Great Divide Samurai

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

12 oz bottle. Poured a clear golden color. I agitated the yeast sediment at the bottom to make it a bit hazy. Head was three fingers high, rocky, and white with pretty good retention. Aroma was of bready malt. Lots of white bread. There was also just the slightest whiff of some grassy hops. Dry and slightly fruity on the tongue with what seemed to be an appropriate, moderate amount of carbonation. Not a whole lot of flavor other than a hint of carrot up front and some pleasant yeasty bread dough. It finished with mild bitterness of about 2-3 out of 10. Not a bad beer, just not much personalty. It certainly wouldn’t upset your stereotypical American beer drinker. That said, it easily beats most macro swill.

Bottle; poured a clear pale color. Medium white head. Aroma of apple juice, yeast and bread. Crisp taste; flavor of apples, yeast, citrus and bread. Minimal hop presence. Flavor was just ok; unoffensive, but nothing really good about it.

hazy golden body and creamy white head. much prettier than it tastes. very simple, dry and boring.

My first rating didn’t go well so... Second try... cloudy straw color with a frothy white head...dissipates quickly. I’m still getting sulfur but not as much...citrus (grapefruit)...Taste still has sulfur as well...otherwise, tart and refreshing. Bitterness lingers unpleasantly. Decent at best. I still have 5 more in the fridge. Will update again if a different experience. -Third rating: After drinking the whole 6 pack I did see some improvement with the flavor. I have raised the Aroma and Flavor ratings by one each to account for the lessening of the sulfur flavor (although it is still present in small amounts) and the Overall rating to 10. This is a very light beer and, as such, is not the most exciting. Still, it is a much better alternative to Bud.

A pale golden pour with coloration hints of a blend of apple juice and green apple skins isn’t hazy enough to hide steady, streaming carbonation that supports a thin white head. The thinly but fully lacing foamy topper lingers the whole time the beer is being consumed, bright and vibrant. Quite the sexy blonde ale. The nose is bready and fresh, not a hint of must or anything that I’d deem offensive. Rather, this has a refreshing scent that commands multiple deep whiffs. Sweetness is barely apparent, a linear lemon note caressing the boundaries of the nose, dancing around grains and rice. This seems to have a German malt profile influence, or at least that’s where it leads. Very mellow hints of floral hops creep out as the temperature rises. The first sip reveals intense flavor characteristics that revolve around a wonderful mouthfeel and crisp, complex malt essence. Sweetness is mild, imparting grassy notes and lemon sweetness, with subtler hints of rice that only serve to further lend to a tremendous experience. Acidity is mild and cuts through what little sweetness present without much astringency. A salty component accentuates the breadiness, furthering a nourishing, even invigorating, taste.The best part of the flavor is that from start to finish it’s level and thoroughly at the top of the style. The finish is bready, lightly sweet, then slowly drying, grain and slight rice sweetness lingering indefinitely. This is really quite the surprise. Drinkability is exceptional; I love the mouthfeel. The beer rests on the palate with a weightiness that isn’t overbearing, but eases the glide down the throat - a light-medium body with great texture from soft but adequate carbonation and a wonderful unfiltered mouthfeel. It’s robust but smooth, lively but easygoing. Excellent, a beer that is likely to remain misunderstood by connoisseurs and novices alike.

Dullishly pale and lighter toned lemony whitened yellow. Chill hazed body to start then clears up a bit. Grows an all encompassing bright, starchy white head as its poured. Settles slowly to a decent pinky high crunch of floppy foam. Tons of lacing in thick patches and strings coat the glass like sticky rice. Mild yet complexingly sweet and breadish aroma of pale malt, grain, and very dull lemon/melon candy-like hints. Nice bready sweetness to it and Munich Helles-like tone. Taste is quite nice and rounded with a fine and fluffy mildly complex bready sweetness. The taste itself is quite simple really, it’s just got this overwhelming cleanness and a great length of tone and body to it; it’s incredibly hard to put down. I just keep drinking it! It’s not over powering and it’s not light either. Its dead on with a swift, clean kesa cut of pale malt sweetness, a bit pretzely, and grainy fluffed texture. It’s the length of tone and flavor that really stands out for me on this one. Body is clean and wholesome with a semi fluffy texture of breads and grains. About medium bodied if not a bit more due to its caring and lengthy tone and character. It’s slightly sweet and yet paled down with a terrific profile of high crafted goodness. Much like a well-forged katana, this stuff will cut right through you. Damn easy to drink; and as if there ever was a doubt Great Divide could do something like this to a style that always lacks. Solid as the stance of a Samurai and lengthy as a cut from the blade of their wielding katana. This stuff is surprisingly beneficial and honorable. Osu!

Bottled. Poured light clear golden with a white head. Aroma was lemon and wheat. Flavor was a light wheat with a hint of blueberry. Very plain, similar to Boulevard Wheat.

Slightly hazy straw body, pillowy white head. Light fruit juice aromas (peach). Very brief flavors, scrubbed by carbonation. Very light noble hop (?) flavor. Delicate and free of flaws. Not my mug of beer, so to speak, but obviously well made.