Great Divide Brewing “Titan IPA” Review (#136)

Great Divide Brewing "Titan IPA"

 

Great Divide Brewing
“Titan IPA”
Denver, CO

From The Brewery

Titan IPA is a big, aggressively hopped India Pale Ale brewed for hop disciples. It starts out with piney hop aromas and citrus hop flavors, and finishes with a nice rich, malty sweetness that is balanced with crisp hop bitterness.

ABV:7.1%

Review

Appearance: As usual, I enjoyed this beer in my tulip glass. It pours a pretty 24k gold yellow with a nice white cap that leaves MASSIVE lacing.

Smell: Giant citrus orange hops with a backbone of sweet toasty caramel malt.

Taste: A ton of hops, but still very balanced. Starts off big orange citrus followed up by a toasted malt sweetness – like a lightly toasted English muffin. Building over the beer is flavors of grapefruit, yeast esters and a little heat. A whole bunch of citrus and hops.

Mouthfeel:Creamy, full with the right amount of carbonation.

Drinkability: Higher than some with this ABV.

Notes: A very solid American/Colorado style IPA. Great Divide never has let me down; they always make exemplary versions of all the beers they make.

Great Divide “Hoss Rye Lager” Review (#063)

Great Divide Brewing Co.
“Hoss Rye Lager”
Denver, Colorado
http://www.greatdivide.com/

From The Brewery:

Hoss is based on the Marzen lagers of Germany. Rich, layered malt notes, with hints of cherry and dark fruits, dominate, while the unique addition of rye imparts a slightly earthy, spicy character. Hoss finishes crisp crisp and dry, and its brilliant red-orange color is a toast to the sunsets that make the perfect backdrop for this beer. 6.2% ABV

Review:

Appearance: I poured this red-orange liquid into my favorite tasting glass; my tulip. There was a small, creamy head with some chunk, that dissipated shortly. As this is Marzen, related to the Oktoberfest, it has that orange hue that I love, but with a bit more red. A great looking beer.

Smell: Mild smelling; sweet caramel and a little bit of spice mixed with a light roast. Also a nice amount of lager yeast.

Taste: Deep and spicy, with a bit of earth. The rye is very subtle, but noticeable in a peppery way on the finish. There is a faint amount of hops, as the rye spice balances out against malt sweetness, which is mixed with the rye on the finish. Crisp up front, spice on the back.

Mouthfeel:Light and drying; the spice finishes nice and leaves you wanting another sip, similar to a bitter IPA.

Drinkability/Palitability: Medium; enjoyable and smooth, but you want something to quench your thirst after this due to its spice.

Notes: Enjoyable. I am really interested in trying more rye beers; the only other one I have sampled to date has been Saranacs Rye Pilsner, which I also enjoyed. I was hoping to try this with some corn beef and cabbage as rye bread is great with that meal.

Oskar Blues “GUBNA Imperial IPA” Review (#060)

Oskar Blues
GUBNA Imperial IPA
Lyons, CO
http://www.oskarblues.com/

From The Brewery:

Emphasizing that complexity of character can arise from simple elements, this ale is made with 3 malts and 1 hop. Its light amber color and slightly spicy malt character are derived from the use of German Dark Munich Malt and Rye Malt respectively. North American 2-row barley combines with the other grains to lay the foundation for the hop onslaught to come. Summit hops are used exclusively in the boil for bitterness, flavor and aroma but it doesn’t end there. Post-fermentation dry hopping allows the 10% ABV monstrosity to gently coax the citrus rind and grapefruit aroma to join the 100 IBUs already present. This beer will greet you with a pungent citrus blast, provide a spicy yet round middle and finish with a brisk, clean bitterness.

Review:

Appearance:I enjoyed this Imperial IPA in a tulip glass, pouring the hazy orange liquid in with a huge crown of white, creamy head on top.

Smell:A big smelling beer; sweet pineapple, floral hops, and a little esters from the yeast.

Taste: One of the most full flavored beers; huge sweetness of grapefruit and malts, with a punch of sticky, earthy, hops that taste like Cannabis smells. There is a great malt balance here, with some heat and bready yeast esters. It leaves your mouth full of all of these flavors that just keep rotating what is most upfront each time you sip it and as it warms.

Mouthfeel:Big and heavy; with little carbonation – how I like it. Mouthfeel is perfect on this one.

Drinkability/Palitability:Surprisingly high for what it is; a big bad 10% 100IBU beer. It is something you savor and pace yourself with, but I could have followed the can up with another immediately, but would have been toast after that.

Notes: Another great job done by Oskar Blues. A beer that lives up to its hype.

Oskar Blues “Old Chub Scottish Ale” Review (#035)

Oskar Blues
Old Chub Scottish Ale
Lyons, Colorado

From The Brewery:

This jaw-dropping Scottish strong ale (8% ABV) is brewed with bodacious amounts of malted barley and specialty grains, and a dash of beechwood-smoked malt. Old Chub features a skim-milk mouthfeel, semi-sweet flavors of cocoa and coffee, and a kiss of smoke. A head-turning treat for malt heads and folks who think they don’t dig dark beer.
While Dale’s satisfies our hop addiction, Old Chub takes care of our deep affections for malt. The cola-colored beer (almost black) features a tan head, a creamy, skim-milk mouthfeel, and rich, semi-sweet flavors of caramel and chocolate throughout. The addition of smoked grains gives Old Chub a delicate kiss of smoke on the finish.

Old Chub is the beer equivalent of a lightly smoked single malt scotch, or your favorite dark chocolate. We call it Rocky Mountain Mutha’s Milk. People who tell us defiantly, “I don’t drink dark beer,” often fall deeply in love with Old Chub. We can’t blame them.

Review:

Appearance: This dark striking ruby red was poured into a Sam Adam pint glass, capped off at the top by a chunky tan head.

Smell: It gave off a mild aroma of sweet Scottish malts, yeast esters, and faint alcohol. Very inviting.

Taste: Roast and chocolate with a smooth sweet finish. This is a very malty beer with little hops to be found. Sticky sweet.

Mouthfeel: A full bodied creamy beer; weighty, with smooth carbonation.

Drinkability: High; this brew goes down very easily with no hesitation.

Notes: Best Scottish ale in a can; from the first American craft brewery to use cans. Always use a glass.

Great Divide “Yeti Imperial Stout” Review (#004)

Great Divide Brewing
Yeti Imperial Stout”
Denver, CO
http://www.greatdivide.com/

From The Brewery:

Old Yeti is an onslaught of the senses. It starts with big, roasty malt flavor that gives way to rich caramel and toffee notes. YETI gets its bold hop character from an enormous quantity of American hops. It weighs in at a hefty 75 IBUs. 9.5% ABV

Bottled date: April 08, 2009

Review:

Appearance: Poured very dark opaque viscous black with zero light passing through. Nice mocha colored head that is nice sized and great lacing.

Smell: Rich roasted malts, no burnt notes. Notes of bakers chocolate and slight heat.

Taste: Smooth deep roast with drying licorice finish. This beer has a ton of hops, which adds an anise component played against the earthy licorice.

Mouthfeel: Thick and heavy, like a chocolate milk. Carbonation adds a pleasant movement that is not distracting.

Drinkability/Palitability: This is a huge beer, which warms going down. I split the bomber, but could have finished it all; more than that would be too much.

Notes: I have tried the Oak Aged Yeti before having this one. I really enjoyed the heavier mouthfeel and bolder flavors of the Oak Aged; I would recommend the regular version before this one, especially if you are not use to large beers. This is a fantastic Imperial Stout that would be great to try after being cellared for a year or two longer. I paired this bottle with some dark chocolate, that complemented this beer.