Maharaja
Avery Brewing Company

MaharajaMaharaja
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From:
Avery Brewing Company
 
Colorado, United States
Style:
Imperial IPA
Ranked #427
ABV:
10.2%
Score:
94
Ranked #2,267
Avg:
4.23 | pDev: 10.17%
Reviews:
1,920
Ratings:
5,823
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 20, 2023
Added:
Mar 03, 2005
Wants:
  406
Gots:
  926
Maharaja is derived from the sanskrit words mahat, meaning “great”, and rajan, meaning “king”. Much like its namesake, this imperial IPA is regal, intense and mighty. With hops and malts as his servants, he rules both with a heavy hand. The Maharaja flaunts his authority over a deranged amount of hops: tangy, vibrant and pungent along with an insane amount of malted barley – fashioning a dark amber hue and exquisite malt essence. Welcome to his kingdom!

The Maharaja is the second installment in our Dictator Series.

102 IBUs

ABV varies slightly batch to batch.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by hoagzzz:
Photo of hoagzzz
Rated by hoagzzz from Pennsylvania

3.96/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A big boozy dipa. Bitter and malty which is kinda an odd combo. One bomber of this and you're on your way.
Mar 06, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.96 by Kdog311 from Texas

Dec 20, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by Nyoder

Nov 26, 2023
Photo of hmf05
Reviewed by hmf05 from Colorado

4.21/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours a beautiful orange/gold but tons of small bits floating around. I didn't realize this sixer is nearly a year old, but the aroma is still full of orange and pine. Taste follows the nose. Very clean tasting and the alcohol is well hidden. Considering this was packaged last January I am surprised how clean this tastes. I need to pick up a fresher batch.
Nov 25, 2023
 
Rated: 4.27 by Manthon from Pennsylvania

Aug 26, 2023
Photo of TooManyGlasses
Reviewed by TooManyGlasses from Canada (AB)

4.51/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Purchased as single at Pilgrim's Market in CdA, ID - canned May 10/23. 10.0% ABV.
Pours a chill hazed golden apricot bronze with two fingers of creamy off white/tawny tinged head.
Nose is a burst of hops - citrus/orange, piney resin, some tropical fruit, and even a bit of peach. There is a tiny bit of a soapy floral aroma and notes of caramel malt.
Taste is initially sweet citrus, mango, again some peach, with caramel malt. Resinous pine, a herbal dank and sticky bitterness slowly builds. There is almost a touch of vanilla orange creamsicle sweetness.
Full and sticky bittersweet mouthfeel with a pleasant alcoholic warmth.
Aug 22, 2023
 
Rated: 4.5 by Beergod420 from Michigan

Aug 17, 2023
Photo of BeerIsGood1337
Reviewed by BeerIsGood1337 from Missouri

4.09/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Excellent imperial. Very heavily hopped. Crisp and drinkable despite the higher ABV. The hops bites like a snake as you sip it, but it quickly fades away and is replaced by a mild sweetness. There's nothing overly complex going on here. No exotic notes to speak of. It's a fairly basic imperial IPA in composition, but man is it done well. Will be buying this again, and would probably put it in my top 5 list for imperials.

A borderline world-class imperial IPA in my opinion. It's good. Give it a try. I'm always impressed with Avery beers, whether it be an IPA, a stout, or whatever else.
Jul 29, 2023
Photo of not2quick
Reviewed by not2quick from Missouri

4.27/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
L- Beautiful golden orange that you can barely see through. Billowy white head that is slowly dissipating. I wouldn't say turbid, but lots of small floaties

S- piney and rosin. With some Citrus zest

T- sweet with a boozy bite. Slight bitterness that lingers on the tongue. Orange Citrus notes.

F- slick with a little chewiness. Lightly carbonated but still bright.

O- Very enjoyable for a 10% IPA. I wasn't expecting it drinking this clean.
Jun 03, 2023
Photo of MattinHouston
Reviewed by MattinHouston from Texas

4.36/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
1/27/2023 brew date. Very drinkable double IPA. Many DIPAs at 9% or above start to taste funny, like too much sugar residue, or just bland or unbalanced in some way. This one tastes very solid. A bit piney, hoppy, bitter, like an IPA should taste. I say this is well done, and I've had most DIPAs out there. Worth the $3 a can at 10% ABV.
Apr 16, 2023
Photo of detgfrsh
Reviewed by detgfrsh from Texas

4.39/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
From a can produced 1/27/23. Amber color with an inch of foamy tan colored head. Piney hop smell. Full bodied. Big caramel malt flavor followed by dank piney hops. This thing packs a punch!
Mar 19, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by ChuckTom from Arizona

Mar 10, 2023
Photo of dano213
Reviewed by dano213 from Pennsylvania

3.71/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12oz can purchased from the fridge as a single for $3.50. Canned on 10/4/2022, which makes this one day shy of three months old.

Look: Pours a very nice copper color with a slight haze and a fluffy/rocky beige-colored head.

Smell: Strong, hoppy aromas of citrus (grapefruit), pine, and dank notes. Not much else to say. It smells like it will be a bit boozy and there are a lot of spicy hop characteristics coming through. Overall, the aromas are a bit muted.

Taste: My first impression is that this beer does taste very boozy. Up front there is a nice caramel malt backbone, which pretty quickly is overtaken by a plethora of spicy and dank hops. The finish is very bitter with tons of pine resin and some grapefruit rind and pith. It finishes on the dry side and it leaves a warming sensation in the chest.

Feel: It has a slick, oily kind of mouthfeel that is also a bit chewy. Carbonated appropriately. It's also boozy.

Overall: This is very much a West Coast style Imperial IPA. It uses predominantly old school hop varieties and its expression is very much old school. I probably had this beer many years ago and I doubt that I was able to appreciate it then. Honestly, for me it's enjoyable yet I find it to be a bit boring. It's not my favorite style of beer, but I can definitely appreciate it for what it is. It's well-made and given that it is three months old, it doesn't seem like it has suffered much due to age.

From the can/website:
The Maharaja flaunts his authority over a deranged amount of hops: tangy, vibrant, and intense along with an insane amount of malted barley – fashioning a dark amber hue and exquisite malt essence. Maharaja is derived from the sanskrit words mahat, meaning “great”, and rajan, meaning “king”. Much like its namesake, this Imperial IPA is regal, mighty, and dank. With citrusy hops and caramel toffee malts as his servants, he rules both with a heavy hand. Don't be fooled by unassuming drinkability, this beer is potent. Welcome to his kingdom!

REGAL | MIGHTY | DANK

Brewed with Rocky Mountain water, malted barley (C-120, Aromatic, 2-Row), hop varieties (Columbus, Chinook, Centennial, Simcoe), dry-hop varieties (Idaho 7, Vic Secret, Simcoe) & yeast (House Ale Strain)
Jan 04, 2023
Photo of MalteredBeast
Reviewed by MalteredBeast

4.22/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
I used to drink this one back in 2014/15 in bombers when I could get it. I recently picked up some cans and although I enjoyed it, did not have the same reaction to what I remembered in the past. The nose on it is what really convinced me something was different. I used to be blown away by just how big and fruity the smell on it was, but the cans were muted in comparison. Still a great beer.
Dec 11, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by SViterileroux74 from Texas

Oct 21, 2022
Photo of cjeep
Reviewed by cjeep from Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
this is some good stuff - even though i broke one of my rules & picked this one up less than fresh. package 1/27/22, consumed 7/1/22 - happy 4th. still good - my rating reflects past fresher versions.
L: from the can - stylish.
S: sweet, pine
T: lots of hoppy notes crashing through. piney, bitterness. boozy
F: rich and smooth
O: it's a winner - belongs in your rotation if you like this style.
Jul 01, 2022
Photo of highdesertdrinker
Reviewed by highdesertdrinker from Arizona

4.1/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Pours a rich dark gold with ample head. Smells fruity, herbal and hoppy. The taste is grapefruit, orange, lemon, piney, and pretty bitter on the back end but it’s a mostly good finish. This is a dry, hoppy, strong DIPA that is more than serviceable for the price, cheers!
Feb 05, 2022
 
Rated: 3.3 by BombayDingleMonkey from Pennsylvania

Feb 04, 2022
 
Rated: 4.36 by Slyde180 from Texas

Dec 01, 2021
 
Rated: 4.32 by LXIXME from New Mexico

Nov 10, 2021
Maharaja from Avery Brewing Company
Beer rating: 94 out of 100 with 5823 ratings