Great Divide 15th Anniversary Wood Aged Double IPA

Brewed by Great Divide Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Denver, Colorado USA

The aroma is really nice with butterscotch, wood, vanilla, fruit, caramel, and hops. The hops are not as prominent as I expected for the style. The appearance is amber with an average head. The flavor is like the aroma. The palate is smooth. Overall this is a good beer but not quite as hoppy as I had hopped.

Bottle: Poured a light brown color with a nice beige head. The aroma was hops, sweet fruits, oak, and vanilla. The flavor was wood, hops, sweet fruit, and a touch of pine. Overall, this beer was a treat.

Bomber. Poured a lovely shade of medium garnet with an equally fine cap of beige head.. hard to find a better looking beer. The aroma opened with semi-sweet redder fruits, honey, and aged caramel.. digging deeper brings out toasted French oak and vanilla.. syrupy molasses way back there.. citrus, earth, and fragrant floral hops accented. The flavor began with a tart kick from the oak paired with peppery alcohol.. thicker molasses, a pinch of brown sugar, and dark fruits rolled onto the middle.. tasty oak and vanilla gave a much more pronounced influence than the hops (which is why I don’t think barrel-aging IPAs is a good idea).. earth joined barrel and more peppery warmth on the finish. Heavier-bodied and thick on the palate with just the right carbonation (lower).. tangy where it needed to be.. this was very, very good, and the same crafting care and barrel-aging on certain other styles of beer would make something amazing!

Pouring a nice red with just a small amount of head on the initial pour. Seems to leave but some is staying around a bit. Full bodied beer I would say. I am getting a sweet wood smell along with slight hops and more malt on the nose. On the palate I am getting the wood, slight hops, sweet very sweet malt flavors there as well. I am also getting some notes of cherry there as well. Very nice beer!

pours a very clear ruby/brown color with a foamy white head...great retention and lacing! aroms is creamy citrusy hops...pineapple, grapefruit...with roasty malt as well. big sticky grapefruit flavor with nice malt backing...caramel...a tad sweet. not much wood flavor...some vanilla. mouthfeel is meaty and creamy with lots of co2 bubbles on the tongueand a dry lingering vanilla-citrus finish. very nice DIPA...only thing missing was more wood notes.

Pours clear copper color with khaki head. Pine hops, oak and vanilla aromas. Flavor is very woody. Lots of pine hop bitterness and vanilla. Balanced with sweet caramel. Nice creamy mouthfeel with moderate carbonation.

22oz bottle bought in Portland. Delivers what it promises: Wood Aged DIPA. Seemed like the two ideas were not well blended. Still a good beer just a little disjointed. BIG barrel notes of oak, tannin, and vanilla but then also some caramel malt, booze and hop bitterness.

Bottle. Translucent copper. Tall, rocky white head. Strong hoppy and floral notes with oak and wet wood. Some caramel in the nose as well. Taste is big oak, floral hops, light spice, vanilla, wet wood, caramel, light toffee, citrus notes, and melon. Some pear as well. As it warms, more of the oak and vanilla come through. The citrus and fruit notes are sent into the background, for the most part. Body is thick but not quite syrupy. Carbonation is soft and smooth. Slick feeling and oily in spots. Ends with more Citrus, oak, wet wood, caramel, melon, pear, light pine, and soft vanilla. Alcohol is present but also relaxed. Very nice and very woody!