Avery Anniversary Ale - Twenty One
Avery Brewing Company

Avery Anniversary Ale - Twenty OneAvery Anniversary Ale - Twenty One
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From:
Avery Brewing Company
 
Colorado, United States
Style:
American Brown Ale
ABV:
8.7%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.86 | pDev: 9.84%
Reviews:
84
Ratings:
506
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 28, 2018
Added:
Nov 28, 2008
Wants:
  14
Gots:
  68
No description / notes.
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Ratings by NeroFiddled:
Photo of NeroFiddled
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +10.1%
Avery Twenty One
22 ox. brown glass bottle, coded "14160B6 10:25261"
$$7.99 @ Total Wine & More, Cherry Hill, NJ

Avery never fails, and their "Twenty One" is no exception. This "Imperial India-style Brown Ale" is really more "Imperial" because of its girth than it's hoppiness.

The base is a rich but not over-blown maltiness that's softly roasty and chocolatey, as well as directly grain-like. At it's heart it has that barley sweetness that you find in bigger beers like barley wine and old ales, yet it's not full in the mouth... I'd say it's medium-full leaning towards full, but it's also slightly crisp, and then silky smooth. Alcohol, of course, makes its way into the equation as well, giving it a subtly spicy flicker.

It has a solid bitterness, of course, which balances the malt and dries it; and the alcohol helps a little bit as well. It's only 8.3% alcohol but it shows. In certain beers I'd say that that's a defect, but in other beers, such as this one, it's almost a necessary component - without that delicate pinch of alcohol you might find the beer to be somehow dull or lack-lustre. The alcohol livens it a bit, and for an "Imperial" ale isn't that kind of a requirement?

Hops, of course, are also required in an Imperial Indian-style ale and there are plenty of them, but they aren't that aggressive. They don't jump out at you, and they don't overwhelm. If there were any more than what's already there, you wouldn't find the maltiness as it is; and I think, in fact, that you'd find a skewed beer, and maybe a different style altogether. No, this beer is about stability and balance. But what of the hops themselves? Well, they perch atop the malt, giving off a beautifully floral, softly citrusy, and delicately piney essence. If you search you'll also find some fruitiness, although I felt that came through more as a secondary to the malt in the flavor: there I found apple and red berries, backed by light pineapple, papaya, melon, and lastly, guava. Back to the malt, if it were any more roasty or chocolatey I think you'd lose some of the hop character.

As is often the case, the beer changes as you drink it, with the temperature increasing, and your palate becoming accustomed to certain flavors. Initially leaning more towards malt, as it warms that sways over to hops. That's part of its complexity.

Overall, I enjoyed it, and I could see drinking more than one of these in a row (but not two, because the strength will get to you). Nicely balanced! Worth seeking out before it's gone.
Aug 20, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.06 by HabaJohn from Illinois

May 28, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by 1971bernat from Virginia

Dec 28, 2017
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

2.4/5  rDev -37.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5
Look something was off with this a few years ago when I tried it, dunno if it was the tap lines or what.

Comes out a ruddy brown, weird bubble formation, loose bubbled didn't really hold much of a head down. Aroma was popcorn city breadiness, sourdough factory.

Taste was diacetyl city. Underneath that was just a hodgepodge kind of beer that feels like it was leftover ingredients mashed up into one of these beers. Brown malt, hops, dark fruit yeast impressions, just all over the place.
Sep 16, 2016
 
Rated: 3 by jeschaefer from Texas

Aug 03, 2016
 
Rated: 4.5 by MutuelsMark from Kentucky

May 15, 2016
 
Rated: 4.49 by IceAce from California

May 08, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by gspeer711 from California

Apr 23, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by calcnerd from Pennsylvania

Apr 22, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by gruss004 from Oklahoma

Apr 02, 2016
Photo of WoodBrew
Reviewed by WoodBrew from Ohio

3.73/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Pulled this May 2014 bottle out of the back of the beer fridge. I've been holding on to it to share it with my neighbor and last night it finally was popped. It poured a muddy brown with white head that left a spotty lace. The scent was sour dough. The taste was bready with slight hop flare. The mouthfeel was medium in body with subtle carbonation. Overall it was ok....it probably would have been better fresh.
Mar 06, 2016
 
Rated: 3.67 by CESPY from Colorado

Feb 13, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by DutchcdnTEXAN from Texas

Feb 04, 2016
Photo of TheManiacalOne
Reviewed by TheManiacalOne from Rhode Island

3.76/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
On-tap 1/31/2016 at Natty Greene’s Tavern in North Attleboro, MA, served in a snifter glass.

A: The beer is a deep reddish brown color, with a large off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is faint but contains brown sugar, dark fruit, caramelized malts and some hops.

T: The taste starts out sweet with flavors of caramel, dark fruit and brown sugar. The malt character is hearty and there’s a decent hops presence that create some balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and a little smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: A little tasty, goes down ok, not too filling, strong kick, decent representation of style, it’s a decent beer but there are definitely better choices available within the style.
Jan 31, 2016
 
Rated: 3.79 by Lobina from Arizona

Jan 27, 2016
 
Rated: 3.67 by oriolesfan4 from Maryland

Jan 25, 2016
 
Rated: 3.5 by BPMeyer27 from Ohio

Jan 15, 2016
Photo of Brutaltruth
Reviewed by Brutaltruth from Ohio

4.02/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Enjoyed from the 22 oz bottle in a snifter. This FINE brown pours a muddy brownish mahogany with a firm head of light khaki foam that settles to a thick ring and thin layer with very nice lacing. Nose of chocolate malts, pineapple, heavy citrus fruits of grapefruit, sweet malts, and bitter hops. Flavors follow the nose with dark bitter chocolate awash in grapefruit and pineapple on all sides finishing with a blast of bitter hops on the back and aftertaste. Coating but with enough carbonation to keep it lively with warming booze on the back. Very nice with a lot going on....almost too much. Love this brewery, and enjoyed this brew, but somewhat outside of my palate.
Dec 23, 2015
 
Rated: 3.57 by LXIXME from New Mexico

Dec 20, 2015
 
Rated: 4.15 by TripelMark from North Carolina

Dec 08, 2015
Avery Anniversary Ale - Twenty One from Avery Brewing Company
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 506 ratings