Man there was a lot going on in this beer! It was perhaps one of the most interesting brews I have ever drank, and that perhaps isn’t saying too much, because I’m still relatively new to this whole beer review thing. For example my Brother Jim has swilled down many more pints in his day than I have. So take what I say with the proverbial “Grain of Salt”, or perhaps a whole 40 pound salt lick, but I liked this brew a lot! This beer was like a barnyard in a glass in may ways. When you think of a barnyard there are cows mooing, pigs grunting, chickens clucking, donkeys braying, horses whinnying, mice squeaking, cats meowing, dogs barking, and weasels weaselling. The smells are of grass, hay and earth, and a little animal funk too. It is a sensory experience, and can be sensory overload, but when all is in harmony it is perhaps one of the most serene and peaceful places on earth. Throw in 7.68% ABV for some attitude and you have Avery Brewing’s Farmhouse Style Ale to celebrate their 15th Anniversary…
The pour on this brew really wasn’t anything too interesting, it was a nice orange color that was cloudy with a ton of little bubbles coming up from the bottom. It gave this brew a sort of an effervescent mouthfeel that was really appreciated as I drank it. It had a thin head that dissipated pretty quick but it left a lot of lacing on the glass.
The nose on this brew was not to be believed. I smelled cinnamon, vanilla, pears, banana bread, nuts berries, you name it I smelled it, with just a little funk in there to add to the intrigue. I was really wondering how this brew tasted, and I was not disappointed, but I was surprised.
The flavor is wonderful, but didn’t follow the nose in the way I expected. The nose was very sweet, but the flavor was robust, a touch bitter, some sour, very nutty and had a great clean finish that was a little dry and almost wine like. It was a very big flavor, yet light and airy at the same time. Like I said there was a lot going on here, and I truly loved this brew. This was my first farmhouse ale, and if they are all like this I may have found a go to style.
This was bottled in April of 2008, so it already had a couple of years of conditioning on it, and to top it all off I got it for the very kind price of $4.99! Brewforia was able to pick up a case for dirt cheap and passed the savings on! What a great deal. Unfortunately this was their last bottle. Glad I got it, and I look forward to checking out a few more barnyards and what other farmhouse ales have to offer.
-Don
Beer & Whiskey Brothers 
Farmhouse ales are a great thing to discover this time of year. They are less heavy and still have a nice ABV to them. The only thing you have to look out for is that not all of them have weasels weaseling. So if that’s an important part of the mix, choose carefully. 🙂
Well you know Jim Weasels are very important, but I might be able to give them up as long as there are more donkeys braying. I’ve not had a farmhouse ale before, and I must say I really enjoyed it. I just hope Avery didn’t set the bar too high, and no other will ever match up.
Avery has been hit or miss for me, and while they make some good stuff, I think you’ll find lots of Saisons / farmhouse ales that you like. With or without weasels.
Avery is two for two with me so far. I might have to give some of their other stuff a go.
I can usually tell by the pictures who the author was on this site…haha.
Barnyard beers are one of my favorite styles. In fact, my next brew is going to be a Saison. I have a bottle of this in the basement that I bought a couple of weeks ago…I’ll bust it out soon.
Go for it Nate it is great stuff. Is a Saison a Farmhouse style? I just picked up some Southern Tier Cherry Saison a couple weeks back, I’m going to crack into that sometime this week.
Saison is a French word used for a Belgian farmhouse-style ale. It means “season” and these beers are typically brewed at warmer temperatures using Belgian yeasts (although it’s a pretty wide open style). They typically have ABV’s of 5% to 8% and were originally intended to be refreshing brews that are good for summertime drinking. You’ve discovered farmhouse ales at the right time of year, bro.
Our brother in law should change his name to Saison–That would be cool!
His name is Sassoune, like the sound a French car horn makes. He got it from climbing in cars when he was a kid and tooting the horns.
Although I think you have a good point on the name change. After all, being called “Season” in your home tongue is probably a lot cooler than being called “Beep Beep.”
My point exactly. It would increase his cool factor.
Don has developed quite an affinity for movie posters, hasn’t he?
Just really worked out that way this time and last. Also the residual traffic from unsuspecting moviegoers and video renters shows well in the numbers! 😉
Haha, yeah that’s funny.
Good info on the Saison. Mike wrote an article a long time ago about it I think…I was gonna dig it up, but no need to now. I’ll try to send a bottle your way when it’s done…it might be a while…I have to wait for one of the ingredients to come into season.
Which ingredient is that?
One of my favorite styles of beer, especially like them when they are funky. Gonna have to hunt this one down.
I’m not sure when it actually came out. My bottle said April 2008, so it might be long gone, or perhaps they pre-conditioned it before releasing it. If you can find it, pick it up, I thought it was great.