Pump[KY]n
Avery Brewing Company

12oz bottle of Batch No. 1 Bottled Sept 12 2014 17.22% ABV. 5 oz pour into a 13oz snifter for tasting purposes.

A — Poured slowly and carefully. We end up with a dark brown, nearly black, super rich looking liquid in the glass. There is a delayed peanut-brittle colored head that forms, but settles quick quickly into a thin ringed layer of lace around the edges atop the beer, lacing is almost nonexistent, though there are almost legs to this. Even with the slow pour there is a large amount of sediment in this beer when held up to the light. Large chunks of sediment here, perhaps some of the yeast, or spices, or barrel, or any of the above components. Not the greatest looking beer ever, but it does seem evident that this spent time in a barrel, and was likely unfiltered.

S — Aromas abound out of the bottle and glass, especially is this one warms. There are great notes of pumpkin, notes of fresh pumpkin in a jar. Notes of spices range from fresh ground cinnamon, to lightly toasted cloves, notes of allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, both fresh and dried. There isn't any ginger listed but I get a bit of a ginger kick alongside all the cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, allspice. There is a nice crusty pumpkin pie-crust like aroma as well. Let's not forget the dominant bourbon and alcohol kick here either, this sucker is quite hot, get a lot of vanilla, oak, cinnamon, char, and heat not unlike a decent Bourbon.

T — Taste evolved much as the nose does, there is a real depth of flavor, ranging from sweet and rich, to dry and spicy. There is a great range here that starts with sweet chocolaty notes, developing into a real spicy and chewy melange of flavors. Lots of cinnamon, like chewing on a piece of fresh cinnamon bark. Allspice, nutmeg, and clove are present as well, with a balanced and not overdone spice level, just all seems to find a balance here somehow. Errs on the hot side of the spectrum, but the flavors are all there, there is a nice balance that is quite remarkable.

M — Medium-Full bodied, gets thicker as it warms, quite a lingering sweetness and heat level to this is quite apparent. Warms the whole way down, does manage to mellow out slightly as you take each sip.

O — Pretty nice overall, if there is any detriment here it is the spice level paired with the heat and alcohol burn level is almost overdone, almost. This is a great showcase of Bourbon, matched up with a plethora of spices.

 

Dark, brown color. Thin, tan head. The sweet aroma of pumpkin spices, chocolate, and dark fruits. Sweetness in taste is surprisingly moderate. Spices and warming alcohol at the end

Poured into a tulip glass from a 12-oz bottle that was bottled 8/16/16.

Look: Dark brown, with a lot of sediment suspended in the beer, only a very slight head that disappeared very quickly and left no lacing. This seems a bit strange.

Nose: Spices and a little bourbon, not much else.

Mouthfeel: Medium, some carbonation.

Attack: Dramatically different than the look and nose: Heavy bourbon, heavy spice, significant sweetness — almost cloying. I’m also not tasting much pumpkin — much, much more bourbon and overwhelming sweetness.

Finish: Hop bitterness somewhat balances the sweetness.

Overall: Having long treasured Avery’s special barrel-aged series, this edition is more than a disappointment. It’s not a drain pour, but it’s just not near my favorite, either. I would wonder if the fact that it’s seven years old is making a huge difference, and it may well be, but at 18.8% ABV I would have expected it to age nicely. I far, far prefer Avery’s Rumpkin.

12oz bottle. 2014 vintage. Dark brown, flat pour. Aroma is boozy, pumpkin, sweet. Even boozier in the taste, sweet, woody, pumpkin, brown sugar. Still great after 6 years.

I was late to the game on finding this one. That being said I found a 2015 one at my local hole in the wall place near me! That's 7years old to date. Poured it into a tulip glass. Sediment in the bottom of the bottle (no surprise there), color was a clear muddy brown. Smelled boozy and slight baking spices. Taste was pretty good considering I never had it fresh and being 7years old. Still very strong and one bottle is all you need to feel warm and fuzzy. Really like this one but wish I could of tried it when it was newer!

 

Bottle from 2015

A: Poured into a snifter to a blackish beer which is topped by a dense and slightly rocky finger of off white head which fades slowly to a collar around the edge of the glass with minimal lacing
S: Smells of chocolate and warming spices with some hints of pumpkin and bourbon barrels.
T: Taste is chocolate and warming spices with some pumpkin. Nice oak, vanilla, and caramel as well. On the swallow there's more chocolate, warming spices, pumpkin, oak, vanilla, and some more caramel. Borderline hints of brown sugar at times as well.
M: This beer has a surprisingly light feel on the palate given the ABV with a slightly slick feel. Carbonation is slightly effervescent while the beer has a drying finish due to the ABV.
O: Overall this is a really nice beer. Not a lot of contribution from the base beer but some really nice spice notes going on which makes this a very enjoyable beer to drink in the fall.

2015 vintage (Batch #2). Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Dogfish Head tulip

L: Cloudy dark mahogany pour. Sediment... 1.5 fingers of off-white head leave a great ring of lacing.

S: Loads of pumpkin and pie spices. Booze... bourbon and vanilla.

T.F: Sweet... decadent and boozy. Big time pumpkin. Brown sugar, bourbon, vanilla, and spice. Cloves and cinnamon... nutmeg and oak. Dark fruit behind it all with some baked raisin, fig, and even bit of licorice underneath. Medium bodied... warming and strong. Smooth... with a boozy gourd finish.

O: Wow is this a big and boozy beer. Sweet... and definitely a dessert/nightcap. Way more than a run of the mill pumpkin beer... and this has held up marvelously for 6 years in the cellar. Glad I have a few more of these squirreled away.

 

This kicked my butt. This is an elixir, something to be put in its own realm. Great flavor, its so smooth and easy for something you know in your soul is gonna get you faded.

Pours a really dark red color. 1 finger off white head. The head retention is amazing for such a high ABV beer. No lacing on the glass.
The nose is rich with a deep barrel aroma. I also get hints of pumpkin spices.
Taste - I get pumpkin spices throughout, and I also get some vanilla as well.
There is a deep warming burn on the backside of this beer. It is so full bodied and thick - a sipper for sure.
A toally solid barrel aged pumpkin beer.

12oz bottle. Label has bottling date as 'NOV 7 2015', batch No. 2, 15.0 ABV%.
Dark brown colored body, with a slight orange tint. End of the bottle pours some sediment that really darkens the body. Brief lasting tan head. Leaves behind some coverage of lacing on the non-sipping side of the glass.
Aroma has the lighter spices of nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon. Under that is slight bourbon barrel.
Taste is strong with alcohol, and sweet from the cloves and cinnamon. There is a side of gourd, and the end yields a brief expression of bourbon barrel. The aftertaste is from chocolate and roasted malt.
Thinner mouth feel, but has a coating aspect. Major warming effect in the gut. Okay carbonation.
Actually the high ABV% is not found as a burn, but the warming effect is real. Lots of balance in the spices and gourd. Barrel is there but in the background. I like the late chocolate flavor that levels out the sweetness of the spices. Works as a sipping beer for the holidays.

2015 vintage (Batch #2). Not bad. A little murky but nice head. Aroma, very boozy. Flavor is better if a little sweet. Mouthfeel quite good for a 4.5-year-old beer. I still have one left and that's a good thing.

 

 

 

 

 

Found a bottle of the 2015 at Churchkey. Poured a dark orange with some sediment. Good pumpkin flavor, with a bit of bourbon flavor at the end. Bourbon gets stronger as the beer warms, highly recommend drinking while it's still cold if you don't want the sweetness. Not too sweet like Rumpkin I bought this year, too bad it's not being made any more.