Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout - Great Divide Brewing Company

    Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout is a Russian Imperial Stout brewed by the Great Divide Brewing Company in Denver, Colorado. For this special, seasonal brew, Great Divide ages their super-popular Yeti Imperial Stout on oak, lending a light vanilla flavor to the dark roasty flavor of the Stout. I have had this beer before and loved it, but could not find it again until tonight. Needless to say, I snatched it up and scurried off home to write this review! This beer has the honor of being my fourth favorite beer!

    Oaked Yeti pours an amazingly dark obsidian that seems impenetrable by all light. The beer is topped with a luxurious, two-finger, mocha head that eventually settles down into a thin layer of foam capping the beer and sticking on the sides of the glass.

    The Imperial Stout smells of rich, roasty malts and dark chocolate. The oak definitely lends some of its woodiness to the ale's smell, conjuring the image of a cozy study in an old house in my mind. Just as I imagine a yeti would be, the beer is very strong with an alcohol content of 9.5% ABV.

    Similar to another characteristic I believe would be present in a yeti, the beer is very full-bodied (no fur though, luckily!). There is a low level of carbonation, making the thick brew feel amazingly smooth.

    Oak Aged Yeti's flavors go together so amazingly well that upon first taste it almost seems as though they are one flavor, rather than a mixture of tastes. Upon further sipping, dark, roasted malts become apparent in the flavor as well as dark chocolate and coffee. The wood flavor seems to mellow what could have been too much of a black coffee flavor for my tastes with a subtle vanilla flavor. Each component of the Imperial Stout's flavor blends together and creates a rich, delicious beer that could be dangerous with such a high alcohol content!

    Legend tells that the ancestors of the Great Divide Brewing Company used to brew beer at their family home, deep in the unsettled territories of Colorado. The family would sell their brews to other settlers, as the ales and beers would make facing the harsh, Rocky Mountain winters that much more bearable. The story goes that in the third week of November in their first year of brewing, the family was visited by a gigantic beast that appeared as a huge man covered in white-hair that blended in with the fresh snowfall. Apparently attracted by the smells of brewing, this creature tore through the family's dwelling, stealing anything edible. The family had spent a good bit of their money on the brewing equipment, and the loss of a secure, wind-tight home drained the final bits of gold from their pockets. The family somehow survived the winter without money to buy food, but came out of the situation in springtime with a plan.

How they fit the Yeti in the barrel to be aged, I have no idea!

    The family decided to brew a batch of the strongest, tastiest beer that they could. When the months flew by and the air grew cold once more, the family was ready. A giant barrel of the darkest beer anyone had seen at the time was set out near the edge of the family's land where it met the forest. Before long, the monster once again could be seen stalking the family's cabin from just inside the cover of the trees. When the monster eventually worked his way over to the barrel it sniffed the liquid it contained carefully. The beast then quickly went to work, draining the barrel of its alcoholic contents. Upon finishing its drink, the creature let loose with a vicious howl. Or was it a yawn? For then the creature sat down at the foot of a gigantic tree and fell asleep. In fact, the creature slept for the entire winter! When spring's fresh blooms once again dotted the landscape, the beast awoke from its slumber. Feeling the sun's warmth return to the air, the fur-covered monster retreated back into the coolness of the forest's shade.

    Every year from that time on, the family brewed the same beer, and time and time again the creature would come to drink the brew, only to sleep through its entire season of havok. The monster eventually came to be known by the name of Yeti, and Great Divide still, to this day, brews that same ale (with some minor changes to avoid people sleeping for months at a time after Mr.Van Winkle's unfortunate accident).

    Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout is an amazing ale. I slightly dreaded tasting the beer again for fear that my good memories were unfounded, but after my first sip all fears were allayed and I was greeted once again by the amazing blend of flavors in this beer. I can't put my finger on what it is about the Imperial Stout, but something feels so very classy about it. I know that's strange to say about a beer, but I stand by it. Maybe it's the richness of flavor, or the perfection of balance found in the ale. No matter what it is, I highly recommend Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout to everyone!

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Hercules Double IPA - Great Divide Brewing Company

    Hercules, the mythological Greek half-god hero was known for his massive strength and heroic deeds. In naming their Double India Pale Ale after Hercules, Great Divide Brewing Company (Denver, Colorado) is suggesting that their beer embodies some of the traits which made this hero a legend.

    Hercules pours a hazy orange color with a long-lasting two finger head which leaves a good amount of lacing on the glass. The beer's color could perhaps be likened to the sun-kissed skin of a Greek demi-god, though I think that this simile might be a bit of a stretch for Great Divide.

    The Double IPA's aroma is actually much maltier than I would have expected. Hops scents are present, though subdued. A piney, resinous scent mingles with citrus against the sweet malts. The ale's aroma reminds me of being in a pine forest after a summer rain.

    Great Divide's Imperial IPA is medium bodied with a light level of carbonation. With a name like Hercules, I was expecting the ale to have a massive body, not that the beer's smoothness is a bad thing. The ale's mouthfeel is a bit syrupy, though with the low level of carbonation it comes off as creamy. At 10% ABV, this beer's strength warrants the name Hercules all in itself.

Hercules Vs. The Hyrda, as recorded on ancient Greek pottery.

     Just as in the aroma, I am surprised by the huge malts in the Double IPA's flavor. Sweet, almost Barleywine-like malts give the ale its main flavors as well as those of candied fruits. Almost in the background are the citrus and pine notes of the ale's hops. For an ale with such a huge alcohol content there is no harshness whatsoever, just a slight warmth on the tongue. The balance of the hops and malts is amazing in an ale like this with so much going on inside it. The ale's massive flavors seem to play out subtly, against all reasoning.

    My comparison with the hero Hercules and the Double IPA Hercules has obviously fallen through. All I can imagine is that Great Divide named their beer after the legend due to the strength of the two. I have to say that I rather enjoy the idea of a bottle of Hercules going around in ancient Greece, beating up Cyclopes and rescuing fair maidens. It would be a dangerous job for a glass bottle however, so I guess I'll just leave it to Kevin Sorbo.

    Hercules Double IPA shows an amazing balance between sweet and bitter that confuses the palette into thinking that the huge flavors of the beer are actually subtle. Even if you are not a fan of IPAs, I would highly recommend that you give Double IPAs a try as they tend to be much sweeter and better balanced than singles. I will warn you, however, that Hercules's 10% ABV will sneak up on you and hit you with a stick as though you were a Manticore if you aren't careful, so drink responsibly!

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