Saison, Great Divide Brewing Company, Denver Colorado

Great Divide's farmhouse style ale offering is simply titled Saison - Known for their yeast presence they tend to be refreshing yet robust. Let's give Great Divide's a sample....

It pours a straw, near copper color with a white head.

The aroma is strong yeast with peppery spice. There is also orange and citrus at the end.

This Saison is bright and refreshing with a light/medium body. Yeast and peppery spice are present on the tongue, then citrus arrives at the end. There is also slight coriander in the finish.

The aftertaste is slightly sour and bitter with dominant citrus tones.

A wonderful, refreshing summer seasonal. At 7.3%, it holds it's own - yet the citrus and yeast keep it lively and fresh -

Enjoy!

Espresso Oak Aged Yeti, Great Divide Brewing Company, Denver Colorado

I enjoyed this one during a trip a bit ago to Colorado. It was my first time in Denver and we instantly migrated to one of my favorite breweries - Great Divide Brewing. On take was this - the Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout. This is a stout aged in oak chips with espresso added. A perfect addition to the Christmas in July series....

It pours opaque with a big caramel colored head.

The aroma is deep malt with chocolate tones. Coffee and mild smokiness are also there.

It has a thick full body loaded with chocolate and coffee roastiness. Deep malt residue on the tongue and palate. It lingers with layers of chocolate, coffee, malt and has a slight bitterness in the finish.

The aftertaste is thick alcohol and malt roastiness that carries for awhile.

A big robust beer at 9.5%....

Cheers!

Claymore Scotch Ale, Great Divide Brewing Company, Denver Colorado

A recent and very consistent favorite of mine has been the Great Divide Brewing from Denver Colorado. Scotch style ales or "Wee Heavy" beers are absolutely delicious and I was excited to find this one at Belmont Station.
Let's give it a try...

It pours opaque with a caramel colored head.

The aroma is sweet malt with a nice smokiness.

It has a creamy full body, smoky malt with an alcohol sweetness. It starts light, but builds to a nice rounded maltiness.

The aftertaste is biscuity malt with a mild sweetness.

This is a delicious beer and at 7.7% holds up the wee heavy half of the bargain. It's a great beer with a lot of depth. I highly recommend seeking it out.

Cheers!

Yeti Imperial Stout, Great Divide Brewing, Denver Colorado

Beware the Yeti!
I'm not one for warnings, so let's venture forth.....

It pours opaque and thick with a thin caramel colored head.

The aroma is BIG roasted malt with mild vanilla and chocolate tones.

The full body is creamy with big roasty malt. It is fairly smooth for being so thick. There isn't much sweetness in the slight vanilla that arrives in the body of the bear. It manages to stick to the malty hearty side of things. The beer dominates the palate. It is bitter in the finish.

The aftertaste is bitter chocolate - thick and malty.

This is a great imperial stout, I like that it steers clear of the sweetness. There is also an Oak-Aged Yeti that is worth the search. Great Divide has very good distribution and you should be able to find it in both beer stores and finer grocery stores in 6 packs and 22 oz bottles -

Track one down!
Cheers!

Hibernation Ale, Great Divide Brewing Company, Denver Colorado

We push further into the realm of winter beers....Tonights offering comes from Great Divide Brewing Company in Denver Colorado. It is aged three months and only available November 1st until the 15th of December - so act now!

The beer pours a deep deep amber.

The smell is all roastiness, intense with a slight sweetness.

The taste is full and robust. It is malty and very dry. The bitterness works with the malt nicely - adding a little balance to help it from getting overly thick. It has a biscuity flavor and slight chocolate tones, as well.

The aftertaste leaves a nice roastiness.

This "strong ale" is a great winter warmer. It is 8.1% and available in six-packs. I've seen this beer as far as the East Coast before, so availability shouldn't be too much of a problem. According to the website, this beer will age well, so I am adding it as the first beer on my Beers To Store Away List, I'm going to seek out 1 or a few to put in the beer storage for next year.

Cheers!