Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout

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

Source:22 oz bottle purchased at Chuck’s in Bowling Green.
Glass:Samichlaus snifter.
Appearance:Black pour with a two finger brown/beige head.
Aroma:Tons of chocolate (very little coffee?) and resinous hops.
Flavor:Lots of espresso, milk chocolate, bitter chocolate and dark fruits.
Palate:Full body with solid carbonation.
Overall:The aroma was a bit puzzling. No coffee. The flavor however did present the bitter espresso. This was another solid, drinkable brew from Great Divide.

Woe be unto he or she should they run into me in the morning pre-coffee; it is not a pretty sight, indeed. Coffee is one of life’s intricate pleasures and blessings, second only to beer. Combine the two and you have a veritable quaffing nirvana of sensory ecstasy.

She descended from the night sky black as pitch with nary a flicker, moment, or time for light of any source. Oily, thick, and viscous, she continues to suck all the light out of my glass, topped by dark blackish tan clouds of mousse consistency. Dark tan lace crackles and sparks along the sides while her thick cloud-cover melts into a thin ominous haze. Hold the cream and sweetener please, because this brew is all coffee. Thick, rich, and freshly brewed, her nose billows and blossoms with each passing moment. Dark, roasty, and deliciously bitter bone dry with a topping of earthy crema. Dark, dank oak, spice, licorice root, dates, and a wisp of chili spice entertain my senses from behind the fields of Arabica. As the back of my nose melts under her gaze, my lips part ways to allow her thick pleasures to slide down my throat. As richly thick as her visage and nose promised, all porous surfaces are immediately coated in coffee, espresso, coffee, and more espresso with an equally rich crema. Black cacao beans still covered in fresh soil from the earth rests in barrels of well-used oak. They crunch with dry espresso richness even as the chocolate leads into a burnt, ashy finish. Burnt sugars and smoke mingle in my breath long after each quaff, but not as long as the burgeoning warmth which is slowly seeping throughout my whole body, head to toe. Wow. Grab a snifter, sit back, sip and contemplate the inner mysteries of the universe. A winner all the way; I’m sure her gift of age was an additional blessing.

Great Divide is one of those small, undiscovered breweries for me. Of the few beers I have tried, my tastebuds danced in glee and delight. It should have been no surprise to me that their Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout would be nothing less than fantastic. She is not for the faint of heart though, and if you are hanging onto an older bottle, don’t be afraid to hold on even longer. There was no trace of any downward spiral approaching, though if you want to go ahead and crack her open, by all means please do. Remember, take time to stop and taste the beer.

Just found my notes on this one. Tried this at Dark Lord Day 09’. Poured pitch black. Smell was bitter coffee and dark chocolate. Taste is much the same, with roast and a big bitter component. Overall, the flavor was quite dry, I was expecting more sweetness out of this one. Nice brew, but was a bit too bitter for my taste.

Bottle: Poured a pitch-black color stout with a rather large light brown foamy head with good retention and some good lacing. Aroma of dry espresso coffee with some lightly bitter roasted oats. Taste is also dominated by astringent and dry notes with bitter roasted malt. Espresso is a bit too astringent for my taste but very well done nonetheless. Body is full with light creamy notes and great carbonation with no alcohol showing. Another fine brew from a great brewery that I sometime forget about.

Poured fairly opaque deep brown color with a thin brown head and oily brown legs. The aroma was thick with coffee and sweet roasted malt. earthy notes with some hops. Fresh coffee flavor with nice raosted malt. Hop bitterness on the finish. Warming on the finish with a medium to full body.

Very good stout. It was hanging with some of the Belgium and German beers that we had one night as far as flavor and aftertaste.

22oz Huge thanks to xnoxhatex for trekking this one back from Michigan for me! Pours a perfect oily, but not too thick, black with a great grayish mocha creamy froth. I forgot how strongly hopped GD’s yeti’s are and I seem to have caught this one right in between. Great enticing aroma, dark dark chocolate, fresh espresso, slightly faded piney hops, lighter oak. Flavor follows aroma, very very very dark bitter chocolate and ashy espresso roast offset by some piney hops that just about to turn 8.5. Not sure if it was just the last batch of oak aged yeti I had, but it was way way too oaky with intense vanilla, that isn’t so much present here. Dark bitter chocolate, espresso and hops with a little bit of oak character and thats about it, very good. Nice little alcohol and hop bite in the finish with a lingering bitter chocolate aftertaste. Medium/full bodied, closer to full of course, smoother chunky carbonation with a bit of a fizz 4.5. Solid all around, nobody can hop a big stout like Great Divide. Damn those hops are good... sit on the tongue for a long while... tickles. Thanks Devon!

Draft @ Sthlm BWF -08. Pours deep dark brown with brown head. aroma cooffee espresso vanilla roasted malt. Taste espresso coffebeans vanilla hops roasted malt. great coffeestout.