Great Divide Brewing Co. – Claymore Scotch Ale *

 Beer Reviews  No Responses »
Mar 042011
 

It had been such a long time since I went to the fridge to get anything other than a Southern Tier beer to review that I was not really sure what I would find in there this week.  Of course it probably should have been no surprise to find a few beers in there from some of my favorite breweries.  Though I try to keep a good variety around, there are certain breweries that have a tendency to end up coming home with me on a more regular basis.  GDBC is one of those breweries.

To bring an end to this week . . .

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

Name: Claymore Scotch Ale

Style: Strong Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy

ABV: 7.70% (website)

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

Aroma: Deep, rich malty aroma that has a sweetness to it that is darker than caramel and also a bit of earthiness underneath.   – 8/12

Appearance: Dark brown with reddish tones that you can see when held to light.  Slight faint brown head that holds pretty well and dissipates slowly leaving a light trail with some legs.  Appears opaque, but is see through clear when held to light. – 3/3

Flavor: Rich, slight roasted maltiness up front that fades into a somewhat smoky earthiness after that.  Some light bitterness present from middle through to the finish.  It finishes somewhat dry, in a nice way.  – 16/20

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a moderate to high level of carbonation.  Pretty smooth overall with some sharpness coming through at the finish (at least somewhat from the carbonation). – 3/5

Overall Impressions: I really enjoy the smoky earthiness in the flavor as it builds nicely and becomes more smooth as I drink it.  The flavor is not overly complex or deep (just an observation).  Good cold, but slightly better when slightly warmed.  Not something I would keep drinking all night (probably two at a sitting would be enough).  – 7/10

Overall: Very Good – 37/50

5496901059 5cb9bea787 Great Divide Brewing Co. Claymore Scotch Ale *

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Claymore Scotch Ale

5497495578 683f3fe7b4 Great Divide Brewing Co. Claymore Scotch Ale *

Closer now

 

 Posted by Lucas at 8:00 pm  Tagged with: , ,

Back To College

 Travel  2 Responses »
Oct 252010
 

Maybe the fact that The Wife and I had never been to a UCF football game until this weekend is a clear sign that we are transplants from the north and have yet to assimilate. I mean we have lived in our house for well over 4 years now and the campus is only about 8 miles or so from us. Even when we first moved down here and they were still playing in the Citrus Bowl we were never more than a quick 20-30 minute car ride away. Even with my beloved Orange being pretty awful for the last 10 years, they were the only team that I would bend my schedule to see (including once driving 4.5 hours each way to see a game).

However, via the generosity of Will (@willspot) offering to take us along to the homecoming game this weekend we finally broke through whatever barrier was holding us back all this time.

After getting there a few hours in advance and setting up some shade, it was time to sit back with a few beers, some good food, and watch a little of the other college football action happening elsewhere.

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Doing my best to help get to the beer drinking part.

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The students were out in force.

Though there is no photographic evidence, Will has engineered a very nice satellite setup to watch television with while tailgating. The Wife enjoyed it so much I think there were thoughts of running a cable out to the back yard just to watch television in the cool fall breeze on Saturdays and Sundays.

Yes, I did mention that we enjoyed a few beers and since that is what I typically mention on this site I will be a bit more specific. Since Will is one who enjoys Porters, Stouts and dark ales in general that is what I brought along for the occasion. A little Bell’s Expedition Stout, Bell’s Double Cream Stout, Great Divide Hibernation Ale , and some Terrapin Reunion ’10 did a lot to make the afternoon more enjoyable. I am pretty sure we went a lot heavier (and craftier) with our beers than was the norm for everyone else that afternoon.

After enjoying the tasty tasty beers (and food) it was off to what we were actually there for.

5111363398 43f6188a24 Back To College

Getting the crowd worked up before the start of the game.

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I love seeing the whole field at once.

5111363648 9c40e42c6a Back To College

The Wife getting her cheer on.

The game itself was not very competitive (as UCF made Rice look pretty bad) but the experience and the afternoon was a lot of fun. For an abundance of reasons that some of the readers of this site can attest to, taking a Saturday off to enjoy a football game was not typical of my college experience. If only for that reason it was nice to be on a campus and in that environment again.

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Dante and Kevin enjoying the halftime recognition.

Many thanks to Will for thinking of us and giving us the chance to enjoy the day of football fun with him!

 Posted by Lucas at 7:00 pm  Tagged with: , , , ,

Great Divide Brewing Co. – Smoked Baltic Porter

 Beer Reviews  No Responses »
Oct 202010
 

There are no efforts made by me to hide my appreciation for all things Great Divide, so I don’t ever hesitate to try one of their beers that I have yet to get my hands on. With fond memories of St. Bridget’s floating around in my head I made sure to get this one when I had a chance.

As a side note I must turn to a further explanation of the style for this beer. What I have indicated below is what I think is correct and is what I wrote down before looking into it further. Then I went and looked at the Great Divide website as I do with every beer when possible. The summary of the beer there includes “dark lager” and “medium-bodied lager” as part of the description. That leaves me confused as a Porter is not a lager. Just because I am curious I will likely try to look into it further, but right now I am not sure what to make of that.

As a second side note I will mention that I had some of this beer again days after initially having it. The beer was from the same keg each time. The second time the smokiness seemed to be more prominent than I remembered it being upon first taste (which is what you see below). Yet another reason to always try a beer at least a few times before issuing a final opinion I guess.

So now for the midweek B Note . . .

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

Name: Smoked Baltic Porter

Style: Baltic Porter / Smoked Beer

ABV: 6.20%

Location: Redlight Redlight – George at the bar

Tasting Notes:

  • Dark, dark brown to black with the appearance of being opaque, though is clear at edges and can see through when held to light.
  • Light tan head with good retention and leaving a solid trail.
  • Good smokiness in aroma on top of a roasted malt character with some crispness/sharpness to it.
  • Nice, relatively mild smoky flavor floating on top of good roasted maltiness that brings a bit of chocolate to the equation.
  • Fairly mild overall flavor though it lingers a bit with some dryness at the finish.
  • Medium to light body (much lighter drinking than appearance implies).
  • Smooth and slightly creamy.
  • Only makes me crave a St. Bridget’s to chase it with.
5091193656 dcf48e42e8 Great Divide Brewing Co. Smoked Baltic Porter

Great Divide Brewing Co. - Smoked Baltic Porter

 Posted by Lucas at 7:00 pm  Tagged with: , , , ,
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