October 3, 2005 - #86 of 365

Brewer: Avery Brewing Company (Colorado, USA)
Beer: Samael’s Oak-Aged Ale
Style: Barley Wine
abv: 14.5%

Background: Bottle bearing the angel of death himself from the Vintage Cellar. Aged with oak chips. As you can see, ridiculously strong.

Appearance: I wasn’t expecting a head on this one, but I sure got one, a big white one. When it receded the top of the glass looked like a weird microscope slide. The beer’s amber-copper-orangish.

Aroma: Big bourbon smell to it, on account of the oak chips and all the alcohol. It’s also a bit sweet, with dark fruits and a light floral hop aroma.

Flavor: The alcohol is up front, and it hits you hard. The middle is syrupy, very sweet, and then the alcohol comes back for the finish, this time with some oak. Mouthfeel is thick, but the carbonation makes it feel lighter (most beers this high in alcohol have very little carbonation, especially English-Style Barley Wines).

Notes: Some aging would do this one well, I think.

Rating: 3.3 out of 5


None of my pictures turned out, which sucks because that was a pretty cool bottle.