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Anniversary Ale - Twenty Five
Avery Brewing Company
- From:
- Avery Brewing Company
- Colorado, United States
- Style:
- Belgian Dark Strong Ale
- ABV:
- 14.5%
- Score:
- 94
- Avg:
- 4.28 | pDev: 7.01%
- Reviews:
- 39
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Nov 23, 2023
- Added:
- Jun 07, 2018
- Wants:
- 3
- Gots:
- 13
An ode to twenty-five years of dynamic, powerful, and odds-defying brews, this resurrection of demonic proportion ascends to new heights by melding our massive, dark, and high-gravity virtues with our future audacious ambitions. Peace to all and follow your dreams.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by gangstabobangsta:
Rated by gangstabobangsta from Colorado
4.02/5 rDev -6.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Oct 22, 2018
4.02/5 rDev -6.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Oct 22, 2018
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by ovaltine from Indiana
4.6/5 rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.6/5 rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours a dark mahogany brown and settles as nearly black in the glass with a rich, creamy tan head that lingers and provides a surprising amount of lacing, given the high ABV (14.5%). Absolutely gorgeous Belgian Dark Strong Ale.
The nose is complex, with alcohol and fruity esters most prominent up front, then chocolate malt and stone fruit aromas following, with all components in balance. This is gonna be good.
The taste is led by the chocolate malt and stone fruit flavor, which is comprised of the dates and raisins, and there’s a significant warming alcohol component at the back of the palate that settles in your chest, but what holds it all together is the oak, which reigns in the sweetness and allows all the flavors to shine. This is exceptionally well done.
The mouthfeel is medium and commensurate with the style. My only regret is that I don’t have another bottle to age for another 5 years and see how this magnificent beer evolves. World class stuff here, IMHO.
Nov 23, 2023The nose is complex, with alcohol and fruity esters most prominent up front, then chocolate malt and stone fruit aromas following, with all components in balance. This is gonna be good.
The taste is led by the chocolate malt and stone fruit flavor, which is comprised of the dates and raisins, and there’s a significant warming alcohol component at the back of the palate that settles in your chest, but what holds it all together is the oak, which reigns in the sweetness and allows all the flavors to shine. This is exceptionally well done.
The mouthfeel is medium and commensurate with the style. My only regret is that I don’t have another bottle to age for another 5 years and see how this magnificent beer evolves. World class stuff here, IMHO.
Reviewed by mschrei from Illinois
4.44/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.44/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours with a light head and minimal lacing, very dark. Dark fruit notes on the smell with some chocolate. Taste is raisin, dates, prunes, brown sugar, molasses, chocolate, . Feel is medium/big body, boozy, a bit mouth watering. Warms up/opens well. A full bodied, flavorful, well developed, tasty beer.
May 01, 2020Reviewed by stortore from Illinois
4.29/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.29/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
22 ounce bottle into a snifter. Bottled in June 2018, had 3/21/20.
Pours an opaque dark brown, thick looking, with a one inch foamy head and some soapy lacing. Aromas of Belgian yeast, raisins, dates, chocolate, coffee, cola, spices, malt, some figs and molasses, light licorice, some tobacco when warm. Flavors of raisins, malt, honey, dates, chocolate, spices- cloves for one, some figs and prunes, some cola, light coffee, light molasses and licorice, a little peppercorn. A little sweet. Smooth, a solid medium to full body, well carbonated.
This is pretty different, but really well executed. The raisins and dates stand out, but the sweetness is controlled and it still feels like a BSDA. A bourbon barrel version of this would be really interesting. Very enjoyable.
Apr 14, 2020Pours an opaque dark brown, thick looking, with a one inch foamy head and some soapy lacing. Aromas of Belgian yeast, raisins, dates, chocolate, coffee, cola, spices, malt, some figs and molasses, light licorice, some tobacco when warm. Flavors of raisins, malt, honey, dates, chocolate, spices- cloves for one, some figs and prunes, some cola, light coffee, light molasses and licorice, a little peppercorn. A little sweet. Smooth, a solid medium to full body, well carbonated.
This is pretty different, but really well executed. The raisins and dates stand out, but the sweetness is controlled and it still feels like a BSDA. A bourbon barrel version of this would be really interesting. Very enjoyable.
Reviewed by ThickNStout from Georgia
4.26/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.26/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Red foil capped 22oz from Bruisin Ales (Asheville, NC). 14.00. Bottled 6/20/18. Served in an Avery snifter. Enjoyed 8/4/19.
Pours a dark chocolate brown with a tall cap of pale khaki froth. The head subsides, leaving littl retention.
Smells of candied dark fruit, wet oak, sweet, sugary Belgian yeast, chocolate and caramel.
Flavors of chocolate, dates, raisins, oak, Belgian yeast, turbinado sugar, honey glaze and a hearty dose of alcohol.
Creamy, full body with slightly conservative carbonation. Chocolate, dark fruit and oak in the finish.
Happy 25 years to Avery. This anniversary ale pay tribute to the Belgian strong dark ale while upping the ante with honey, dates and raisins.
Oct 17, 2019Pours a dark chocolate brown with a tall cap of pale khaki froth. The head subsides, leaving littl retention.
Smells of candied dark fruit, wet oak, sweet, sugary Belgian yeast, chocolate and caramel.
Flavors of chocolate, dates, raisins, oak, Belgian yeast, turbinado sugar, honey glaze and a hearty dose of alcohol.
Creamy, full body with slightly conservative carbonation. Chocolate, dark fruit and oak in the finish.
Happy 25 years to Avery. This anniversary ale pay tribute to the Belgian strong dark ale while upping the ante with honey, dates and raisins.
Reviewed by TreyIsWilson from Michigan
4.28/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.28/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
A - Pours a very dark brown with a two finger tan head. Heavy amount of soapy lacing.
S - Aroma is raisins, dates and oak.
T - The taste is raisins, dates, prunes, banana, chocolate, vanilla, molasses and oak.
M - Full body with low carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel with a soft dry finish.
O - This is a serious beer. Big rich flavors with the 14.5% extremely well hidden.
Oct 13, 2019S - Aroma is raisins, dates and oak.
T - The taste is raisins, dates, prunes, banana, chocolate, vanilla, molasses and oak.
M - Full body with low carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel with a soft dry finish.
O - This is a serious beer. Big rich flavors with the 14.5% extremely well hidden.
Reviewed by Eddieeight from Ohio
4.5/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.5/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Pours dark cherry red almost black. Smells like dark fruits. The label says raisins and dates and that’s pretty accurate. Slight alcoholic scent. The taste follows the nose as far as fruits go. The label also says dark candy sugar and a blend of dark hops. However there is a heavy warming to this beer that washes out my mouth and throat for up to 30 seconds after I swallow. It could be wine - perhaps because it’s got such a high alcohol content. Mouthfeel is moderately thick. Overall a very tasty beer.
Sep 08, 2019Reviewed by sulldaddy from Connecticut
4.37/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.37/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Im sampling a cellar temp bomber bottle that I recently picked up at my local beer store. I found this for $3.99 a bottle which seems like a steal on the ABV alone! Seems like its right up my alley from the description on the bottle and Im excited to try this one.
Pouring into my trusty snifter the beer pours the color of a coco-cola and has a tan fizzy head that is also similar to a coke. Only a very thin edge layer sticks around with one deeper cluster of bubbles on a third of the rim of my glass.
The aroma on this brew is much less robust than I anticipated, but I get some dark fruit, raisins and dates, with a hit of molasses as well. I also get a bit of floral honey note and some dark cacao and brown sugar. I dont get any hops on the nose even though they used 6 different varieties according to the label. The booze is not dominant as I thought it may be but is in the background.
The first sip reveals a big sticky textured body with very fine yet tingly carbonation. The beer coats my palate after each sip and the physical traits keep this on the sipping side of brews.
THe flavor is lots of complex malt notes. I get some dark chocolate and again raisin and dates but also some black cherry and a bit of brown sugar mixing together. Again, I dont get any real hop profile here, but the booze does show up. There is a little black peppery note and then some warming on the swallow that again adds to the sippability on this brew.
this is a big boozy malt driven beer, if that is your thing then get after this one if you see it. Im probably heading back to buy another bottle for my cellar!
Aug 05, 2019Pouring into my trusty snifter the beer pours the color of a coco-cola and has a tan fizzy head that is also similar to a coke. Only a very thin edge layer sticks around with one deeper cluster of bubbles on a third of the rim of my glass.
The aroma on this brew is much less robust than I anticipated, but I get some dark fruit, raisins and dates, with a hit of molasses as well. I also get a bit of floral honey note and some dark cacao and brown sugar. I dont get any hops on the nose even though they used 6 different varieties according to the label. The booze is not dominant as I thought it may be but is in the background.
The first sip reveals a big sticky textured body with very fine yet tingly carbonation. The beer coats my palate after each sip and the physical traits keep this on the sipping side of brews.
THe flavor is lots of complex malt notes. I get some dark chocolate and again raisin and dates but also some black cherry and a bit of brown sugar mixing together. Again, I dont get any real hop profile here, but the booze does show up. There is a little black peppery note and then some warming on the swallow that again adds to the sippability on this brew.
this is a big boozy malt driven beer, if that is your thing then get after this one if you see it. Im probably heading back to buy another bottle for my cellar!
Anniversary Ale - Twenty Five from Avery Brewing Company
Beer rating:
94 out of
100 with
86 ratings
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