An Avery Fall Seasonal Double Feature

Today I'm giving you a double shot beer feature with two fall seasonal releases from one brewery. The first is a big beer, and the other is undeniably massive. Avery Brewing Company certainly brews its share of tame and sessionable beer styles, but an ever-growing list of beers that edge up to and go well north of 10 percent ABV give it even more clout in the national beer scene. The Kaiser and Pump[KY]n are two such burly and strong beers from this outstanding Boulder brewery. The Kaiser is an imperial Oktoberfest lager that's released annually in August. Pump[KY]n, a new beer from Avery, was just released as part of the barrel-aged series. It's an imperial porter brewed with pumpkin and spices and aged in bourbon barrels.

There's a lot of ground to cover between these two beers, so let's jump right in. With The Kaiser, Avery elaborately combines an array of German malt and hops to create an Oktoberfest that hits all the usual notes but on a whole other level. It pours a dark copper color with plenty of clarity from the lagering process. A rich aroma includes earthy noble hops, Munich and Vienna malts, and a sweetness like maple syrup or honey. The sweetness is more restrained in the flavors, which feature a subtle hop spiciness and a biscuity malt character. The 9.5 percent ABV strength is apparent in the taste, giving it a slightly boozy element. Despite that, The Kaiser is a delicious, well-balanced beer that finishes clean.

The Kaiser may seem rather tame compared to the monster of a beer known as Pump[KY]n. I enjoyed this 17.2 percent ABV sipper on draft at Parry's Pizza, one of the Colorado beer bars lucky enough to get a keg of it. Pump[KY]n is black as night with a medium body, and has a huge aroma of bourbon, roasted barley, and pumpkin spice. An aggressive bourbon flavor hits the palate up front and lingers on the finish, accompanied by flavors of sweet dark malt, subtle pumpkin and spices, coffee, and chocolate. While this beer is a unique and excellent example of a barrel-aged pumpkin beer, it's definitely not for the faint of heart. Pump[KY]n is relatively smooth for its enormous strength, but it takes a developed and seasoned palate to truly enjoy this kind of beer.

If you're so inclined, these are two special fall seasonals worth trying while you can find them. On the other hand, you can also scale back on the alcohol content and try a very tasty Gored Pumpkin Ale from Avery. Whatever suits your festive mood this fall, Avery has you covered.