Samael's Ale
Avery Brewing Company

Samael's AleSamael's Ale
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From:
Avery Brewing Company
 
Colorado, United States
Style:
English Barleywine
ABV:
16.9%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.89 | pDev: 14.4%
Reviews:
666
Ratings:
1,525
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Aug 19, 2023
Added:
Jun 24, 2005
Wants:
  84
Gots:
  409
A super-caramelly, oak-aged strong English-style ale, brewed with Columbus, Fuggels hops and two-row barley, caramel 150L malt.

2006: 14.50% (Batch #2)
2007: 14.50% (Batch #3)
2008: 15.53% (Batch #4)
2009: 16.45% (Batch #5)
2010: 15.82% (Batch #6)
2011: 15.31% (Batch #7)
2012: 15.47% (Batch #8)
2013: 16.90% (Batch #9)
2014: 14.20% (Batch #10)
2015: 14.60% (Batch #11)
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Nerudamann:
Photo of Nerudamann
Reviewed by Nerudamann from Oregon

3.6/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Look - medium caramel color with about half a finger's worth of foam, and specks of tan colored objects floating in the beer. Good carbonation level.

Smell - Very strong worty smell, which seems atypical of the style, so I might be wrong. A bit of sweetness, probably the turbinado sugar, which gives it almost a sugar cane smell.

Taste - extremely powerful taste sensation going on here. I usually can't really taste a beer until it gets further toward the back of my palate, but wow, this hit me like a ton of bricks with the first drop! Slight bitterness that fades into a sweeter taste, but leaves with a bit of a bitter taste at the end...very confusing. Sweetness may be due to the sugar plus a bit of caramel, caoco, or other syrupy ingredient. Maybe a hint of fruitiness, maybe something along the line of a lime.

Mouthfeel - very creamy/syrupy...possibly one of the thickest I've tasted in a while.

Drinkability - Very good beer. I love the complexity of it. As far as being able to come back for another one or two, I couldn't say I could do it. One a night would be my limit for this beer.
Jun 17, 2010
More User Ratings:
Photo of Treyliff
Reviewed by Treyliff from West Virginia

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12oz bottle poured into a snifter
2015 Vintage

Pours brown in color with a one-finger off-white head that reduces to a ring. Smells of caramel, toffee, brown sugar, raisin, fig, booze and light oak. Taste is malty caramel and brown sugar, followed by dark fruit notes of raisin and figs. The finish gives light oak, vanilla & a hint of cherry. Medium body with moderate carbonation, foamy mouthfeel turns slightly creamy into a warming finish
Aug 19, 2023
 
Rated: 2.65 by jbeerd from Antarctica

Jul 02, 2023
 
Rated: 4.4 by cozmo from New York

Jul 02, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by GeorgeAKeim from Oregon

Sep 04, 2022
 
Rated: 4.08 by Sparky44 from Illinois

Oct 01, 2021
 
Rated: 3.75 by NickMunford from Wyoming

Jul 17, 2021
Photo of SHODriver
Reviewed by SHODriver from North Carolina

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Poured into a snifter to a deep orange beer which is topped by a dense and slightly rocky finger of off white head which fades quickly to a collar around the edge of the glass with minimal lacing
S: Smells of caramel and dark fruits with a touch of raisins along with a hint of oak
T: Taste is caramel and dark fruits up front with some woody oak notes. There's a little vanilla and a touch of spice along with some faded hops. On the finish there's more caramel, dark fruits, spice, and wood.
M: This beer is full bodied and slightly syrupy on the palate. Carbonation is surprisingly effervescent and slightly prickly while the ABV gives this one a drying finish.
O: Overall this is a pretty nice beer that has held up well to time since it was bottled in 2016. Really nice complexity and flavors and the alcohol is fairly well hidden.
Jun 14, 2021
Photo of harrypowers
Reviewed by harrypowers from Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Got a bottle from May 2015, batch 11.

Pours a turbid reddish brown with a small head and some lacing.

Smells of malt and dark fruit. Tastes of really sweet malt, cherries and plums with a warm boozy finish.

Medium body with light carbonation. Lush syrupy mouth feel.

This 5+ year old bottle is like sipping very strong port wine!

Too bad the brew is retired!
Feb 20, 2021
 
Rated: 4.25 by TylerJ from Iowa

Jan 07, 2021
Photo of HipCzech
Reviewed by HipCzech from California

3.99/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Serving: 12 oz bottle ("March 2016, Batch No. 12, 31.25 P, 16.3%") poured into a 9 oz Libbey Embassy snifter.

Appearance: Hazy copper with a brief, fizzy head of off white bubbles.

Smell: Malt-forward aroma of toffee and burnt sugar, candied fruit, vanilla and a hint of boozy barrel.

Taste: Malt focused flavor continues from the nose with rich sweet caramel, dark dried fruit, vanilla, and hints of oak and earthy hops.

Mouthfeel: Medium to fully body, boozy warmth and slightly viscous, and gently carbonated.

Overall: A big, potent malt bomb.
Dec 11, 2020
 
Rated: 3.81 by chossboss from Oregon

Dec 06, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by Birdlegs from Washington

Aug 23, 2020
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

4.11/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Another one I have no idea how I haven't reviewed, batch 5, 2009. Pulled from the cellar, excited for this one.
No sound when I pop the cap, limited rust, very small head flashes away in almost an instant, legs basically just coat the glass, dark mahogany brown color

Nose brings loads of big sweet candy malt, caramel, toffee, etc, a bit of vanilla oak notes, a bit of papery oxidation with some earthy dirt like characters, some dark fruits with a bit of raisin, date, a little chocolate, and some cedar like spicy oaky character, a bit nutty as well

Taste brings loads of sweet malts and sweeteners again, big caramel heavy with molasses, candy syrup, toffee, etc, more big dark fruit with raisin, date, candied fig, more molasses and earthy sugars, some oxidation but not too much bringing a little papery note but more on the winey port wine character, a bit of a BBQ sauce but not a ton, touch of oak and cedar spice notes, getting a little like prune and Glogg, some warming tingly alcohol but doesn't feel like almost 17%, mild sticky finish but semi sweet, earthy dark fruits and mild paper oxidation lingering

Mouth is fuller bod, syrupy, almost no carb, some warming tingly alcohol

Overall interesting for sure, really nice aged barleywine, wish it had more carbonation and oak characters, but aged quite well otherwise.
Jul 02, 2020
 
Rated: 4.25 by Patches826 from Massachusetts

Jun 04, 2020
 
Rated: 4.1 by JakerLou from New Hampshire

Apr 15, 2020
 
Rated: 4.55 by BeardedWalrus from North Carolina

Feb 16, 2020
Photo of addiwilliams
Rated by addiwilliams from Virginia

3.59/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
A little cloying
Dec 26, 2019
Photo of mushroomcloud
Reviewed by mushroomcloud from Texas

3.9/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Bottled in 2005 (14.5% abv). Opened 12-10-19.
14 years in the bottle this pours a clean, clear dark brown/mahogany colored beer with no head at all.
Dark fruit, brown sugar, burnt sugar, and booze in the nose. Port or brandy like sweetness.
Fig, prune, plum, brown sugar -- intense flavors remain at 14 years old. Still some oak aromas and flavors lingering.
Boozy but not hot.
Smooth mouthfeel, not much carbonation left at all. Rich flavors and a medium finish.
Pretty cool to finally open this, it made it through 4 moves and 14 years with me.
Dec 11, 2019
 
Rated: 3.58 by MeIquiades from Illinois

Sep 07, 2019
Samael's Ale from Avery Brewing Company
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 1525 ratings