Ale To The Chief
Avery Brewing Company

Ale To The ChiefAle To The Chief
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From:
Avery Brewing Company
 
Colorado, United States
Style:
American Strong Ale
Ranked #88
ABV:
8.75%
Score:
90
Ranked #9,660
Avg:
4.02 | pDev: 9.7%
Reviews:
409
Ratings:
630
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 26, 2023
Added:
Jul 22, 2008
Wants:
  27
Gots:
  39
Originally brewed to celebrate Inauguration Day, January 20, 2009, we elected to give Ale to the Chief a second term to commemorate the 2012 election!​ ​Not an “Imperial” pale ale, this is a democracy. It’s Presidential! Take the all-American pale ale, a bipartisan blend of malt and hops, increase both to Avery Brewing standards, and then, of c​​ourse, dry hop the result with that most quintessential of American hops, Cascades, and you get this…a brew worthy of the Oval Office!
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by joe1510:
Photo of joe1510
Reviewed by joe1510 from Illinois

4.17/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
22oz Bomber
$6.99
Binny's Orland

Ale to the Chief, Avery's newest creation, fills my imperial pint glass a tarnished copper similar to rust. There is a good deal of orange highlights when backlit through the semi hazy body. Streams of carbonation start off slow but quickly speed up on their way to the surface. A slow pour brought about a dense three fingered head that slowly fell to a thick cap leaving intricate lacing on its way. Each drink I take ends up leaving behind a section of sheet lacing and the intricate spider webbed lacing the rest of the way. This is a good looking IIPA.

This beer has a good helping of hops for sure. I like the direction they went with this, there is a huge amount of tropical fruit and enough pine sap to level the playing field. As delicious as the hops smell the malt is no slouch either and there is enough present to keep the hops from running wild. The malt has just enough sugar and comes across as cake frosting with caramel poking up here and there. I like where the smell of this is taking me. Hopefully the flavor can live up to the aroma.

The flavor is actually quite a bit different than the aroma led on. There's not near as much tropical fruitiness. Caramel is the first thing that coats the tongue and it lays down a solid base for the dominant hoppiness. The hopping at first brings along a moderate pine needle and sappy bitterness but quickly becomes a buzzsaw of hoppiness mid palate and ends up putting a hurtin' on the tongue. The buzzsaw does mellow on the swallow and allows what tropical fruitiness is there to come forward. A tropical fruit mixture of tangerine, orange, and pineapple combine with the pine needles on the finish. While the flavor doesn't live up to the aroma it's still very good.

This beer has a great mouthfeel for the high abv. The body is moderate but has a nice silkiness with a healthy carbonation that never keeps this beer moving. The bitterness grows quickly and is like a buzzsaw on the tongue. After half a pint my entire tongue is numb and down for the count. The body gets nice and light on the back of the tongue through the swallow.

For a beer with such high abv and such a big bitterness it goes down incredibly easy. The alcohol is barely noticeable which could end up being a dangerous thing with how easy this beer flows. I have to slow myself down because I'm reaching for the glass often.

Ale to the Chief is probably my favorite beer from Avery and I'm hoping it's a year round offering. I'm impressed with Avery's use of hops in this beer. I wouldn't hesitate picking this one up again when in need of a hop fix. For the style of beer the alcohol is moderate enough to finish a bomber, by yourself, without a problem.
Aug 09, 2008
More User Ratings:
Photo of jkblr
Reviewed by jkblr from Indiana

3.84/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22oz bottled 07-17-16 (7 years, 4 months ago) poured into a tulip glass at fridge temp 8.1% ABV. The beer pours opaque medium amber with khaki colored head. The head recedes to a thin ring and small island. Minimal lacing. The aroma is mild with toffee coated cardboard and a hint of piney/citrus. The taste is semisweet oxidized caramel malt with fading pine and citrus. Moderate bitterness. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. Overall, not great. This strong ale wasn't intended to sit in a bottle shop for 7+ years...
Scored to the average more than to the experience.
Nov 26, 2023
 
Rated: 3.41 by eluvah from New York

Aug 12, 2023
Photo of REVZEB
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

4.16/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Had this a long time ago and forgot to put my review on the site. Was a cellared bottle. Orange body with a white cap.
Very malty in the nose: earth, caramel, fruit esters, bread and booze. Taste brings in a more grainy complexion with dark fruit, candied grapefruit, and jammy orange added to the malt bath of a beer. A strange old ale, but one that stands out in a crowd in a good way. Feel is dry for style, medium bodied, and grainy.
Nov 19, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by Griffith from Connecticut

Apr 24, 2019
Photo of WoodBrew
Reviewed by WoodBrew from Ohio

3.54/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
I'm trying a 2017 bottle of this with my old hockey buddy in Philly. It poured a slightly hazy copper with thin white head that is leaving some lace. The scent with dark fruit and apricot. The taste was sweet leaning and alcohol was certainly present. The mouthfeel was medium in body with good carbonation. Overall it's an ok beer.
Dec 12, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by DerwinWentworth from Utah

Jul 31, 2018
Photo of Eamonn-Cummings3
Reviewed by Eamonn-Cummings3 from New York

3.98/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 22oz bottle into a Trillium IPA glass.

Look is a off white heat with a amber orange.

Aroma is malty and yeasty.

Taste is malty and sweet with a touch of yeasty.
Jun 11, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by StoutAtTheDevil from Alabama

Feb 16, 2018
 
Rated: 3.94 by LarrysDeerGut from Illinois

Feb 10, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by brittanylicious from Indiana

Feb 10, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by heysuz from Indiana

Feb 10, 2018
Photo of Franziskaner
Reviewed by Franziskaner from Missouri

4.01/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Amber hued with vibrant carbonation bubbles pushing up from the bottom of the glass. There's a half inch of dense, creamy brown on top. I smell marzipan and caramel. I'm tasting plenty of marzipan, caramel, and dark wheat. There's a hint of piney hops at the back of the palate, The mouth is very smooth, dry, sticky and chewy.
Feb 10, 2018
 
Rated: 4.71 by terrysjag from Maryland

Nov 21, 2017
 
Rated: 4.33 by mscudder from Georgia

Oct 22, 2017
 
Rated: 3.78 by juicebox from Kentucky

Sep 02, 2017
 
Rated: 3.99 by brauseboof from South Carolina

Aug 23, 2017
 
Rated: 3.25 by fosters9 from New York

Aug 11, 2017
Photo of Brutaltruth
Reviewed by Brutaltruth from Ohio

4.18/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
From the 22 oz bottle in a snifter. This fine ale pours a lightly cloudy brown tinged orange-ish
amber with a fantastic head of off white foam that settle to a thick sudsy ring, pooling
big bubbled center, and showcases nice sudsy lacing. Nose of sticky bittering hops,
grassy hop notes, sticky caramel malts, light booze, and light tropical fruit notes.
Flavors exceed the nose with sticky hops laden with pineapple, grassy hop notes,
heavy caramel, robust herbal notes from the hops, and a tea like note with hints of
bitter orange...there is a touch of comedy to that considering the original brew date....
just saying. Excellent mouth feel; medium full body, medium light and zippy carbonation
helps to cut through the sweetness, and a bright hoppy finish dashed with caramel malts
and a lingering tea note.

Overall, a nice brew that is rich and excessive on the bitter end without being overly
bitter.

A solid strong ale.

Cheers
Jul 06, 2017
Photo of Thankin_Hank
Reviewed by Thankin_Hank from Texas

4.1/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
A nice copper color and unusual smell that is malty and maybe sweet. Tastes like slightly sweetened tea. Needs ice and a straw. I wonder if a lemon would put the icing on the cake. That's pretty awesome stuff. You could floor people if you insisted it was iced tea. The alcohol is undetectable. My wife even liked it but doesn't get the tea flavor I do. This is so easy to drink. A fine brew by a fine bunch of brewers. Avery always reliable. From a 22 oz. magnum dated 7-17-16 into a snifter.
Jul 04, 2017
Ale To The Chief from Avery Brewing Company
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 630 ratings