Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout

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

Bottle. Opaque black color with a huge and very stable brown head. Aroma of roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, some light licorice hints and a bit of whiskey notes. Sweet flavor with big roastiness, chocolate, some coffee, vanilla notes and light acidity. Finishes bitter and rather hoppy with hints of grapefruit. Rather full-bodied. Getting a bit overpowering near the end of the bomber.

I prefer this to the standard Yeti, the nose being the most telling aspect. It nose evolves within minutes of pouring starting strong with raisins and sweet, dark fruit, then adds notes of chocolate. As the beer settles, the roasts emerge, yielding an incredible mix of all three. This all happens while the scent is permeating the room. Pours jet black with the large tan head that actually fizzles (rice krispies) as it dissipates. The flavor was actually a letdown following the nose, hop bitterness probably it’s strongest and longest lasting characteristic, chasing down the sweet chocolate flavors that initially hit. As chewy a beer as I’ve had. A winner in all aspects but the taste, which is unfortunate because it starts out so promising.

Bottle courtesy of cunthaver. Poured into a snifter. The black liquid glugs out like a quart of motor oil, creating a solid finger of some of the darkest brown foam I’ve ever seen on a beer. Aroma is dominated by citrus that blends with a coconut note to create the weirdest-smelling stout I’ve ever laid nose to. A woody sprucey note is also faintly there, while classic stout aromas of chocolate and coffee make up the background. Flavor is initially sweet with some caramel and coconut, but then a harsh, ashy, charred, roasted coffee bitterness wipes everything out. Hop bitterness lends a hand towards the back of the palate, and the finish is toasty. There’s quite a lot of carbonation here, which hurts the mouthfeel here, as it over-aerates the thick body. Interesting beer and quite unique, but it tastes more like a hoppy barleywine than a stout to me.

2007 Bomber. Pours a motor oil black with 2 finger brown head that quickly dissipated into a soapy top layer. Nose is expresso, roasted malt, cocoa, earth and alcohol. Palate is dark chocolate, vanilla, roasted coffee beans with just a touch of woodiness in the background with a slightly bitter hop finish. A little bit of alcohol burn in the back of the throat, but not too bad. Nice creamy mouth feel and great, delicate lacing. This is a very nice IS.

I thought ...wow these ratings for this beer are great. While you can taste quality in the beer’s ingredients.. I think it is overdone. Too much. Might be a preference issue. Black appearance, black taste, hmmm where is this white yeti hiding. 9.5 abv came across as 11.5. Maybe I should try it again to be fair.

Bottle. Pours black with a reddish-brown, long lasting head. Aroma is roasted malt, chocolate, burnt wood, vanilla, and piny hops. Full, smooth, creamy body. Flavor starts rather sweet, like a chocolate covered raisin with just a hint of vanilla and fruit. Moves to a more roasted malt note, accompanied by burnt wood and a bit more vanilla. Finishes with roasted coffee beans, dry wood, pine needles, and bitter hops. Clear and complex. Tasty, yet subtle. The best beer I’ve tried to date.

Yum, this is very good. But I’m not much in the mood for stouts now that it’s getting warmer out. I’ll try this one again next winter. Yep.

Dark as dark with a nice frothy brown head. Nose of roasted malt, chocolate and vanilla. Flavor is toasted nut, coffee, chocolate and towards then end a lot of vanilla. Very smooth texture that coats the palate. The alcohol just warms the soul from start to finish.