Beer Review: Avery Anniversary Ale – Fifteen
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By Bill Hepp from New Belgium Brewing Company
I don’t like this weather. This is my least favorite time of year in Colorado. Luckily, I recently had the good fortune to try a new beer that has lifted my spirits: Avery’s Anniversary Ale, called “Fifteen.”
This ale is fermented entirely with Brettanomyces yeast, which is unusual. It is a wild yeast strain that is cultured, of course, in a laboratory. But trying to ferment beer with it is like trying to keep a raccoon as a pet. Sure, it looks cool, but you know it is doomed to failure. Not so with “Fifteen.” This is a keeper. Wild yeast strains produce unconventional flavors and produce unpredictable fermentation curves. This makes them difficult for brewers who are trying to meet production schedule deadlines and produce saleable beer. However, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. In the hands of an intrepid, adroit brewer, Brettanomyces is a gift from Above.
The color of the beer is a light, hazy yellow, like the sunrise on yet another 90 degree day on the Front Range. It appears delicately carbonated with small bubbles, reminiscent of Champagne. The head is frail, and collapses quickly. But the nose- ahh, here the magic begins. The Bretta fermentation creates the aroma of pineapples, supported by an under-tone of warm leather. Black Mission figs, Hibiscus flowers, and white peppercorns have also been added to this fun brew. There are hints of white peppercorns on the retro-nasal (the exhalation through the nose after swallowing). There is a touch of sweetness, but I can’t tell if this is from the malt or the figs. The beer is light in the mouth and very drinkable. There is tartness to the finish but it isn’t sour. And there is this great little warmth on the tongue about 30 seconds after the swallow- no doubt from the white peppercorns.
If you have never experienced a beer fermented with Brettanomyces but you love beer, you owe it to yourself to hunt this one down. The label sports a painting by the Flemish painter Brueghel, depicting a debaucherous wedding scene. Indeed, the clay mugs held in the guest’s hands most certainly contained beer fermented with wild yeast strains, Bretta included. I just hope their beer tasted as good as “Fifteen.”
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