Ale To The Chief | Avery Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Avery Brewing Company
Colorado, United States
averybrewing.com
Style: American Strong Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 8.75%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
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 course, dry hop the result with that most quintessential of American hops, Cascades, and you get this…a brew worthy of the Oval Office!
Added by GilGarp on 07-22-2008
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 616 | Reviews: 404
3.81/5 rDev -5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.1/5 rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Served in a signature Avery snifter glass.
Appearance: Darker Amber with medium bubbles and the body is a bit hazy. Head is off-white with a slight orange tint.
Smell: Malts and wood.
Taste: Complex sweet and bitter wood notes and heavy malts. You can feel the citrus but won't hurt you, comes off pretty smooth.
Mouth: Medium bubbles and carbonation and average stickiness. Is a bit dry but sticky which is good.
Overall: Very good beer, especially for Election Day...no pun intended. Salud!
502 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Served in a signature Avery snifter glass.
Appearance: Darker Amber with medium bubbles and the body is a bit hazy. Head is off-white with a slight orange tint.
Smell: Malts and wood.
Taste: Complex sweet and bitter wood notes and heavy malts. You can feel the citrus but won't hurt you, comes off pretty smooth.
Mouth: Medium bubbles and carbonation and average stickiness. Is a bit dry but sticky which is good.
Overall: Very good beer, especially for Election Day...no pun intended. Salud!
502 characters
4.31/5 rDev +7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.48/5 rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Rich and massively malty, with a jolt of hoppy citrus. Handsome golden amber brew with plenty of foam in the Rodenbach Grand Cru goblet. The aroma is all fruit and hops. Sweet and bitter.
A little bit of "ick" goes along with the sweet malt. Interesting, though. Faint sourish tang, like there's something wild lurking. Overall, it's a jolly Barleywine gone bad. Rather bitter aftertaste, just like the elections. From the 22 oz bottle purchased at Ibis Market in San Diego.
476 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Rich and massively malty, with a jolt of hoppy citrus. Handsome golden amber brew with plenty of foam in the Rodenbach Grand Cru goblet. The aroma is all fruit and hops. Sweet and bitter.
A little bit of "ick" goes along with the sweet malt. Interesting, though. Faint sourish tang, like there's something wild lurking. Overall, it's a jolly Barleywine gone bad. Rather bitter aftertaste, just like the elections. From the 22 oz bottle purchased at Ibis Market in San Diego.
476 characters
4.22/5 rDev +5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pumpkin orange body; creamy, dense head. Sweet, candied aroma; charred sugars. Fruity flavor balanced with crystal and caramel malt tones; savory hop bitterness complements it all. Heavy body; smooth and velvety; heavy yet blunt sweetness, finishing on a dry note.
I'd categorize this beer as an American strong ale. There is some fine hop things going on yet there is also some excellent malt flavors, too. Damn fine aroma and taste with a big, satisfying body. Worth the wait for the next election cycle...
509 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pumpkin orange body; creamy, dense head. Sweet, candied aroma; charred sugars. Fruity flavor balanced with crystal and caramel malt tones; savory hop bitterness complements it all. Heavy body; smooth and velvety; heavy yet blunt sweetness, finishing on a dry note.
I'd categorize this beer as an American strong ale. There is some fine hop things going on yet there is also some excellent malt flavors, too. Damn fine aroma and taste with a big, satisfying body. Worth the wait for the next election cycle...
509 characters
3.85/5 rDev -4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
3.54/5 rDev -11.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.75/5 rDev -6.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.78/5 rDev -6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Appearance: Pours a clear copper color with an impressive head that stands three fingers tall; excellent retention and a nice pattern of lacing
Smell: Malt forward, with caramel, grains, earthy tones and tangerine peel
Taste: Quite malty, with caramel and grainy tones forward; through the middle, the tangerine peel and earthy tones build, creating an orange marmalade effect; earthy and resiny, through the finish
Mouthfeel: Full bodied with moderate to high carbonation
Overall: This beer really verges on barleywine territory though it has an odd combination of powerful malt sweetness combined with an orange marmalade bitterness; I am not a big fan
663 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Appearance: Pours a clear copper color with an impressive head that stands three fingers tall; excellent retention and a nice pattern of lacing
Smell: Malt forward, with caramel, grains, earthy tones and tangerine peel
Taste: Quite malty, with caramel and grainy tones forward; through the middle, the tangerine peel and earthy tones build, creating an orange marmalade effect; earthy and resiny, through the finish
Mouthfeel: Full bodied with moderate to high carbonation
Overall: This beer really verges on barleywine territory though it has an odd combination of powerful malt sweetness combined with an orange marmalade bitterness; I am not a big fan
663 characters
4.2/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.19/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.5/5 rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.09/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours hazy copper color with a 2 finger beige colored whipped foamy head that was full of bubbles and dissipated very slowly and left outstanding foamy lacing and thick foamy rings as it went down. No way I was holding onto a Presidential Pale Ale until January 2017, so I busted this out tonight while the candidates are still making a mockery of democracy. Second half of the bomber poured looks just as impressive as the first half.
Smells of caramel, toffee and sweet grainy malts up front, more English IPA to start. Next wave of the aroma is orange peel, tangerine, pineapple, mango, light brown sugar, gummy bears, tropical fruit, earthy notes, candied sugar and faint piney hops. I got whiffs of buttered wheat bread and honey as it faded, bringing together a lot of elements that complimented each other and provided good balance. Not a American DIPA nose, but a real nice pale ale or English IPA.
Flavor brings a lot of malt to the table with wheat bread, caramel, toffee, graham cracker and sweet grains up front just like the nose, but the taste turns a bit more bitter with grapefruit, guava and maple syrup joining the orange peel, honey, tangerine, pineapple, mango, brown sugar, gummy bears, tropical fruit, earthy notes, candied sugar and piney hops. The 8.1% ABV peeks through but is generally covered up well by the malty sweetness and fruity citrus notes. This beer is balanced yet confusing as I don't know what style they were going for, but overall it tastes pretty damn good.
Mouthfeel is really creamy and almost slick with a buttery feel across the tongue, a medium body that had average an carbonation level, a little chewy feel and a slightly bitter citrus finish that turns malty and sweet before it fades. It has a lot going on in the sweetness department, but it's all good as it never crosses the line into cloying territory. Quite an enjoyable ale, I could drink this more often than every 4 years.
From the Avery website: "Take the all-American pale ale, a bipartisan blend of malt and hops, increase both to Avery Brewing standards, and then, of course, dry hop the result with that most quintessential of American hops, Cascades, and you get this…a brew worthy of the Oval Office! Availability: Every 4 Years." Cheers Avery, great stuff!
2,286 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours hazy copper color with a 2 finger beige colored whipped foamy head that was full of bubbles and dissipated very slowly and left outstanding foamy lacing and thick foamy rings as it went down. No way I was holding onto a Presidential Pale Ale until January 2017, so I busted this out tonight while the candidates are still making a mockery of democracy. Second half of the bomber poured looks just as impressive as the first half.
Smells of caramel, toffee and sweet grainy malts up front, more English IPA to start. Next wave of the aroma is orange peel, tangerine, pineapple, mango, light brown sugar, gummy bears, tropical fruit, earthy notes, candied sugar and faint piney hops. I got whiffs of buttered wheat bread and honey as it faded, bringing together a lot of elements that complimented each other and provided good balance. Not a American DIPA nose, but a real nice pale ale or English IPA.
Flavor brings a lot of malt to the table with wheat bread, caramel, toffee, graham cracker and sweet grains up front just like the nose, but the taste turns a bit more bitter with grapefruit, guava and maple syrup joining the orange peel, honey, tangerine, pineapple, mango, brown sugar, gummy bears, tropical fruit, earthy notes, candied sugar and piney hops. The 8.1% ABV peeks through but is generally covered up well by the malty sweetness and fruity citrus notes. This beer is balanced yet confusing as I don't know what style they were going for, but overall it tastes pretty damn good.
Mouthfeel is really creamy and almost slick with a buttery feel across the tongue, a medium body that had average an carbonation level, a little chewy feel and a slightly bitter citrus finish that turns malty and sweet before it fades. It has a lot going on in the sweetness department, but it's all good as it never crosses the line into cloying territory. Quite an enjoyable ale, I could drink this more often than every 4 years.
From the Avery website: "Take the all-American pale ale, a bipartisan blend of malt and hops, increase both to Avery Brewing standards, and then, of course, dry hop the result with that most quintessential of American hops, Cascades, and you get this…a brew worthy of the Oval Office! Availability: Every 4 Years." Cheers Avery, great stuff!
2,286 characters
3.65/5 rDev -9.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.21/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
3.61/5 rDev -10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
4.04/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
L: Poured from a bottle to a tulip glass. Had an amber color and a clear consistency. There was an inch and a half of foamy, somewhat long-lasting head. Good lacing.
S: A nice aroma of hops, malt, pine, and citrus fruit.
T: Tasted of some citrus (lemon, orange), a fair amount of pine, light malt, a big shot of hops, an earthy quality, a hint of caramel, and a bready quality. In general, a well-balanced flavor, with a whole of complexity. Not quite as hoppy as other DIPA flavors, but still very tasty.
F: A good amount of carbonation with a sharp finish. Medium-bodied.
O: This isn't my favorite DIPA, but it's well made and easy to drink.
647 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
L: Poured from a bottle to a tulip glass. Had an amber color and a clear consistency. There was an inch and a half of foamy, somewhat long-lasting head. Good lacing.
S: A nice aroma of hops, malt, pine, and citrus fruit.
T: Tasted of some citrus (lemon, orange), a fair amount of pine, light malt, a big shot of hops, an earthy quality, a hint of caramel, and a bready quality. In general, a well-balanced flavor, with a whole of complexity. Not quite as hoppy as other DIPA flavors, but still very tasty.
F: A good amount of carbonation with a sharp finish. Medium-bodied.
O: This isn't my favorite DIPA, but it's well made and easy to drink.
647 characters
4.44/5 rDev +10.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
3.79/5 rDev -5.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Ale To The Chief from Avery Brewing Company
Beer rating:
80.7% out of
100 with
616 ratings
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75