Avery XX

In 1993 when the craft beer scene in Colorado was still very young and microbreweries were few and far between one opened their doors in Boulder, Colorado. The goal was simple: to create high quality ales and lagers that are not only traditional but also unique that show creative and bold flavor profiles. Several beers later including year round, seasonal, barrel aged, and limited releases to go along with several awards this brewery is preparing to turn 20 years old, and it is just as popular as ever. Still an iconic destination for craft beer fans when in Boulder; this is Avery Brewing at the two decade mark.

With a $40 presale ticket you will be part of a great festival located at the tap room where all these great beers have been made for twenty years. Not only will it get you a great barbecue spread, live music from both the Matt Flaherty Band, and Roots and Rhythm but the celebration is about two decades of great beer, and with your admission you will get to choose six different ones to try. Not only does that include the beers available year round, and some of the tap room exclusive beers, but what about some of the beers from the cellar of owner Adam Avery? All Avery beers but some that have been again for ten years or more in all different styles from throughout the years. That alone makes this a can’t miss event, but if you are unable to make it then of course there is a special Anniversary Ale out as well. The 20^th Anniversary IPA is available in bombers, and after acquiring a couple of bottles here is what we thought of this milestone ale.

Coming in at 20 degrees plato and 9.7 percent ABV this is a true example of an Imperial IPA. After a large pour from the 22 ounce bomber into a traditional pint glass this beer had a rich copper color with a vibrant white head sitting on top of it. The aroma of this beer was very strong and complex, with the hops being very prominent on the nose. To make the aroma even more complex there was also a strong note of citrus on the nose. With so many complexities going on in the aroma this was a beer I could not wait to take a sip of, and the taste of this Anniversary Ale was definitely worth celebrating.  

The taste of this beer was very similar to the aroma, but with more complexities. The primary flavors were bitterness from the hops along with a bright acidity and citrus flavor. The two balanced each other out but the flavors still came through, and that was all complimented by a very dry mouth feel with each sip. Through it all the most prominent flavor was the citrus that was also balanced out by a tiny amount of sweetness from the grains. That only helped to give this beer so many layers of flavor with bitterness, acidity, tartness, and sweetness all in one sip.

Now of course the aftertaste of a beer dictates a lot, especially if it will be one sip or the entire bottle, thankfully in this case the aftertaste makes drinkers want to the entire bottle. As a whole the aftertaste is clean but it has only the slightest lingering flavor. The hop flavor fades away very quickly making another sip very easy to take, but there is a lingering very subtle aftertaste reminiscent of melon which is so unique you keep taking sips to make sure that is in fact what you are tasting. All in all this was a very complex beer that had layers of flavor and a lot of depth, and one that beer drinkers of all types would find enjoyment in. After 20 years of high quality ales Avery went all out for this year’s special release, and now it is time to enjoy the celebration and raise a glass to congratulate Adam. Of course and wait to see what awaits us for number 21.

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