.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2012 21:08:43 | More by Greywulfken

AgentMunky

California

4.23/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into a brandy snifter. Bottled April 2012.

A: Fizzy head fades fast. Cloudy-clear pale yellow beer.

S: Smells like a tripel. Grainy, yeasty, and Belgian. Blindly, I'd peg it maybe as the St. Bernardus Tripel. Fruity-spicy and very nice.

T: It tastes like a Belgian tripel. Top marks! Lightly spicy, semi-fruity, yeasty-dry, with a full-bodied grainy maintaste. In short, an ideal tripel. The balances might be tweaked slightly, but it doesn't get too much better than this.

M: Spicy, grainy, dry, sweet.

O: Highly recommended. Probably the best American tripel I've ever encountered. Could definitely compete with the Big Boys in Belgium. Would drink again.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 06:27:11 | More by AgentMunky