Great Divide

SEASONAL RETURN: Great Divide Espresso Yeti

This coffee laden, oaky, bottle of goodness is Great Divide Brewing’s Espresso Oak Aged Yeti making it’s seasonal appearance.  This is 1 of 4 yeti siblings, all imperial stouts.  Coffee is best when paired with beer.

Commercial Description:
is a new addition Continue Reading →

SEASONAL RETURN: Great Divide Hibernation

Returning for the fall/winter is Great Divide’s Hibernation.  2010 marks the 15th anniversary of  this beer.  Hibernation is brewed the first week of July, and cellared at the brewery until October.  It’s sold only for 6 weeks.  It’s malty, warming Continue Reading →

Great Divide Fresh Hop

Fall is the hop harvest, and with it comes fresh/wet hopped beers.  Great Divide Brewing (Denver, CO) does great things, especially in bottle.  Hop heads this is another beer for you.  It’s not overly hoppy, but fresh. Very fresh.

Commercial Description:
Fresh Continue Reading →

NEW RELEASE: Great Divide Rumble

As just mentioned in the previous post about Great Divide’s brewery expansion here is the second new release by the brewery.   Rumble has arrived to join Smoked Baltic Porter as the newest releases from the Denver, Colorado brewery.

According to Continue Reading →

COMING SOON: Great Divide Rumble

Today I received and email inviting me to a release party at the tap room at Great Divide Brewing in Denver, Colorado.  Obviously I can’ t just hop on a plane and go even though I’d like to.  On August 6th, Great Continue Reading →

Posted in Great Divide, Seasonal Return

SEASONAL RETURN: Great Divide Espresso Yeti

This coffee laden, oaky, bottle of goodness is Great Divide Brewing’s Espresso Oak Aged Yeti making it’s seasonal appearance.  This is 1 of 4 yeti siblings, all imperial stouts.  Coffee is best when paired with beer.

Commercial Description:
is a new addition to the Yeti clan. A generous infusion of espresso adds yet another layer of complexity to this beer, combining with the vanilla oak character, intense roasty maltiness and bold hop profile to create a whole new breed of mythical creature. It’s official: You can now have Yeti with breakfast.

Style: Imperial stout (oak aged, w/coffee)

Taste Expectations: Subtle vanilla oak,  bittersweet chocolate.  Espresso Yeti is roasty, creamy, and smooth.  Chocolate, vanilla coffee. drink & repeat.

Availability: 22oz bombers. Draft. Seasonal January – April.

Cellar? Yes, but coffee fades quick.  Fresher the better on this yeti

9.5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Great Divide, Seasonal Return

SEASONAL RETURN: Great Divide Hibernation

Returning for the fall/winter is Great Divide’s Hibernation.  2010 marks the 15th anniversary of  this beer.  Hibernation is brewed the first week of July, and cellared at the brewery until October.  It’s sold only for 6 weeks.  It’s malty, warming and assertive.

Commerical Description:
Hibernation has been our celebrated winter tradition since 1995. This robust, dry-hopped ale has a malty richness balanced with a complex hop profile and hearty, warming character.

Style: Old Ale

Taste Expectations: Sweet darks malts. Molasses & toffee.  Small hints of dark fruits.  Touch of caramel, & alcohol.

Availability: 12oz/6 pks. Draft.  Seasonal sold 6 weeks starting in Oct.

8.1% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Great Divide, Seasonal Return

Great Divide Fresh Hop

Fall is the hop harvest, and with it comes fresh/wet hopped beers.  Great Divide Brewing (Denver, CO) does great things, especially in bottle.  Hop heads this is another beer for you.  It’s not overly hoppy, but fresh. Very fresh.

Commercial Description:
Fresh Hop Pale Ale is brewed with fresh, whole cone hops from the Pacific Northwest.  We ship these “wet” hops to Denver overnight and brew shortly after harvest, imparting an intensely grassy hop aroma and citrus hop flavor in a medium-bodied ale.

Style: American Pale Ale

Taste Expectations: A mix of fresh pine & citrus hops.  Hops are crisp & juicy. Sweet caramel malts balance this beer nicely.

Food Pairings: GD recomends Epoisses, a runny, rich intensely perfumed cheese from France, Grilled trout, Bratwurst, Garlic/ginger sweet potatoes

Availability: 22oz Bombers.  Some Draft.  October-November seasonally.

6.1% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Great Divide, New Releases

NEW RELEASE: Great Divide Rumble

As just mentioned in the previous post about Great Divide’s brewery expansion here is the second new release by the brewery.   Rumble has arrived to join Smoked Baltic Porter as the newest releases from the Denver, Colorado brewery.

According to the description — Rumble is an oak aged IPA.  Some of you may immediately think about the 15th and 16th Anniversary releases by Great Divide. While this brew is based on the same idea, Rumble is indeed different.  The flavor profile is a departure from the anniversary releases, along with the ABV being less.

From the label —

“Rumble IPA is an American IPA with subtle nuance. Brewed with heavy-handed additions of Pacific Northwest hops, this beer is gently aged on French and American oak resulting in a wonderful balance of bitterness, caramel sweetness, vanilla, and undertones of pine and citrus.  Very inspiring.”

Taste Expectations: Subtle oak gives you light vanilla.  Citrus and pine hops mingle with pale and slight caramel hops.  It’s an American IPA with light oak notes.

Food Pairings: Marinated skirt steak, grilled sweet potatoes, ripe Brie or Talleggio cheese, apple crisp with creme friache ice cream.

Availability: 12/6 pks. Draft.  Seasonal. August-September, annually.  2010 marks first release.

7.1% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Great Divide, New Releases

NEW ARRIVAL: Great Divide Smoked Baltic Porter

One of the 2 newest beers in Great Divide (Denver, CO) post expansion days have arrived – Smoked Baltic Porter.  Great Divide recently completed a $1.2 million dollar expansion that added cooler space and an expanded bottling line, plus 2 1oo-barrel fermenters.  With those additions, Great Divide now has 7 fermenters, and can now bottle 125 more beers a minute.  Another added feature is the ability to laser label a bottling date on the labels.  These new releases add more depth to Great Divide’s portfolio.

From the label —
“Smoked Baltic Porter is the sultry sister of a storied style. Brewed with traditional German malts and hops, this dark lager gets its special twist from a hefty addition of Bamberg smoked malt. This smoldering, medium-bodied lager is sure to please.”

Taste Expectations: Flavors of smoke.  Molasses.  Darks fruits, roast malts.  Light touch of cocoa.

Availability: 22oz Bombers. Draft

6.2% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Great Divide, New Releases

COMING SOON: Great Divide Smoked Baltic Porter

As I mentioned yesterday, I got an email invite to the release party for Great Divide’s 2 newest beers – Rumble and Smoked Baltic Porter.  Yesterday, I mentioned Rumble, the new oak aged IPA.  Smoked Baltic Porter will also release in August.  If you find yourself in Denver, Colorado – home of Great Divide on August 6th – hit the tap room to try these first.

From the label –

“Smoked Baltic Porter is the sultry sister of a storied style. Brewed with traditional German malts and hops, this dark lager gets its special twist from a hefty addition of Bamberg smoked malt. This smoldering, medium-bodied lager is sure to please.”

Availability: 22oz Bombers. Draft

Arrival: Late August 2010

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Coming Soon, Great Divide

COMING SOON: Great Divide Rumble

Today I received and email inviting me to a release party at the tap room at Great Divide Brewing in Denver, Colorado.  Obviously I can’ t just hop on a plane and go even though I’d like to.  On August 6th, Great Divide is celebrating the release of 2 new beers to their line up.  I’ll posted what each are separately to highlight these new additions.

First up – “Rumble.”   According to the description – Rumble is an oak aged IPA.  Right now, Great Divide’s 16th Anniversary Oak Aged DIPA on on the shelves.  I don’t think this is a clone of this release.  I got in touch with a Great Divide rep, and the only info he had to offer is that it was going to be different than 16th Ann’y.   So, that’s all I know for now.

From the label –

“Rumble IPA is an American IPA with subtle nuance. Brewed with heavy-handed additions of Pacific Northwest hops, this beer is gently aged on French and American oak resulting in a wonderful balance of bitterness, caramel sweetness, vanilla, and undertones of pine and citrus.”

Availability: The brewery release party is August 6th.  It will also be shipping about that time.  Arriving in Atlanta late August in 12oz/6 pks & Draft.

7.1% ABV

Updates to follow…

by Reid Ramsay