Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout

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

(Bottled, 0.33l) Pitch black with a medium, tight, brown and lasting head. Very malty, roasty and somewhat licoricey, delicious aroma with (a bit too evident) alcohol presence. Deliciously malty, quite roasty flavor with strong, bitter hops, licorice hints, a bit ashy finish, and well hidden alcohol. Not that complex, but very pleasant. Quite full-bodied, smooth and medium-carbonated palate. A great Imperial Stout with the emphasis on licorice and alcohol (beside the enormous roasty maltiness). As expected, it’s great with 70% chocolate :). (Bottled, 0.66l, was 8-4-9-5-16=4.2) Almost black with a small but lasting head. Very licoricey, slightly alcoholic aroma with vinous feel and quite a lot of malt. Sweetish-malty, very licoricey flavor with a smoothly hoppy. Quite full-bodied, very smooth palate with the strong hoppiness drowning in the malt. A delicious impy with all the ingredients necessary.

from the bottle. poured black with a huge brown head that left a lot of lacing. aroma roasted malts, coffee, dark sweet chocolate, raisins, brown sugar, alcohol comes ot nicely along with some sweet oranges. flavor wow this beer is packed with roasted flavor from the coffee, malts to a nuttyness, got some dark cherries and a hint of citrus. very good beer.

Since there are 5 pages of tasting notes on this beer already I will just offer some knowledge about it that I have not read here and that I may have special privy to. This beer ranked 2nd in the 2003 Alpha King Competition which determines the hoppiest beer in America. I know because I judged in it and was lucky enough to have the #1 and #2 beers at my table. How does an Imperial Stout do well in a hoppy beer competition? - Well, it is very hoppy and very drinkable which were the 2 requirements for the competition.

Bottle. Pours black. Decent brown head with great lacing. Aroma is huge chocolate with roasted grains. Mouthfeel is full, silky, smooth. Taste is malty, chocolate with some coffee/caramel. Hops come in halfway through with a pleasant and lasting bitterness. Very well balanced. Very drinkable.

Pours black with a tan head. Aroma is hoppy, chocolate malt. Taste is very hoppy, chocolate, coffee. Not as smooth at the oak aged, but still top notch.

Pours the blackest of black, to the point where the foam is bordering on a reddish brown. Lovely! A good head too, though while it dissipated somewhat quick, the lacing was very nice and stuck around to the very end. Aroma is more subtle than expected, but it’s roasty and sambuca-like. Flavor is similar with some black coffee aspects and a little dark chocolate but nothing too sweet. The vanilla notes of the Oak Aged version are a bit lesser here. The finish, while being hoppy, is quite appropriate and I think it added a wonderful dimension to the roasty finish. Despite the strong hop presence in the finish, they only enhance the aroma rather than become it entirely. Carbonation was low, and mouthfeel was thick and creamy without much stickiness. There’s a whole lot to like about this beer, but I think the Oak Aged version blends all of the flavors together a bit more. Even still, this is tough to beat.

From a 22 oz bottle this poured black as black and thick as old motor oil with a moderate sized but very creamy tan head that left nice chunks of lacing. Looks just like the oaked version. Strong nose of coffee, chocolate, and caramel leap from the glass with lots of citrus hops there as well. Ver y rich creamy mouthfeel. Flavor is full of surprises with hints of vanilla, chocolate, coffee, and a bit of spices. The finish is long and delightful with great hops. The alcohol is hidden well. Ranks right up there on a par with Stone and their own oaked version., and that is saying a lot. Served at 55 degrees straight from my beer cellar.

much thanks to brock_landers for sending me this impy stout.i poured a bit into my snifter glass and was greeted with a super black body and nice looking fudge colored head.the aroma was a mixture of brownies,roasted malts,sugar,and fudge.the first sip lit me eyes up with delight.the palate was very complex and changed even after sending the brew down my throat.the flavors were:chocolate,coffee,fudge,smoke,brownies,a tiny bit of beef jerkey,some hops,damn,its like the energizer bunny.it keeps going,and going,and going.....the mouthfeel was nice and thick and the alcohol was well masked.this is nothing short of exceptional.