Great Divide 15th Anniversary Wood Aged Double IPA

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

Good, but I had expected more from this beer. Surprisingly mellow, for an IIPA, with a very underwhelming hops punch, but significant notes of sweetness and malt. Like many IIPAs, it seems to bleed a little into barley wine territory, with the alcohol and sweet, caramel, toffee notes, but I’m still very surprised by how moderate the hoppiness of a beer like this is.

Very caramelly, sweet toffee-ish aroma. Flavor is very malty sweet at first -caramel and toffee, of course, but also blueberries, which is kinda odd. Hops are bit understated for a DIPA, but still nicely bitter. The oak flavors are in the background. This is a pretty tasty brew.

Draught at TJ’s: Aroma of hops, pine, oak, and slight bourbon. Poured very deep amber in color with a small, tah head that diminished but lasted throughout as a film on top of the beer. Flavor is medium bitter. Tastes of hops, oak, light bourbon, wood, and pine. Medium body. Lightly dry texture. Average carbonation. Oak, bourbon, hop, and slight malt finish is lightly dry. 10%ABV is completely hidden throughout. Quite delicious.

Poured a dark copper color with a medium sized white fluffy head. First look was slightly carbonated. Aroma strengthens as it warms (less alcohol warm taste, more vanilla and oak). Alcohol is well hidden for 10%. Flavor is wonderful. Lots of vanilla, notes of hops, nice malt balance. Biscuit, pine also notable.

Rating #3600. Slightly cloudy, dark copper color with a tall head. Big aroma of caramel, biscuit, oranges and vanilla. All the same in the flavor. Just piles of ’em. A piney hop note comes out. It’s certainly on the bitter side, but the malt really stands up to it and the vanilla/toast from the barrel blends in so well. A great one for #3600 and for the Badgers taking down Duke. On Wisconsin!

The appearance is a very nice reddish hue with a solid head that hangs around for a while, very nice looking beer. The smell is somewhat interesting, mostly caramel malt with almost no hops in the nose. Troublesome, and the taste is as feared; the hops in this one are dead, and while it’s been 4 months since this beer was fresh I had hoped it held some decent hop flavors. I’ve had Old Guardian that was 2 years old that had a much more lively hop presence. The mouth feel is OK, with some creaminess at front, but it becomes somewhat thin and watery. Not what I was hoping for out of a personal favorite brewery.

Bomber into snifter. Pours a clear deep copper with off white sudsy head with good lacing. Aroma is oak, vanilla, caramel, hops. Taste is overwhelmed by new oak, sweet malt and caramel there as well. Hops present in the finish, but the oaky bitterness persists on the tongue even after. May have been better in a bourbon barrel perhaps, the new oak used is almost too much. Nonetheless, a very interesting beer. I feel the oaked southern tier dipa is much better though.

Pours dark amber with a tan, fluffy head that laces well from the 22oz. bottle into my plastic cup on Juno Beach (West Palm, FL): Floral hops and citrus are muted by vanilla, and sweet caramel malts that are brought on by the oak chips. Drinkability: Warm alcohol, decent bitterness, medium- to full-bodied, a little syrupy, and sticky texture. Rebuy: Not anytime soon. #235 on 28112009, DG.