Great Divide Barrel Aged Yeti

Brewed by Great Divide Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Denver, Colorado USA

(Bottle, super thanks to a very generous trading partner) Pours black with a creamy brown head. The aroma holds notes of dill up front. The oak/whiskey is quite subtle with light notes of woodwork and vanilla. Strong but gentle roast of dark chocolate, roasted grain and espresso. Still some resinous hops present. Undertones of blackberries and shellfish. Light oxidised on the nose. The flavour is light to medium sweet, medium to heavily bitter and light acidic. Many heavy roast and citric/resiny hops. First yummy and creamy dark chocolate, the finish is more espresso and asphalt driven. Vanilla, dill and woodwork. The oak/whiskey is not overpowering. Nice peppery and numbing alcohol. The mouthfeel is round and creamy with a soft carbonation. The lingering heavy afterbitterness blends well with the mild burning alcohol and woody tones from the oak. Near full-bodied. Aggressive (in a good way) and better than I expected.

Black with no head. Sweet aroma with burned malt, espresso, chocolate and vanilla. Flavour was full and had dark chocolate, burned malt, espresso, whiskey and vanilla notes. FInished sweet and full.

Bottled in 08-08; bottle 21 of 470. Pours a coal black with an average, pillowy, frothy, dark tan head which settles to a thin froth and leaves sporadic lace rings. Nose is interesting and nice but the complexity of the yeti is masked a bit; notes of spicy alcohol prickling my nose (even after 16 months in the cellar), rich toffee, cinnamon, burnt caramel, molasses, faint leather, charred wood, and a sweet maple hint. Flavor is similar but full of malt flavor; maple and molasses for sure, moderate and cinnamony spice alcohol, more dark chocolate notes, charred wood and burnt caramel, and some light roast moving towards the finish. Palate is interesting; full, soft, velvety, warm, very smooth, but seemingly thin in the finish? Finish has more charred wood and sweet whiskey notes which finally present themselves with some mild French roast notes, dark chocolate, and lingering alcohol spice. I am at a lost for words with this one; I am a lover of the Yeti clan and imperial stouts in general, and I am a whiskey drinker. But this one did not remind me of a whiskey aged beer. The malts completely dominated the hops, which I am usually a fan of, but from an aggressively hopped base beer, it was odd. I don’t know if it was the extensive time it spent in the whiskey barrels or the time I left this in the cellar, but the palate and nose seemed to be a bit subdued and not as interesting as they could have been. Normally a malt forward, rich, whiskey-aged, imperial stout is my dream beer but, to be honest, I liked the other oak aged Yetis better and the original is very close. Honestly, I really did enjoy the beer, despite the price tag, but it is just not at the level of others in the series. Interesting to say the least.

Bottle 75cl. @ home.
[ Trade by Bobby91w ]. Clear dark black color with a average, frothy to creamy, good lacing, mostly lasting, light beige head. Aroma is heavy malty, roasted, chocolate, wood - whisky, vanilla, leather, moderate alcohol - whisky. Flavor is heavy sweet and bitter with a long duration. Body is medium to full, texture is creamy, carbonation is soft. [20090828]

Bottle at CCB BA Bolita release. Poured black. Nose is heavy bourbon, oak and sweet malt. Some hop presence and roasted grain. Flavor is big bourbon, wood, booze, dark fruits, burnt malt, mild smoke and toffee. Amazing beer. Thanks for whoever shared this (tpd?).

dark body with beige head. tastes of roasted coffee and unsweetened chocolate with a bitter ending, bitterness comes off a little strong. overall a good drink

Bottle at Papsø. Pitch black coloured with a small beige head. Roasted aroma of bourbon, chocolate, cocoa powder and alcohol. Sweet and roasted flavour of bourbon, chocolate, cocoa powder and alcohol. Roasted finish.