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.

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