Great Divide Samurai

Brewed by Great Divide Brewing Company
Style: Golden Ale/Blond Ale
Denver, Colorado USA

Pours a sparkling straw-golden color with a white, creamy-fluffy, moderately full head; head is mostly lasting with some lace. Nose is simple but not unplesant with sweet malts and grainy notes of honeyed bread. Flavor is the same with a decent bitterness (for the style) bringing a slightly spicy note. Palate is lively to fizzy, moderate to light, clean, and crisp. Finishes short and a bit dry but still somewhat refreshing. The rice really does make it smoother and give a nice sweetness to the malts. Surprisingly a well balanced beer, but still a bit bland.

Aroma is hops and hops. Color is cloudy gold. Taste is unfocused between hops and citrus. Not bad, but different.

Oct. 2007 - Pale yellow, decent head, no lacing. Light aroma of malty. Flavor wasn’t bad, but a bit bland for my liking. Dreadfully dull, actually. The mouthfeel was nice and smooth. Nice for what it was trying to be, I guess.

Brandon, Fl. - Kingdom Liquors, 12 oz bottle - bright golden pour with a thin but active white head. Sweet aroma with hints of apples and butter. Interesting flavor profile with some buttery accents, a hint of ginger, some pear juice. Nicely textured mouthfeel, but a bit muddled in the finish. Enjoyable, but not all that refreshing for a summer beer,

Draught in the GD tap room. Definitely something different. Slightly hazy yellow colour with a medium white head. Very clean and crisp aroma of malt, but not much at all. Light flavour that’s easy drinking and refreshing but nothing to get excited about.

Bottle, consumed in march 08 but I see now it was bottled in Sept 07. Probably not a great sign. Pours a hazy soft yellow with a small wisp of a white head. Crisp light malt and slight hops in mild but pleasing aroma. Taste - not much to report. Light malt, very crisp mouthfeel, some slight hops but this is pretty run of the mill stuff. I expect my renowned micro golden ale or mainstream offering to have a little more character that this. On the plus side, it is refreshing and has held up pretty well for being an older bottle. Just nothing here to recommend having it again.

I was somewhat disappointed by this beer. It’s drinkable and might make a decent session beer, but it’s very thin on flavor. I was expecting more from Great Divide.

Some slight citrus on the nose. Cloudy yellow Wit-like appearance. Was very pleasant, some mild fruity sweetness, good mild hop balance. Unique option for an easy drinking beer.