Aviary Eight - Pierre Ferrand
Evil Twin Brewing

I think I sampled this at EBF, but either way got a bottle as a thank you from it. Looks really interesting.

Pours a nice fluffy but fizzy 1.5 finger head that fades at a med pace, but leaves lots of soapy lacing, over very hazy nectar orange red colored beer.

Nose has a big Belgian blonde aroma, big sweet toasty like malts, a bit estery, and quite a bit of phenols as well with a hint of booze, a definite cognac like sweet fruity boozy aroma, with light toasty barrel, the more I nose the more the cognac seems to dominate.

Taste brings sweet syrupy flavors at first, some burnt caramel, burnt sugars in general, molasses cane sugar like, some candi sugar I think too, with light blond malts bringing a little toasty slightly grainy flavor. Then the cognac really takes off again, sweet fruity boozy cognac, quite fruity, apple like mostly, little pear, etc. Hints of esters and phenols as well in there coming in with the booze. Finish brings some buttery oak actually, with a drier finish also surprisingly, just a touch of sweet character, more fruity cognac, more light esters and phenols with a bit of warming tingly booze, and sweet burnt caramel and blond malts.

Mouth is med to a bit heavier bod, good amount of carb, plenty of warming slight tingly booze too.

Overall not bad, nice beer with a huge cognac character, tons of fruity apple like cognac, and some Belgian Blonde like flavors with a bit of esters and phenols coming with the booze, touch of teh blond malts, and even a light barrel later.

Bottle at The Aviary.

A - Big foam on this one, with a thick cap and glass-coating lace.

S - Lots of cognac, with a hefty amount of vinous oak and sweet grapey spirit flavors. There's a bit of green apple, but it's quite mild relative to some of the other beers. Base beer is present, but understated.

T - The taste is quite similar, with loads of grape, apple skin, sweet cognac, faint oak, and light Belgian candi sugar and caramel malts.

M - This one is drier and more tannic than most, with a mildly gritty texture to it. Medium body, with pleasant carbonation, and reasonably well-hidden alcohol.

D - Solid beer, although I'm not sure the cognac and base beer integrate completely. Still, this was one of the better beers in the series. Like the tequila and Elijah Craig, it was competently made but didn't wow me. Still, it was miles better than the Hof ten Dormaal Cognac variant.

 

 

 

11.2 oz bottle was poured into a snifter.

Appearance: This beer poured a one finger head that has reduced to a thin layer. It is an amber orange hue with no clarity and bubbles coming up through the glass.

Smell: Vanilla, spice, oak, and fruitiness.

Taste: Same as above with some apples, pears, grapes, booze, and some bitterness in the end. I am not crazy about cognac, bit this is good.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, low to medium bodied, medium carbonation, boozy, a little burn, and easy to sip

Overall: Pretty nice beer. Once you get past the cognac flavor it's all good.

 

Fantastic beer. Pours hazy gold. Aroma is warm and mild citrus. The congac barrel aging imparts a delicious black cherry flavor. The alcohol is a bit hot but the mouthfeel helps it recover.
Source: Took home a bottle from EBF '13 Boston

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