Great Divide Denver Pale Ale

Brewed by Great Divide Brewing Company
Style: English Pale Ale
Denver, Colorado USA

In my opinion, a very uinderated brew. Has a not too assertive hop bitterness at first, complemented by a very smooth roasted malt finish. If it gets too warm though, the alchohol does start to show through a bit. The aroma of this brew is perhaps one of the best parts about it, smells like the brewery, a wonderful full malty aroma with a bit of sweet hop makes it smell great. The body is a hazy orange-amber with a small quickly dissipating off-white head, but it has good carbonation which thankfully doesn’t fade with the head. Overall, it’s a great brew, from an even greater brewer.

12 oz. bottle. Appetizing, strong lemony hops aroma. Pours a dark brass color with a hazy appearance and an enormous amount of uneven, off-white head. Bitter, coffee-like initial taste, as one might expect from a dry stout rather than a pale ale. A pronounced malty sweetness develops upon further sips. The yeast is noticeable in the flavor as well as the aroma. Surprisingly restrained hop character given the smell and the style. Ultimately fairly bland in flavor. Very smooth, almost buttery, yet still fairly lively in the palate. Slightly overcarbonated. DPA is promising in appearance (aside from the excessively large head), aroma, and initial taste, but it ends up boring and forgettable yet by no means unpalatable. Its remarkable lack of hops flavor makes it more of a bitter than a pale ale. This beer is reminiscent of the overrated Bass Pale Ale, although I won’t insult it by claiming that it is anywhere near as bad as Bass.

Decent sized sticky head of pretty fine bubbles. Nice caramel and hoppy aroma with some spruce. Color is a dark orange. Harsh bitterness and roastyness. Very dry and parching. Some dry peanut skins and more caramel malts. Malts over taken by the roastyness and dryness. Some earthyness in there also keeps it interesting. Finish is dry and a little chalky. Not my cup of tea.

Copper pour topped by a thin but persistant foamy white head. Interesting toasty aroma comprised of sweet caramel, and nutty malty notes. Medium bodied small bubble mouth feel. Sweet flavor followed by a slight bitter afterbite. Nice beer.

Okay, the head on this very bad. This is probably the first GD beer I’ve been disappointed in, but then, I’m not really an English pale guy, I like the APAs. Nothing exciting about this, just ok.

Pours a light amber color with an off white head. Aroma is of floral hops, caramel, and some earthy spices. Flavor is of citrus and floral hops, earthy spices, and sweet malt. I wasn’t too thrilled about this brew. Not that good.

From the 12oz bottle. I was not really fond of this beer, not much malt up front, slight diacytal, kinda funky finish. Had an odd vegitable earthy funk to the finish that really clashed with the hops, not sure what caused this but didn’t go over well. Started slightly sweet, light caramel flavor, then finished with the hops and funk.

The beer was in a 12 oz bottle with a month and week bottled marking. The body pours a orangeish brown with a big whit head. The smell is of hops and bitters, all most fruity. Tastes is of crisp and clean hops. A good beer for a change with a nice bitter taste and smooth finish.