Great Divide Brewing Co. Archives – A Night With The Hops

Swamp Head Stump Knocker & Great Divide Hoss

Aug 212010

If you ever think that you might be at the same event or bar that I am, just look for a guy who is writing notes on a folded sheet of paper (that he pulled from his pocket) in between taking drinks from his glass. Of course if you happen to catch me taking a photo of the glass before taking a drink or holding it up to the light that would also give me away. I take notes far more often than I take pictures, but the combination is becoming very much a habit of mine with every beer that I drink for the first time. I don’t see me letting up on that anytime soon.

Now on to the first of two for today . . .

Brewery: Swamp Head Brewery (Gainesville, FL)

Name: Stump Knocker

Style: American Pale Ale

ABV: 5.60%

Location: Redlight Redlight – Teege at the bar

Tasting Notes:

Coppery amber in color with solid white head that holds well.
Grapefruity hops in the aroma with a bit of toasty, caramelly malt in back.
Flavor very similar to aroma, though a bit lighter. Nice grapefruit hop flavor coming after some malty sweetness.
Medium body and smooth on the palate.
Just enough lingering bitterness at the finish.
Easy drinking with nice overall balance.

4911390876 f6f7a1c6c5 Swamp Head Stump Knocker & Great Divide Hoss

Swamp Head Brewery - Stump Knocker

And now the second . . .

Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Co. (Denver, CO)

Name: Hoss (Rye Lager)

Style: Octoberfest/Märzen (perhaps Specialty Beer because of rye)

ABV: 6.20%

Location: Redlight Redlight – Teege at the bar

Tasting Notes:

Kind of a reddish orange color with a thick, cream color head that holds well and leaves a very nice trail.
Lightly sweet malty aroma overall with some notes of spice underneath.
Pretty clean flavor with some darker caramel maltiness up front and a bit of spiciness in back
Really smooth with a good level of carbonation.
Nice lager with good malt character that drinks very easily.

4910788065 e25e7de82f Swamp Head Stump Knocker & Great Divide Hoss

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Hoss (Rye Lager)

Cheers!

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Yeti

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Feb 262010

The time has come for the final beer review of “Great Divide Brewing Co. Month” and it is no surprise that it is another good one. Sure I would love to continue on with Great Divide reviews, but it is time to move on to some of the others that I have done. Fortunately there are enough brews left in their portfolio for me to do another dedicated month down the line if I choose to. Then again, there are so many other breweries that need a month of their own before I start returning to those already honored. Enough rambling and on to the beer . . .

Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Co. (Denver, CO)

Name: Yeti

Style: Russian Imperial Stout

ABV: 9.5%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the wine fridge (58 degrees +/-) and served in a pint glass (by mistake). $6.49 for 22oz.

Aroma: Strong malty sweetness (barleywine-like) with a low roasted character (less than I expected). Noticeable hop profile (somewhat earthy) with some warmth in back.

Appearance: Black (dark, dark brown with the slightest hint of reddish brown at edges when held to light). Very tall, thick, frothy, mocha/chocolate head with great retention and a heavy trail. Opaque (really).

Flavor: Deep roasted maltiness with a light burnt character. Rich chocolately flavors from middle to end. Moderate bitterness (some from roasted grains and some from hops) with a hint of fruitiness(?). Somewhat dry at the finish, though with light sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Full body with medium to low carbonation. Smooth and somewhat tongue coating. Even alcohol warmth (mostly from middle to end) that is well balanced in with the strong flavors.

Overall Impressions: Big flavor profiles that continue through finish. Start to notice dark fruit flavors as it warms a bit. Pretty complex with new flavors with (almost) every sip. Fantastic beer to enjoy slowly. Looking forward to trying the entire Yeti family (need to collect and cellar some). Still prefer the Oak Aged of the two I have tried.

Grade: A

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Yeti

A close up of the goodness.

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Double Wit

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Feb 232010

Though I do enjoy standing in the store staring at the shelves trying to decide what beer I want, it also nice to go in with a plan of attack. Having narrowed the field down to only Great Divide brews I was simply looking for one of them to catch my eye. A high gravity version of a witbier was an easy choice knowing that I do not see them often, if at all.

After initially not expecting to enjoy this one, The Wife quickly warmed to it and even went back for a bit more. I always consider that to be a pretty good endorsement. That combined with a unique style (at least somewhat) is more than enough reason to try it if you have the opportunity.

Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Co. (Denver, CO)

Name: Double Wit

Style: Witbier

ABV: 8.1%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the wine fridge (51 degrees +/-) and served in a pilsner glass.

Aroma: Light wheat/grainy sweetness with a faint bit of spice. Hint of acidity (kind of sauvignon blanc/white wine-like).

Appearance: Medium straw color (to golden). Very tall, thick, frothy, off-white head with good retention and laced trail. Mostly clear with slight haze and tons of tiny rising bubbles.

Flavor: Honey-like sweetness with a bit of citrus fruitiness. Low spice (coriander) profile with slight acidity and dryness at finish (not lingering). Well-balanced components.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate to high carbonation (without bite). Smooth with good creaminess and noticeable warmth toward finish.

Overall Impressions: One of only two higher gravity witbiers that I can recall having (Sam Adams Imperial White being the other). The warmth blends in well with the flavor profiles. Might want to drink it slightly colder than I had it this time. Good throughout, but the first tastes were the best. As the name indicates, this is certainly a double/imperial version of this style (typically in a 4.5-5.5% ABV range).

Grade: B+

Double what?

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Double Wit

The initial pour stirred things up a bit.

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Fresh Hop

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Feb 192010

As mentioned on Tuesday, we are on to the second Pale Ale for the week in this month of Great Divide beer reviews. Today we have the American Pale Ale of the pair. Since I enjoy borrowing previously written content (and it makes as much sense with this post), I will say again that it is probably time for me to do a series explaining and defining the different beer styles for both my education and yours, but for today I will just say that the English Pale Ales tend to be more balanced and “drinkable” than their hoppier American cousins. Now on to the beer review . . .

Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Co. (Denver, CO)

Name: Fresh Hop

Style: American Pale Ale

ABV: 6.1%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass.

Aroma: Full, citrusy hop aroma with a low malty sweetness. The hops dominate the really nice overall aroma.

Appearance: Light amber color with some golden character. Two finger (plus), off-white head that is frothy with good retention and a laced trail. Clear with consistently rising bubbles visible.

Flavor: Medium (toward high) citrusy hop flavor up front with a bit of grassy profile underneath that. Very slight toasted maltiness in back. Balances to hops with good amount of bitterness toward end (moderate/not too much). Some dryness at the finish with some lingering bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Medium(ish) body with moderate carbonation (really just right). Smooth with no harshness.

Overall Impressions: I think my palate leans toward the DPA (of the two) . . . Fresh Hop is as good as DPA, but very different. Really enjoy the hops character(s), though I have to be in the mood for it because they are really prominent. The hoppiness grew on me as the glass emptied and it definitely lands on the “buy again someday” list. Do not drink too cold.

Grade: B

Great Divide Brweing Co. - Fresh Hop

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Denver Pale Ale

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Feb 162010

It seems that it is going to be a Pale Ale kind of week with the Great Divide beer reviews. Today we have the English Pale Ale of the pair. Don’t worry though, the American Pale Ale with be represented on Friday. It is probably time for me to do a series explaining and defining the different beer styles for both my education and yours, but for today I will just say that the English Pale Ales tend to be more balanced and “drinkable” than their hoppier American cousins. Now on to the beer review . . .

Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Co. (Denver, CO)

Name: Denver Pale Ale

Style: English Pale Ale

ABV: 5.4%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass. $1.99 for 12oz.

Aroma: Moderate hop aroma with a low fruity profile and a medium, somewhat sweet (caramel-like) malt aroma. The two are almost of equal strength.

Appearance: Golden in color with a bit of copper/orange to it. One finger, cream color head that is frothy with good retention and trail. Clear with some rising bubbles and small particulates visible.

Flavor: Good maltiness up front (bit of nutty profile?) with medium bitterness (more middle through end). Moderate dryness at the finish without lingering. Pretty well balanced.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with medium (to low) carbonation. Has creaminess that gives the impression of a more full body.

Overall Impressions: The bitterness builds on the palate and becomes more prominent as the glass empties. The hop flavors and aromas are just enough without being at all overpowering. Really very drinkable . . . the characteristics work well together making it better as I drink.

Grade: B to B+

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Denver Pale Ale

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Wild Raspberry Ale

Beer Reviews 2 Responses »

Feb 122010

Though typically fruit beers are not one of my favorite styles, I don’t think I can continue to add fruit to my home brews and maintain that opinion as a baseline. It is not that I don’t like fruit beers, but many that I have tried had an artificial flavor that just does not work for my palate. Of course with that, there are also some that are really quite good. This one falls solidly on the good end of the fruit beer scale for me. The Wife likes her fruit beers quite a lot and really enjoyed this one (would have graded it higher than I did), so that should be endorsement enough. This one will likely find its way into our house again in the future.

Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Co. (Denver, CO)

Name: Wild Raspberry Ale

Style: Fruit Beer

ABV: 5.6%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in a pint glass. $1.99 for 12oz.

Aroma: Full, smooth berry aroma (that is not artificial smelling) with an underlying malty sweetness.

Appearance: Amber color, but with a reddish hue. One finger, off-white head with decent retention and a hint of a trail. Very clear with a few rising bubbles visible.

Flavor: Berry flavor up front that goes away fairly quickly. Fruitiness intertwined completely with the good base of malt flavor(s). Bit of dryness at finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium (toward light) body and moderate (to low) carbonation. Some slight astringency (dryness).

Overall Impressions: Typically not my favorite style, but pretty good as they go. Better when not extremely cold. The fruit/berry profile is nice (natural and well balanced).

Grade: B+

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Wild Raspberry Ale

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Saint Bridget's Porter

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Feb 092010

Sure I choose breweries for a theme month that I am already pretty familiar with, but it also provides me the bonus of trying brews from them that I have never enjoyed before. Already being a fan of Great Divide, I expected that my least favorite beers for the month would still be pretty darn good. However, with Oak Aged Yeti getting me hooked on their product in the first place and setting the bar very high, I did not expect anything to approach that. Though my porter drinking resume is not all that extensive (yet), this one is certainly up there with the best that I have tried. Definitely one to have if that is a style that suits you.

Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Co. (Denver, CO)

Name: Saint Bridget’s Porter

Style: Robust Porter

ABV: 5.9%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge (allowed to warm a bit) and served in a pint glass. $1.99 for 12oz.

Aroma: Smooth, lightly roasted malt aroma with a hint of sweetness and a light note of bittersweet chocolate in back.

Appearance: Very, very dark brown color (with slight red hue when held to light). One finger (plus), light brown, thick head with good retention and trail. Clear (when held to light) with rising bubbles visible.

Flavor: Excellent roasted malt flavors up front with nice coffee notes through the middle and a medium amount bitterness toward the finish. Mostly dry at the finish with a hint of sweetness. Well balanced components overall.

Mouthfeel: Medium (toward full) body with moderate amount of carbonation. Smooth with good creaminess and the slightest bit of sharpness (from the roasted grains).

Overall Impressions: Memorable porter for me (where others have not been) and probably the best that I have tried to date (definitely top three anyway). Don’t drink too cold as it is better as it warms. Really nice balance of everything (aroma, flavors, mouthfeel).

Grade: A

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Saint Bridget's Porter

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Oak Aged Yeti

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Feb 052010

It had to be posted eventually and today is as good as any to reveal the only A+ that I have given to a beer to date. Maybe my thoughts would be different if I tasted it again, after tons of evaluations between then and now, but I cannot imagine this one ever dropping out of the A range in my grading. There was something about this beer on that evening that just blew me away and I am looking forward to the day where I give it another try. With so much going on with the flavors, I fell for it on the first sip and I continued to find more that I liked about it as the glass emptied.

Enough gushing and on to the review . . .

Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Co. (Denver, CO)

Name: Oak Aged Yeti

Style: Russian Imperial Stout

ABV: 9.5%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the wine fridge and served in a pint glass. $7.99 for 1pt 6oz.

Aroma: Heavy hop aroma up front (pretty aggressive) with the slightest bit of roasted grains in the background.

Appearance: Jet black in color. A well formed four finger, sort of mocha/café au lait color head that slowly dissipates with a heavy trail. Completely opaque.

Flavor: Prominent roasted malt/grain flavor with a slight burnt note. Some hop bitterness, though much less than what aroma might lead to believe. A bit of alcohol noticed in back. A lingering finish with some bitterness as well as some burnt and alcohol notes. A lot going on, but well balanced all around.

Mouthfeel: Very full bodied with an almost chewy texture (tongue coating). A low amount of carbonation with a noticeable warmth, though well balanced in and smooth.

Overall Impressions: Really awesome. Intense with tons of flavors, ranging from bitter to sweet. Every drink seems to bring out something different. Somewhat wine/port-like in a way with a hint of vanilla (oak aging?).

Grade: A+

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Oak Aged Yeti

Great Divide Video Tour

Breweries No Responses »

Feb 032010

In continuing with the “Great Divide Brewing Co. Month” I wanted to pass along some good information about the brewery as a follow up to yesterday’s beer review. So when I found this video, it immediately became the perfect content for today’s post. Since the video is (a quick) five minutes long, I will keep my writing short to leave more time to watch it.

Now on with the show . . .

Cheers!

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Hercules Double IPA

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Feb 022010

Today is the official kickoff of “Great Divide Brewing Co. Month” on this site and I am doing so with a review for a beer that I really enjoyed. The enjoyment part will be a pretty constant theme for the beer reviews in the coming weeks. However I will say that after writing this post from my notes that I would really like to evaluate this beer again at some point. I believe my palate has evolved over the last year and I would now better be able to put into words exactly what I experienced with this beer. The same could be said for many that I have done along the way, but my taste for IPAs has probably grown more than any other style over that time.

With that, enjoy the review, look for a possible redo in the future, and certainly give it a try sometime if you have the chance.

Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Co. (Denver, CO)

Name: Hercules Double IPA

Style: Imperial IPA

ABV: 9.1%

Tasting Notes: Stored in the fridge and served in an oversized wine glass (snifter-like).

Aroma: Heavy, but very bright and sweet hop aroma. Slight fruitiness and a hint of alcohol.

Appearance: Copper color (with a hint of orange). Thick, persistent, off-white head with a heavy trail. Good clarity with tiny rising bubbles.

Flavor: Strong, but even (not harsh) hop flavors with a slight malty undertone and some dryness (astringency) at an otherwise very nice, even finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium (maybe towards light) body with good carbonation and a warming alcohol character underneath.

Overall Impressions: Well balanced (the slight maltiness and alcohol balances out with the hops) and very enjoyable. Would certainly drink again.

Grade: A-

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Hercules Double IPA

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Old Ruffian

Beer Reviews No Responses »

Jul 312009

This was the first beer that I wrote an evaluation for, so it will now become the first review I post.

Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Co. (Denver, CO)

Name: Old Ruffian (Barley Wine Style Ale)

Style: American Barleywine

ABV: 10.2%

Tasting Notes: Stored in wine fridge and served in a snifter

Aroma: Prominent hop nose with a slight hint of caramelly malt. A bit of dark fruit aroma present (prune, raisin, etc). Some noticeable alcohol.

Appearance: Copper to brown in color with a slight hint of red. Solid, off-white head with fairly quick dissipation. Good clarity – bubbles can be seen rising.

Flavor: Fairly strong and lingering bitterness. The alcohol is not quite as strong as aroma implies. Tiny bit of malt (caramel) flavor. Long, but pleasant finish with good hoppy bitterness. The higher alcohol content is well balanced with the hop flavor(s).

Mouthfeel: Smooth and velvety on the palate. Alcohol warmth is present, but not excessive.

Overall Impressions: This is the first barleywine that I can recall having. Really a very enjoyable drinking experience that gets even better as the beer warms towards room temperature. The good hop bitterness is typical of the American Barleywine style (from what I have read). I would certainly (buy and) drink again.

Grade: B+

Great Divide - Old Ruffian

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Swamp Head Stump Knocker & Great Divide Hoss

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Yeti

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Double Wit

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Fresh Hop

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Denver Pale Ale

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Great Divide Brewing Co. - Wild Raspberry Ale

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Saint Bridget's Porter

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Oak Aged Yeti

Great Divide Video Tour

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Hercules Double IPA

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Old Ruffian

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