Callipygian
Avery Brewing Company

Appearance: Pours fudge colored with a thin cap; leggy and a few spots

Smell: Powerful vanilla and Bourbon aromatics; very boozy with a chocolate overtone

Taste: Chocolate fudge forward with the vanilla intruding boldly; the Bourbon emerges, with the swallow, and overpowers the finish

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with low carbonation

Overall: The fourth in my series of five old Avery high ABV beers; the other three held up nicely but this one did no.

 

12oz bottle dated 4/25/16. Poured into a snifter.

A: Midnight black. Tight tan head holds at a finger for a bit, but eventually settles into a thin slip. Wispy lacing.

S: Bourbon barrel front and center. Corny sweet booze, pretty oaky, whiffs of shaved coconut. Bit of sherry-like oxidation. Waves of intermingling vanilla bean and rich, fatty cocoa nibs. Chocolate aromas gain some depth with more fudgey and brownie batter nuance. Coffee is pretty much long gone. Gentle wafts of smoke. Subtle black cherry darkfruit.

T: Rich and Chocolatey right on the attack. Fudge sauce, brownie batter, cocoa nibs. Vanilla extract in a big way. Malted milk balls. Smoke and hollow bitterness where the coffee used to be. A bit acrid and burnt. A good amount of sherry/cardboard oxidation. Black cherry and cassis. Big pull of boozy bourbon stiffness, lots of oak, and some caramel chocolate chews. Long oaky and boozy bourbon finish.

M: Huge and rich. Thick, unctuous, and chewy body. Gentle carbonation brings a bit of a tingle and adds a little lift so the weight isn’t overbearing. Stiff bourbon warmth and some oak astringency mitigate the sweetness and cut the texture a bit.

O: I simply sat on this one for too long. As it stands it is still an enjoyable drink, but the lack of coffee and the oxidation detract from the overall experience. Shoulda cracked this guy a couple of years ago. Tough to tell with these 17% Avery beasts. Some will go forever. This one did not.

I hate it that Avery brews these one and done beer's. This was amazing. Come on Avery, let's do it again!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.5 years old, thanks Jason, finally getting around. A gem of chocolate, bourbon, spice. Meets expectations.

 

 

12 ounce bottle, bottled on APR 25 2016. Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about an inch tan head. Head retention is good and there's a decent amount of lacing. I like the aroma a lot, the brew smells like bourbon, vanilla, cocoa, coffee, brown sugar, molasses and some roasted malt. Taste is similar to the aroma, with bourbon, vanilla, brown sugar, cocoa, toffee, oak, coffee and some dark fruit noticeable too. It's a mostly sweet tasting brew. Still a little boozy, but not as much as I thought it would be for being 17.4% ABV. Mouthfeel/body is full, it's creamy and coating with a moderate amount of carbonation. I thought this was a pretty good imperial stout overall, glad I picked this one up! $11.99 a bottle.