Avery Pump[KY]n

The Avery Brewing Company of Boulder, Colorado was established in 1993. This is a big 15.0% ABV porter brewed with pumpkin and spices, and aged in bourbon barrels. The spices used are cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.

The beer pours extremely dark brown to black in color. There is a half inch of creamy tan head that shortens, but is long lasting. The aroma is pumpkin and spice up front, followed by bourbon in the middle, with some dark roasted malt in the background. The taste follows the aromas, in the same order of intensity. The taste is very, and surprisingly, sweet. This needs more intensity in the dark roast of coffee and char to cut down on the sweetness of the finish. It drinks very warming. The mouth is very smooth and round.

Another 2015 bottling found in 2018: The beer pours extremely dark brown to black. There is a half-inch of tan foam. The aroma is full of spices, brown sugar, some dark roasted notes, char, with a bourbony finish. The taste follows the aromas, hitting the same notes, but all turned up a notch. This has a big flavor. It is very sweet. The dark roast and char notes help temper the sweetness a bit, but it is barely in control. The beer is very warming, but not hot or boozy. The flavors and sweetness almost veer into root beer territory. This drinks very smooth, with a light, but present, carbonation.