Beer Review – Avery India Pale Ale

Whenever Mrs. G-LO invites the ladies over for a Friday night drinking/snacking/”sharing too much information” session, I’ll run out to pick up some hop-tastic beers for them to drink. There are two reasons for this quasi-generous gesture by yours truly: (1) the ladies love their IPAs, and (2) this keeps them from drinking beers that I have in my review queue since I would like to avoid a repeat of the Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard / Founders Backwoods Bastard incident from HalloWeinerFest 2011. That was when Mrs. G-LO and Mrs. Limpd raided my fridge and picked the “wrong” beers, which I eventually found later that evening, half finished, and festering in my backyard.

Since these ladies night events will occasionally occur on short notice, I like to make sure that there are always a few beers on hand that I know they’ll like, and that will keep them away from the “brews in the queue”. About a month ago, I noticed that the Avery IPA is now being distributed in cans. Since I hadn’t had it in awhile, and since I love the convenience of canned Craft Beer (they take up very little space in the fridge and are highly transportable), I decided to pick up a six pack.

This is what Avery has to say about their India Pale Ale:

In the 1700s one crafty brewer discovered that a healthy dose of hops and an increased alcohol content preserved his ales during the long voyage to India (as depicted in our label) to quench the thirst of British troops. Today, we tip our hat to that historic innovation by brewing Colorado’s hoppiest pale ale. Avery IPA demands to be poured into your favorite glass to truly appreciate the citrusy, floral bouquet and the rich, malty finish.

• Appearance: Pale orange color.  Fluffy head that tops off at about a half an inch and then dissipates slowly. Lots of sticky lacing clings to the glass.
• Aroma: Tangerine and other citrus notes. Honey.
• Taste: Moderate carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel. Starts off with lots of citrus and honey sweetness. Although the hop bitterness kicks in towards the middle, the sweetness is always there in the background. Nicely balanced sweet/bitter finish. Once the sweetness fades, you’re left with a pleasantly bitter aftertaste that lingers for a minute or two.
• ABV: 6.5%

I don’t know if it’s the fact that I am accustomed to uber-hoppy beers, or whether brewers just like to exaggerate a bit, but when I saw the words “Hop Freaks Unite!” on the top of the Avery IPA can, I was expecting this beer to overwhelm me with hop bitterness. The bitterness that I have come to expect from an American IPA is definitely there, but I also found there to be plenty of sweet malts in the Avery IPA. This is a very flavorful and well balanced IPA, but at 6.5% ABV, I suggest that you take it slow, because this beer is very easy to drink. Overall, I truly enjoyed this beer, and the fact that it comes in cans makes it a great beer to keep around for the upcoming Dog Days of Summer.