Great Divide Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti

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

Bomber from Sam’s, Durham. I’m loving the way GD is stretching a bit these days, especially with the Yeti experimentation. My lingering thought with regard to this particular brew is "that’s a spicy meatball!" If you’ve ever had one of those gourmet chocolate bars made by Vosges (and you should), this beer recalls the Oaxaca bar, with dark chocolate and ancho chiles. Mouthfeel and appearance are on par with the other Yetis, which is to say they’re quite fine. I can imagine this beer coming across as a bit one-dimensional if you’re not in the mood for it. But I was in the mood for it.

22 oz bottle. Dark brown with a thick tan head. Nose is orange peel, dark roast and molasses; chocolate peeking through. Medium body with a buzz and a lingering spicy bite. Taste is caramel, bittersweet chocolate, coffee, vanilla, citrus peel and cayenne. Bitter, earthy finish. A nice twist on the regular Yeti.

22oz bottle thanks to Cletus. I’m a huge Yeti fan, so it’s always nice to try a new version. Pours a pure black color with a massive light brown head. The aroma is sort of subdued; roasted malts, chocolate, kinda like a Guinness. The flavor is quite intriguing; loads of rich milky chocolate, light roasted malts, then the Cayenne- it really stands out in the finish which is spicy but not prohibitively so. A nice version of a favorite. Definitely different and nice. A Summer Yeti? Yep, this is it.

Bottle from Greens in Atlanta. Damn this was good! Better than the espresso. Black pour, nice brown head. Tons of dark, bitter chocolate, oak, coffee, and a cool spicy note. Flavor is really toasty and really full of dark baking chocolate. The oak shines and the pepper comes out on the very end. I loved this offering. MMM good!!

22oz bottle. Poured a dark black color with brown edges and a large sized off white head. Aromas of chocolate, roasty, woody, some vanilla, and smoke. Tastes of chocolate, vanilla, dark fruits, caramel, oakiness, and I was wondering what that mild burn was in the finish...cayenne. Medium alcohol in the finish.

Company Stoutie Beer #500. Black color with a large head. Aroma of dry, powdery chocolate, light piney hop and a bit of vanilla. Very dry and dark chocolate flavor, but fades quickly into a roasted barley fest. Quite dry. Very light oak flavor, and it is definitely just a woodiness. Not much vanilla. After multiple sips, the cayenne starts to warm up. Not what I expected at all, but pretty solid.

22 oz. bottle. Bottled on 6/15/09. Pours a lasting middling mocha head, with minor lacing, over a clear dark black (SRM 40) body....nose of chocolate, coffee, cocoa, vanilla...tastes initially of rich sweet malts, with caramel, chocolate, cocoa, then coffee and chocolate bitterness arrive , finishing with vanilla and a bit of chile spice.....mouth feel is thick, rich and heavy, carbonation makes the whole thing creamy. This is a very interesting creation. The wood balances in nicely (not easy to do). The cayenne adds a bit of finishing kick (it does go very well with some chocolate). The whole thing is incredibly well balanced and works. This brewery is working towards greatness.

Taste is slightly peppery, with notes of bitter dark chocolate. Sort of burns on the long finish. Feels odd and dangerous. Makes me want to down the whole bottle and fight the cops, I am not sure why.