The Reverend

“The Reverend” by Avery Brewing is a Belgian-style ale, done in the “quadrupel” tradition- high in alcohol, complex flavor, and sweet enough to be almost overwhelming. Apparently this type of beer was invented by Trappist monks, although not by Belgian Trappist monks, oddly enough, but by Dutch Trappists. I was really into this style of semi-Belgian beer just a few years ago, but now I think I've gone off it a little. Why is that?

I think I just like to drink a lot of beer at one time! But, unlike frat boys (whose solution to the same problem is to drink godawful watery stuff like Miller Lite) I prefer to drink really good beer if I'm going to drink beer at all. And this fruity-sweet super-intense pseudo-Belgian style is really better in smaller quantities, since it gets to be over the top after the first pint. It's also a very heavy beer, which contributes to making it less drinkable in larger quantities, particularly if you combine it with a meal. In all likelihood, this is not a problem for Trappist monks, but I suspect they have more of a commitment to “moderation in all things” than I will ever have.

 

So, while I don't think I'll be buying another bottle of The Reverend anytime soon, that doesn't mean you shouldn't. It's a good beer, and I enjoyed it- I just can't drink as much of it at one time as I might prefer, and that's why I generally go for the Imperial Russian stouts instead!