Great Divide Hibernation Ale

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

Wow! What an awesome winter-warmer! This brew is big and sticky, presents a really good looking head and pours a brilliant dark wood color. The alcohol in this brew is present but not overwhelming. This brew has a nice roasted toffee and candy flavor. There is a decent hop kick as well. I can’t wait for winter to come again! I love this beer!

Bottled, redbrown beer, very fantastic caramell aroma, caramell-hop taste, very special,good special strong taste

Style and Glass: American Strong, Trappist ABV, Volume & Calories: 8.1 % in 12 fl oz. estimated at 200 C Purchased at: Canal’s Lawrenceville, NJ for $1.83 Aroma: caramel, syrup and roasted malts. Some pepper, spice, and citrus. Visuals: Beautiful packaging, recently redesigned cohesive brand from Great Divide. It does the beer within the bottles justice. The ruby mahogany body is deep and contemplative. hard to see through, but clear rather than hazy. Thin tan head is long lasting, lace is intricate and shows this brew’s freshness. Taste: Well balanced flavor starts with roasted malt, follows with a rush of crispness from carbonation, and finishes long with a dark roasty deliciousness. Sugar overtones, followed quickly by a light sourness. Easily drinkable. Alcohol is quiet and well hidden. Palate: Smooth, crisp, drying, and long fantastic finish add up to a wonderful session brew, despite the high ABV, so beware! Overall: A beautiful, enticing, delicious beer, affordable, from a great brewer, and entices the senses. I’ll have it again, for sure. Address : <http://beercritic.wordpress.com/>

I anticipate this beer every year. This is one of the best yet. Higher ABV makes this a real bang for the buck. Very roasty and malty for an old ale, but nonetheless perfect. Hops mingle in and out to try and tame the malt. Can’t wait to try this one in a year or two. A must have for beer lovers of all types.

Pours deep cherry wood w/ a shallow creamy froth that recedes to a blanket of dust on the surface with a fluffy lace. Malty aromas of chunky chocolate covered nuts and fresh ground coffee. Full nectar w/ soft residual effers creates a lucious creamy texture. It’a big and malty w/ an abundance of nutty caramel going on. Nuances of mocha and roasted coffee bean. The finish is bittered mildly with a lingering coffe roast component. Alcohol is well hidden. A nice specimen. Highly recommended.

A thick malty beer. I didn’t notice the hops on the first try but they are there. A very good thick BEER. Definitely something I will order again.

Beautiful aroma of roasted malts, stone fruits, spices and alcohol. A little licorice in there as well. Color is a gorgeous deep amber. Mild carbonation, but a big tan craggy head, that clings to the side of the glass. Big malty taste initially, followed by fruity notes. A slightly hoppy taste emerges in the middle to follow with a spicy finish that lingers but doesn't overwhelm. A nice balance that shows good complexity. Getting notes of tobacco and woody roots/bark as well. An exceptional winter warmer that stands out among the myriad of other winter beers. Well done!

The 2003 Hibernation Ale poured a deep mahogany with a creamy tan head that went to a thin skim and laced the glass the whole way down. It smells of fig and malts with hints of chocolate, caramel and some alcohol. The taste is comlpex yet well balanced and appealing. It has a sweet malt start with a lightly hopped, crisp, slightly acidic finish. There are also some woody flavors mixed with a fruity fig/raisin taste. It has a subtle alcohol warming as well. The palate was full-bodied and creamy. Overall, a terrific winter warmer found late in the season. This is up there with Anchor OSA as my favorite of the season.