Brought to you by:
BrewTools Homebrewing iPhone App

Latest Reviews

Double Dry Hopped pseudoSue
Toppling Goliath
Modus Vivendi
Wild Beer Co.
Spaceman
Brewfist

Recent Articles

Shameless
Craft brewer sellouts become as tone-deaf and underhanded as their new overlords. Great Taste Eve
Check out the burgeoning Madison beer scene the night before the best fest in country. Good Beer Makes Good Conversation
The effects of drinking beer worth talking about. The Beers of Walmart
The largest retailer in the world now has its own line of beers. Our Take on the Lagunitas-Heineken Deal
Fuck Lagunitas. archives »

Beer Reviews

The Kaiser

Avery Brewing Co.
Boulder, CO
USA
http://www.averybrewing.com

Style: Oktoberfest/Märzen
ABV: 9.3%

Franz’s Rating:
   (Outstanding within its style.)


Comments:
I can’t remember the last review I wrote, but life is busy and it’s easy to drink craft brews and not write about them. During the past month I’ve had the opportunity to drink of lot of different brewers’ interpretations of an Oktoberfest. Most of them were so-so, but the Kaiser, by Avery Brewing, is worth writing about.

This beer is actually an imperial Oktoberfest, which is unheard of with this style and really doesn’t surprise me with the growing trend of hybridized beer styles. As I pour this bomber into my stein, I notice the copper hue usually associated with the style. It weighs in at 9.3 percent ABV and I can taste the zing associated with the high alcohol. As far as other flavors that I can pull out, I would say this is sweet and malty, with sweetness overpowering all. The first smell that comes to mind is the 18.6 proof ethanol produced by yeast. It is almost too overpowering except for the the sweet raisin-like aroma associated mixed in there. No hop aroma that I can pick out.

As stated above The Kaiser is the best I’ve had this season. This is the break-down of all I’ve had this year and the ratings I’d give them:

New Glarus Staghorn-3 mugs
Victory Festbier-1 mug
Sprecher Oktoberfest- 2 mugs
Bells Oktoberferst -3 mugs
Great Lakes Brewery Oktoberferst-3 mugs
Spaten Oktoberfest- 3.5 mugs
Leinenkugel Oktoberfest-3 mugs

Prosit


Reviewed by Franz Mueller on October 4, 2010.

Drinkin’ And Thinkin’

Beer Dorks News

Want to know how healthy the craft beer industry is? As always, look to Portland. Craft pioneer Bridgeport announces sudden closure, adding to a growing list of PDX casualties. Did Anheuser-Busch Chicago offer their shit beer to Cody Parkey before his missed field goal? Because that may explain why he "accidentally" biffed it. Chicago now has the most breweries of any city in the country. Other things Chicago has the most of: murders, mobsters, and Ditkas. Trying to spin it positive, BA releases end of year graphic. Only 5% growth in the craft sector when nearly 1000 new breweries opened? That's a collapse waiting to happen. R.I.P. Tallgrass... another casualty as the regional/national craft beer market continues to get squeezed. Wait... Constellation Brands cut all of the Ballast Point and Funky Buddha sales staff? They merged it with their Corona/Modelo staff?? We're SHOCKED!!! Pizza Beer founder crying about failure of company, blames everyone else. Reminder, the beer tasted like vomit. Try having better ideas or making better products so you're not a failure. It's Bud Light so doesn't really matter, but we expect this beer to be sitting around for awhile. Indiana brewery to open with controversial beer names to "get the conversation going". Translation: taking advantage of serious issues for free publicity. Hundreds of amazing beers in Wisconsin and the Cubs took back the one everyone drinks just because it exists and people have heard of it. How fitting...