Great Divide Fresh Hop Pale Ale

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

Sample from 22 oz bottle. Pale orange amber colour with a frothy off-white head. Toffee and bready malts with a grapefruit pithy bitter finish. Medium bodied, juicy and firm mouthfeel. The gap is narrowing but I wish we had a few more beers like this around here.

Pours a clear amber with an off white head. Nose is reaching out to me even as I pour. Just getting it anywhere in the vicinity of my nose is giving me something. Upon close review, it is - surprise - very strong with the hops and that expected pine-like fragrance. Flavor is a strong, bitter hop influenced ride. A hopheads liquid paradise. Feel is thick from the high amount of hops and it holds a decent carbonation. Even though it is so pungent with the hops, it is still extremely drinkable.

Ultra-fresh re-rate. Wow, everything just seems so much more fresh and crisp. Less malty and buttery than the original rating, with sharp green hops showcased prominently. Grean harvest ale.

Original rating: 7/4/7/3/14 = 3.5. Semi-cloudy orange-amber body. Rocky off-white head that settles to a bubbly rim with thin patches of film. Rings of patchy lacing stick to the glass like glue. The aroma shows the familiar Great Divide IPA malt profile, which is comprised of caramel and buttery toffee. Grassy, green leafy hop smells pile on top, completing the unique aroma. The flavor again builds on the buttery caramel malts. The label is quite appropriate, as the beer feels ’’’’green’’’’ from the nose to the tongue. Mild astringency detracts from the flavor a bit. Medium bodied and somewhat sticky, though not cloying. Nice beer, just a little to green tasting for me.

Bottle. Pours coppery color with a decent sized off white head, some lacing. Aroma is grapefruit, pine, caramel. Flavor is huge punch of grapefruit, orange, and pine, balanced by some caramel and toffee. Palate is medium bodied, medium carbonation, finishes bitter and refreshing. A very nice APA!

Date: November 20, 2005
Mode: Bottle
Source: Green’s, Atlanta
Appearance: clear amber, thin beige head, drippy lace
Aroma: fresh citrus hop aroma on a sweet carmel malt base
Flavor: great hop flavor, nice long bitter finish

Date: October 23, 2007
Mode: draft
Source: brick store
Score: 3.7 to 3.9
Aroma: sweet sticky hop resin aroma
Flavor: strong citrus hop flavor, sweet caramel malt, sticky character, long bitter finish

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.9/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

Bottle. Well, the name pretty much says it all. Lots of fresh hops in the aroma, floral, fruity. Palate shows a slight malt sweetness, with sappy hops, which dry out towrds the end of the palate, and leave a dry bitterness. Typical pine/grapefruit/lychee flavours. Nice, lots of flavour. Nice and hoppy.

Bomber--Yum, I wish my notes were longer. Amberish color with a large head that left lacing everywhere. The aromas was full the citrusy, hop smell. Hops dominated the taste with a solid bitter finish. Great Divide never fails to satisfy.

On tap at the brewery 8/06. Strong bitterness from the hops, which are quite aromatic. Grassy flavor too, but not too dry. I like the lighter color, more like a macro "PA" in appearance than a micro PA. Nice crisp, dry finish.