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Great Divide Hibernation Ale 3.73 922

Great Divide Hibernation Ale

Percentile
96
overall

bottled
common

on tap
common

Broad Distribution
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RatingsAverageScoreSeasonalABVStyle PctlServe in
9223.74/5.03.73/5.0Winter8.7%93.7English pint, Snifter
Commercial Description:
English-style Old Ale. Hibernation Ale is Colorado’s original strong ale -- it has been Great Divide’s winter seasonal each year since 1995. Hibernation’s massive flavors are so intense that it requires over three months of aging each year. This lengthy aging process gives Hibernation its revered malty richness, complex hop profile and hearty warming character, which is perfect right out of the bottle or cellared for longer periods of time.

8.1% ABV through 2008
8.7% ABV in 2009
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 BeerBaron617 (310), Novi, Michigan, USA
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/56/103/516/20
Dec 23, 2009  
I had this in the bottle at Redcoat Tavern in Royal Oak, MI. It was a solid ale, that was true to the style, and was overall a great brew. Poured a dark brown with cream head. I liked it because it had some hop character, which a lot of old ales don’t have. Cheers!


 13mikey (164), New Hope, Minnesota, USA
4.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/105/59/105/518/20
Dec 22, 2009  
12 oz bottle from TC Craft. Deep brown color, big foamy tan head. Malty aroma, small notes of oak and coffee. Flavor is big, sweet, malty, oaky. Palate is thick, chewy and like the bottle says, this beer is very robust. Amazingly good beer.


 benpickens (144), Bloomington, Indiana, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/57/103/514/20
Dec 20, 2009  
Dark garnet with a creamy long-lasting off-white head. Smells of caramel, raisins, and dark fruit cake. Huge malt overtones with a pronounced hop finish... great winter warmer.


 Acknud (792), Morganfield, Kentucky, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/105/58/105/516/20
Dec 19, 2009  
Very good winter cold day drinker. I have a cold so I am not appreciating aroma very well. There is nothing wrong with my taster though. This beer is bold, crisp with tastes of nuts, roasted malt anf perfectly blended hops. Very nicely done.


 smcolw (366), Wayland, Massachusetts, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/103/515/20
Dec 19, 2009  
Solid tight-bubbled head; leaves chunky lace on the glass. Brown color and quite clear. Crystal and chocolate malt aromas; light floral hop in the background. More bitter than the smell would suggest. Good malt base which provides good body--creamy; moderate carbonation. Starts with a darker malt flavor. The finish is bitter to harsh hop, almost astringent.


 dkachur (2419), Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/58/104/516/20
Dec 17, 2009  
12 ounce bottle from Capital Ale House, Fredericksburg, VA. Pours a clear copper color with a medium tan head. Good head retention and lacing. Aroma is malty with notes of caramel, berries, chocolate. Taste is chocolate, berries, leafy bitter hops, plum and other fruit notes and faint toffee. Medium, full bodied.


 beerchugger (307), Colorado, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/103/516/20
Dec 13, 2009  
Pours with red amber hues and a thin creamy head on top. Attractive lacing is left behind on the glass. Smells of chocolate, licorice, and coffee seem to be most prevalent. Other aromas include nutty, candied sugars, molasses, and some sweet fruits which tend to be minimal. Tastes of chocolate, earth, caramel and molasses wash over the tongue to provide the most flavor in this beer. The alcohol is definitely noticeable in this beer which provides a nice warming effect for the cold winter months.


 CUJO (367), Brooklyn, New York, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/103/515/20
Dec 13, 2009  
RnH: Old Ale indeed... the style should be retired! The beer is aggressive for sure, the aging is apparent in the richness... however it comes at a price. Dark notes, roasted, even overcooked malts, syrupy yeasts, sugars and rotting fruits overpower the palate. Esters feel higher than the ABV suggests, this is no sessionable brew. HOWEVER, if this were handed to me whilst sitting fireside, on a bearskin rug in the dead of winter... yeah I could see this going along quite nicely.



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