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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Two Hearted Ale - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

    Two Heated Ale is an American India Pale Ale created by Bell's Brewery, Inc. which is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. American IPAs tend to be more fruity and floral in their hops selections as compared to the classic English IPAs which are usually more on the piney end of things. Two Hearted Ale has the distinguished honor of being my third favorite beer of all time. This is definitely my "go-to" beer when I'm out and nothing else sounds good.

    The beer pours a hazy yellow-orange with a nice two finger head on top. The beer leaves a good amount of lacing on the glass as the liquid level in the glass lowers.

    Common to most IPAs, Two Hearted's aroma is mainly that of citrus fruits with a small bit of pine-like scent as well. While there are notes of grapefruit in the aroma, lemon is the main citrus fruit in the ale's nose. Almost perfectly balanced with the hops scents is a sweet, almost muffin-like malt smell which reminds me of of baked goods.

    Two Hearted ale is a medium bodied beer with a low level of carbonation. The beer has a very creamy and easy-to-drink mouthfeel. After a few sips, an oily feeling begins to coat your mouth from the bitterness, but it never becomes unpleasant. At 7% ABV, Two Hearted Ale can sneak up on you and leaves the slightest alcohol warmth in your throat.

A stained glass window at Bells' showing Amboiju.

    The American IPA is not nearly as bitter as you would expect from the aroma. Bitter citrus notes are definitely present in the beer's flavor, but a sweet caramel malt flavor balances out the floral hops, keeping things pleasant. To me, the beer almost tastes like a sweet, lemon bread. The beer finishes a little more bitterly than it starts, though still not in a bad way.

    The name Two Hearted Ale comes from an ancient Native American story in which a young hunter attempts to feed his family by spear fishing for the great Amboiju, a stream fish said to be hundreds of years old. As these things go, times had become hard for the natives and this fish was their last hope. In his rush to become a hero, the young Indian speared the great fish, only to be carried miles downstream by the seemingly unharmed fish. On his long trek back upstream to his family, the young brave meets an elder fisherman who informs him that Amboiju cannot be killed using a normal spear, as the fish has two hearts. If one heart is wounded, the other heart keeps the fish alive until it can heal completely. At this point in the story, the old man teaches the young man (likely using a montage) to create a two-pronged spear with which to hunt the fish. With his new knowledge the young brave sets off on his journey back home, sticking close to the water in hopes of catching glimpse of his adversary. Sure enough, just as all hope seems to be lost and winter begins to set in, Amboiju is seen by the boy, sitting just a few feet off shore. The boy brandishes his newly crafted weapon and pounces into the water with the grace of a cat, piercing the great fish's side. Again, the fish pulls the boy through the water, though this time upstream. When the boy is able to lift his head from under the current he realizes that he is back in his village, and that the great fish was alive no more. Legend tells that Amboiju fed the boy's entire village for months, and allowed the tribe to regain their greatness among the proud Native American peoples.

    Of course I made up the story of Amboiju, but that sort of thing is why you're here, isn't it? Bell's Two Hearted Ale is my number three beer due to its amazing balance of sweet and bitter. I'll admit, when I first tasted the beer, long before I was a beer fan, I thought that it tasted like lemon dusting spray smelled, so I understand if others do not agree with me that it is a great beer. All I ask is that you give it another chance later on, once you have gotten used to the more bitter flavors in IPAs and might better appreciate the floral, citrusy hops in this great beer!

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Hopslam Ale - Bell's Brewing, Inc.

    Hopslam Ale is an American Double IPA created by Bell's Brewery, Inc. which is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. This special brew is released only once a year and in quite limited quantities. The ale also has the special honor of being my second favorite beer that I have ever tried. Every year in January I start searching the internet to see if Bell's has announced release dates for that year's batch of Hopslam. Once I find the release date, I anxiously await the two to three weeks that Hopslam will be on shelves. When the time finally comes, I book it into stores in order to claim my one six-pack-per-visit limit and rush back home with my prize like a squirrel with a nut.

    Hopslam pours a golden-orange color with an off-white foamy head.

    Upon first opening the bottle, an aroma of citrus fruits (mainly grapefruit) and what can only be described as a flowery scent burst outwards from under the cap. Upon pouring, the slight sweet scent of honey can be detected.

    Bell's Hopslam Ale is medium bodied and features a light carbonation level which causes the beer to feel extremely smooth. There is a pleasant warmth to the beer which causes the mouth to tingle nicely. At 10% ABV, this warmth is not at all surprising.

    Just as you might expect from its name, Hopslam is packed full of hops flavor. A bitter piney flavor starts out the ale's bouquet with a very nice grapefruit flavor following. One would expect an ale that is so full of hops to be overly bitter, but such is not the case with Hopslam. A great malt backbone works to edge out this bitterness allowing the pleasant flowery flavors to come through without the unpleasant bitter flavors. The sweet, smooth flavor of honey holds up the back end of the bouquet leaving a pleasant sweetness as an aftertaste.

Looks like someone wasn't aware of the one six-pack limit, so I stocked up! Lucky me!

    There is a large amount of hype surrounding Hopslam lately as the seasonal release has become quite popular since its release in 2004. As such, the beer can be quite hard to come across unless you plan ahead and look for release dates online. When I first tasted Hopslam, I was able to purchase a pitcher of the ale for normal price. In the years since, having Hopslam on tap has been reduced to an expensive half-pint that leaves you only wanting more. Interestingly, the first time I ever tasted the ale was in a period of time that I very much disliked strong, hoppy beers. The amazing balance presented by Hopslam just blew me away even though I knew little about beer or what different styles of ale could offer. It wasn't until a couple of years later when I found hopslam by chance at a local store and decided to give it another try that the ale was cemented as my favorite beer.

    Whether or not the hype surrounding Bell's Hopslam is warranted, it remains my second favorite brew even after trying many, many others. To this day, I am still amazed by the balance struck between the hops' bitterness and the honey and malts sweetness. The high alcohol content makes this beer a definite sipper, though it also lends an incredibly pleasant warmth to the ale. This is definitely a beer worth tracking down!

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Zombie Dust - Three Floyds Brewing Co.

    The American Pale Ale, Zombie Dust, by Three Floyds Brewing Co., located in Munster, Indiana, has experienced a huge rise in popularity in the past year or two. The beer has received extremely high ratings on many beer websites and has won many prestigious awards in the beer makers contest circuit. In addition to these rewards, Zombie Dust holds the coveted position of being my favorite beer that I have ever tried.

    Zombie Dust pours a light, hazy amber with a small off-white head. The beer's scent is amazing. As soon as the lid is popped open, the smell of flowery hops and grapefruit peel surround you. Pouring the beer into a glass just allows more of this seductive scent to waft to your nose. The light scent of sugar and fruits can be perceived once the initial hop bouquet fades. There is also an herbal quality to the smell though I can't place it specifically.

The beer is light bodied with a medium level of carbonation. The bubbles help to foam the beer onto the pallet making the scent and taste into one experience. At 6.4% ABV, the alcohol content is just slightly higher than a typical pale ale.

    Zombie Dust tastes much as it smells. There is an extremely prevalent flavor of citrus thanks to the Citra hops used in the brew by Three Floyds. The main citrus flavor is grapefruit with a bit of a tangerine flavor as well. All the hops in the beer give it a nice bitterness that is balanced by a strong malt backing, keeping the bitterness from becoming overwhelming. In addition to the citrus, mango can be tasted in the brew as well.

    I first tried Zombie Dust before I was a major beer lover. Even then, in my unfamiliarity with beer, I could tell that this beer was a great one. In fact, I would go so far as to say that this beer is responsible for my growing interest in beer tasting and, as such, holds a special place in my beer heart.

    Overall, Zombie Dust makes for a great beer drinking experience. The large amount of hops in the brew might turn off newer beer drinkers due to their bitterness, but it is definitely worth trying. If you ever get a chance to try Zombie Dust I highly recommend it!

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