Avery Hog Heaven

Hog Heaven is Avery's Barley Wine offering. It has 9.2% a.b.v. and a healthy dose of hops at 100 IBUs. It comes with a hoppy aroma but you also can the smell the considerable amount of malt in it. The first thing that jumped out at me was the bitterness. It comes very close to having too much bitterness. However, this beer has complexity and depth. The malt flavor combines with the bitterness to provide a slight chocolate flavor. There is also an orange citrus flavor. All these flavors kind of meld together in a strange dance and you don't really know what flavors will jump out next. On top of that, it attains an oaky flavor as it warms up (good beer often tastes better as it warms above refrigerator temperature as cold liquid paralyzes the taste buds). This beer is quite heavy as well. It has a thick, almost solid aspect to it, and a brown red color to match. It's a full flavored ale, and not for the faint of heart.