In 1993, long before hazy IPA yoga retreats and pastry stout cults and breweries installing chandeliers made from reclaimed optimism, Adam Avery set up shop in a garage tucked off a Boulder alley and started lobbing bitter little flavor grenades directly into the unsuspecting mouth of Colorado beer culture. People were confused. Alarmed, even. Beer back then was still mostly yellow obedience water, all polite fizz and corporate shrugging. Then Avery arrives in 1996 with one of Colorado’s first IPAs — a brash piney tongue-slapper that customers literally returned because apparently bitterness was still considered a design flaw rather than a sacred calling from the lupulin gods.
Naturally, Avery kept going.
Because once you start treating beer less like a beverage and more like an elaborate psychedelic science project wrapped in barley and rebellion, there’s really no going back. By 2003, Avery Brewing had wandered gleefully into barrel aging, stuffing enormous imperial beasts into oak casks and unleashing dark liquid mythology upon the nation — monstrous ales clocking ABVs somewhere around two touchdowns and a field goal, beers less “sessionable” than existential. Bourbon-soaked monsters. Wild ales humming with funky little woodland spirits. Complex, aggressive, beautifully irresponsible creations chased by barrel-aged devotees who line up like pilgrims searching for enlightenment at the bottom of a snifter.
After 22 years fermenting chaos and ambition down the cramped magic corridor known as “Avery Alley,” the brewery finally exploded outward into a sprawling $30 million brewing compound in Boulder — a cathedral of stainless steel, oak, steam, hops, and glorious overachievement. The operation grew national. The beers grew stranger, bolder, deeper into the delicious abyss.
And now, somehow, beautifully, all that Colorado mad-scientist energy lands right here at Peaks & Pints in Tacoma’s Proctor District for Craft Beer Crosscut 5.23.17: A Flight of Avery — a small curated parade of barrel fire, hop poetry, and beautifully calibrated beer excess from one of craft brewing’s original fearless troublemakers.
Avery Liliko’i Kepolo
5.4% ABV, 10 IBU
The Liliko’i Kepolo (hard to say, easy to drink) is an unexpected delight! We don’t typically expect witbiers to be this interesting, original or surprisingly tart. It looks like your average Wit, with minimal, fine white foam over a hazy straw body, but lean in for a whiff and up wafts strong passion fruit, a little citrus and banana, coriander, and some creamy wheat malts. To taste, there’s an underlying spice throughout, but it starts off with a tart, citrusy bite, possibly due to the Bravo and Sterling hops. The passionfruit is evident, though not as heavy as on the nose, and the fuzzy mouthfeel reminds us of biting into a peach. We love everything about Liliko’i Kepolo — its glowing gold color, frothy white head, and each aspect of its delicious, exotic flavor. Mahalo!
Avery Expletus Barrel-Aged Sour Ale
5.9% ABV, 18 IBU
In spring of 2016 Avery added another sour ale to its Barrel-Aged Series; this one inspired by the Tequila Sunrise cocktail. Expletus is a 5.9 percent ABV ale that has been aged in fresh Suerte tequila barrels with cherries for six months. In addition, the beer incorporates a combination of saccharomyces, brettanomyces drie, lactobacillus and pediococcus. Funky wet hay and soil meld with sweet cherries in the top of the aroma while layers of curacao, noyaux and little buttery vanilla center the scent. The flavor kicks off with sweet cherry fading to agave and molasses, while the finish is all red apple and tongue-twisting tartness. While the impact of tequila is just a bit subtle for our tastes, the brew’s gorgeous tart cherry character pulls out smooth oaky tones that makes this 35th release in Avery’s barrel-aged series one of its best.
Avery Ellie’s Brown Ale
5.5% ABV, 28 IBU
T’was 24 years ago that Adam Avery (blessed be his name), smiled upon Boulder, Colorado and the world at large by opening Avery Brewing, which begat White Rascal Ale, which begat Out of Bounds Stout, which begat Ellie’s Brown Ale. This beautiful, deep russet brew has the sweet and somewhat nutty character of Avery’s late (1992-2002) Chocolate Lab, for which it is named. Avery adds Cluster hops at the beginning of the 60 minute boil primarily to add bitterness. Cascade and Fuggles hops are added at the middle and end of the boil respectively for their aromatic contributions. Ellie’s Brown has a rich maltiness with a complex caramel and roasted combination in the flavor profile for a lovely, balanced beer. Overall, a flavorful and sweet brown ale, almost too much so for an English Brown — more of an American Brown in flavor and English brown in its malty balance.
Avery Vanilla Bean Stout
10.8% ABV, 29 IBU
Now a year-round release, this bourbon barrel-aged blend of an imperial stout and a regular American stout flexes its decadent vanilla addition from the get-go, offering a big nose of warm, sticky vanilla, toasted coconut and a flit of whiskey. Vanilla dominates the front of the sip but gives way to smooth milk chocolate, coconut, caramelized marshmallow and hints of roast coffee, followed by coffee, dark cherry and dark chocolate lingering at the end. The barrel takes a supporting role, allowing the oak to just dry out the full swallow, leaving pleasant warmth in the throat.
Avery Hog Heaven Imperial Red IPA
9.2% ABV, 104 IBU
Would you trade an elementary school teaching gig for brewing? That’s exactly what Left Hand Brewing’s Matt Thrall did when his home brewing hobby became a career path that landed him at Avery in 2003 and currently director of brewing at Left Hand. We’re giving nod to Thrall’s Hog Heaven. This beer grabbed two silver medal wins at the Great American Beer Festival in 2004 and 2007, and subsequently set the stage for the bold beers that would follow such as The Maharaja in 2005, Rumpkin in 2011, Tweak in 2014. After all this time, it is still a beloved beer by Avery Brewing employees and is frequently consumed during celebratory times at the brewery. The intense dry-hop nose and the alcohol content are perfectly balanced with a caramel malt backbone. This is a serious beer for serious beer aficionados.
