DRINKS WILL FLOW & BLOOD WILL SPILL: THE AVERY BREWING COMPANY

Welcome to my first ever review of the alcoholic beverages. The brewery in spotlight here is THE AVERY BREWING COMPANY. A family owned and operated microbrewery dedicated to brewing the finest quality English style ales. The company is based out of Boulder, Colorado and claims their beer is brewed with Rocky Mountain water. Established in 1993. That's about all I know about them and that's really all we need to know for this review.

Last Christmas I stepped into my local drink emporium, which has one of the finest selections of libations I've ever seen, and spied a couple potables that caught my eye. A bottle of beer with name MEPHISTOPHELES' STOUT and next to it another beer named SAMAEL'S OAK AGED ALE. The labels shown that both were beers from the Avery Brewing Co. under the banner THE DEMONS OF ALES. On the face of the label shown pictures of demons and black angels.

Needless to say these two drinks challenged me, beckoned me, and frightened me. In two seconds I was at the counter, shelling out my cash, and heading out to my work Christmas party. The alcohol percentage in Mephistopheles' Stout was somewhere around 15.6%. Holy shit, that single 12 oz bottle went straight to my soul, umm... head, I mean. I've never had a darker, bitter, heavier tasting beer in my life. A tiny swig caused my face to twist. I think I had one more beer after that and my  constitution was done for.

Included on both bottles was a brief biography of the demons and a hellish description of the liquid in your hand. It was a wicked cool touch that made the experience all the more memorable. Sadly the empty bottle for Mephistopheles' Stout remained sitting on the table after we left. I have since been unable to acquire another. Had I known the difficulty involved in getting such a beer I would've saved the bottle as a memento. Unholy cow did that beer leave an impression!

It would be a month later before I would have the guts to take on the other beer I had purchased that night, Samael's Oak Aged Ale. This one couldn't have been further from Mephistopheles' Stout. This one was powerfully sweet. Again my face contorted upon tasting it but in reaction to something very different. It too has a 15.47 % alcohol content. All you really need is one, if you're me that is. I've never had a beer quite like it.

This time I managed to save the bottle. It has since sat upon my book shelf next to my collection of horror films. The biography on the side of the bottle reads: "Samael is the prince of demons, the angel of death, accuser and destroyer. Filled with enmity towards man, he planted the vine, the forbidden tree of paradise. Behold his venom and vengeance, both sweet and tempting, enticing you, his spellbound victim, within his wings." Cool, right? How could you not give this a try?

The final installment to the Demons of Ale series that I have as of yet to try

All in all, total packaging and presentation, along with a unique and visceral experience, The Demons of Ale series from the Avery Brewing Company is a wicked, head turning, and soul searing challenge not for the faint of heart or the weak of constitution. So, if you ever come across any of the demons of ale, and you feel your nerves weaken, your soul tremble, turn away for God's sake! But, if instead you feel a fearful tremor of excitement, a willingness to risk your immortal soul, then do what we here at Blood Work have done: Kick back with a cold one and watch the devil drink your soul down to the last drop!

Overall Ranking: 666 out of 10

Blood Work Approved