Avery Old Jubilation Ale

Avery Old Jubilation Ale (2012)

Winter Seasonal.

12 fl. oz. / $2.45 USD / 8.3% ABV

About: "Our winter strong ale has a gorgeous mahogany hue, a hint of hazelnuts, and a finish reminiscent of mocha and toffee. No spices, just a perfect blend of five specialty malts. Hops: Bullion / Malts: Two-row barley, Special roast, Black, Chocolate, Victory / Food pairing: Old Jubilation Ale is comfortable being sipped and quaffed alongside many large cuts of meat you typically find around the holidays. Roast duck, crown roast, rack of lamb, prime rib, herb- and honey-crusted chicken and all manner of gamebirds are great choices, as are seasonal soups made with spices like nutmeg and cinnamon."

Thoughts: Old Jubi poured a dark and hazy copper tone with shades of ruby red and had a fluffy, light-tan colored head atop the thing.

Getting a lot of chocolate and black malt here... toffee, peanut brittle and very little bits of coffee way in the background. It smells raw and wet. It's got a really fruity tone to it that's a bordering on funky. Kinda like a homemade oatmeal with raisins and apricot chunks, and coffee milk poured into it. Something weird about it too, but it's hard to finger.

Heavy spicy malt, grassy hop background, vapor, dirt, heavy bitterness and a bit of tartness. It's like an evil generic Dr Pepper with stinging hazy booze fumes. This kind of reminds me of a porter, or an woodsy brown ale. There's a major roasted thing going on that's taking over much of the beer and it's got a gentle smokiness to it. That being said, I'm not really all that much into this beer. I appreciate the strength to it and that makes it a head above other brews like this I've tried, but it's far too nutty of a beer for me. If you like brown ales with a bit of smoke and a lot of nuts that are really strong, then this one is for you.

Mouth feel is very smooth, easy drinking, it's got a little heat at the back of the throat and there's no bad aftertaste... if you don't mind a little char. Aside from being a strong version of a plain tasting beer, this one is still a bit too plain for me.