Saturday, November 27, 2010

Avery - The Czar

Avery – The Czar is an imperial stout with an 11.69% ABV and 60 IBU.  This one pours black with a small head that recedes quickly.  This is a sipping beer because of the higher alcohol rate and you taste the alcohol on the finish.  One tastes toffee / molasses, chocolate and a hint of licorice (anise).  Avery recommends cellaring this beer and this one should last quite a while.  If Avery hosts a vertical tasting of the Czar, I will plan to attend. 


The Czar is seasonal (Nov. – Feb.) and is one of Avery’s Dictator Series.  Maharaja is an Imperial IPA (10.24% - ABV and 102 - IBU) that I think tastes best when warmed up a bit.  When I first had the Maharaja, the aroma took we back to my grandmother’s herb garden in Virginia.  The Kaiser is an Imperial Oktoberfest Lager (9.3% - ABV and 24 – IBU) that my wife (not-a-beer-drinker) likes. 

I was happy to try the Czar as I have previously tried the others in Avery’s Dictator Series.  I would love to enjoy the Czar with my friend George with ancestry from Czarist Russian.  I am sure he would appreciate this one and have fond recollections of his relatives.  I can see why Russian Imperial Stout was a favorite of Catherine the Great.  This is a nice beer to put in a snifter and enjoy by a fireplace.  I recommend Avery’s Dictator Series and these beers are a real treat.

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