Avery India Pale Ale

There’s a distinct taste Colorado-brewed IPAs tend to have and Avery India Pale Ale is a good example of it. A bitter beer for sure, but with distinct malt character that imparts remarkable sweetness. If you want a balanced IPA, this is the beer for you.

4

   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 5/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 16/20

Chad9976 (824) - Albany, New York, USA - MAR 7, 2013

I poured a 12oz can into a tulip glass.

Appearance: Cloudy honey-colored body. Forms a large, white, frothy head which leaves plenty of lacing on the glass and never evaporates.

Smell: Strong lemony aroma with light flowers and perfume. Lots of hops on the nose for sure.

Taste: Usually the first thing I notice about an IPA is its bitterness, but in the case of Avery India Pale Ale the first thing I noticed was its sweetness. There’s a surprisingly strong malt character throughout this beer. It begins with an intense dry bitterness, but it quickly gives way to the malty side. A lemony taste upstages the hops for the majority of the palate. Honey sweetness and a lollipop-like candy taste are quite prominent as well.

Not surprisingly, the beer ends with a strong hop bite and a lingering dry finish. There’s hints of garlic or onion as well, but it’s not nearly as spicy or herbal as some beers. There’s no juicy refreshing quality, though. Overall, a satisfying, robust palate that’s quite delectable. I’m not a huge fan of the lemon and lollipop flavors, but there’s enough balance to this brew that they’re never distracting or cloying.

Drinkability: I was actually surprised to discover Avery India Pale Ale is only 6.5% ABV as it has the body, mouthfeel, energy and weight of something bigger. This could easily be mistaken for an upper echelon imperial IPA, but it has the drinkability of a single. A soft texture that’s not especially effervescent, yet noticeably carbonated. It goes down quite smoothly, but it’s easy to treat like a sipper.

 Grade: 8/10