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92 Rating – Avery Brewing Co. – Callipygian
BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
This one is a project of Leigh Audin, Barrel Khal of Avery. For the last couple of years he's been toying around with the base beer of Tweak, our big, coffee-infused Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout, using different coffees, chocolate, cacao nibs, vanilla, unicorn tears and so forth. Some of those experiments have appeared at our Strong Ale Festivals under different names, and his kegs were inevitably some of the first ones to kick. Last year we realized that we had a little more Tweak and Uncle Jacob's than we really needed, so it was the perfect time to put Leigh's experimentation to good use. We took around 50 oak barrels of Tweak (pre-coffee) and Uncle Jacob's Stout and blended them together for the base beer of Callipygian, then based the exact adjuncts and amounts on his previous successes.
BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
The complexity. It's easy for a 17% ABV beer to become a one-note ethanol bomb. And while Callipygian certainly carries some weight, for me it's overshadowed by the barrel aspect, the malt flavors, the coffee, the vanilla... just about anything. It's pretty rare that I open up a beer this strong and drink the whole thing, but this one isn't daunting. It's delicious.
BC: Where does this beer’s name come from?
I'd been saving this name for years, waiting for a beer awesome enough to deserve the name. It's a Latinized Greek word just common enough to make it onto Dictionary.com. The origin appears to be from a statue of Aphrodite and means "having beautifully shaped buttocks." This beer is a huge, buxom monster and fits the bill.
BC: Is this your “desert island beer?”
It might be a tough drinker on a hot day, but it'll certainly help you escape your troubles.
BC: Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Six ounces instantly gives you the ability to twerk.
BC: Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer?
Leigh has been working in the Special Project part of Avery for a couple of years now and is one of the most creative people we have. It's not uncommon for him to stick around after work to make experimental growlers with new ingredients just to learn more about, well, everything. And Callipygian was his first project to make it into the Barrel Aged Series. Without his relentless experimentation this beer wouldn't exist. It's not shocking that his one-off experiments are still the first ones to kick at our festivals, so more of his projects are in the pipeline right now. But Callipygian will always be the first.
BC: What's a good food pairing for this beer?
Beers this big are in a category all their own to pair, so my conventional wisdom is a lighter dessert. Peaches with balsamic vinegar and a bit of honey would a strong start. But if you want to go all the way and make an ice cream float with it, I can't say it'd be a bad idea. Now it sounds like a great idea. I'm going to do that when I get home. Looks like I need some vanilla gelato!