Great Divide Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti
I picked up this brew a while ago but for some reason I’ve been holding off giving it a try. Maybe it’s because I find regular Yeti to be a tad bit overrated? Don’t get me wrong, it’s good stuff but doesn’t blow my mind like I thought it might of. So the other night I pulled out the Chocolate Oak Aged version only because I couldn’t fit anyone brews in my chest freezer. All I gotta say is that this version blew my mind. This beer is a doozy. So many big flavors coming at you at once. By the time I hit the bottom of the second glass I wanted more, then I realized how damn buzzed I was.
Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti pours thick and oily. Black as night. Oil like. A two finger head forms. Very dark tan head with great retention. The smell is fantastic. Sweet chocolate aroma. Roasted malt character and a little bit of a hoppy aroma. Lingering is the smell of hotness. Chilis and peppers. To top it off the nice smokiness from the Oak. Just a pleasure to drink but even better to taste.
Like in the the smell the chocolate flavor is up front. It’s sweet and rich. The oak comes in next and lingers on the tongue. Brown sugar then comes in next followed by the pepper. Now at first this beer might not wow you but as you drink this brew everything starts to add up, especially the pepper. It ends up burning in the end. Alcohol and the smokey oak flavor just sits in your mouth, mixed in with chocolate you get every sip it’s just an awesome combination. I would revisit this beer over and over again if I could find some more. You bet when I see this again I’ll be buying as many bottles as I can. The last star of the show is definitely the mouthfeel. Thick, smooth, oily. Goes down really nice. Maybe to nice because before you know it, this beer is gone and you’re buzzed out of your mind and the pepper is just sitting in your mouth. But you’re still begging for more.
Found: Grape and Gourmet, Virginia Beach, VA
Price: 7 dollars a bottle
Website: http://www.greatdivide.com/
What the company says: Welcome to the newest incarnation of our revered imperial stout. We toned down the hops a bit to allow cocoa nibs to contribute some pleasing bitterness, while vanilla notes from the oak combine with the cocoa to create an aroma and flavor akin to a gourmet chocolate bar. A dash of cayenne keeps things lively, adding just a bit of heat to the finish. A Yeti for summer? Hell yes. 9.5% ABV.
ABV%: 9.50%
Other beers to try from this brewery: Great Divide Belgica, Great Divide Titan IPA
Other beers to try within the same style: The Bruery Black Tuesday, Cigar City Hunahpus Imperial Stout
Rating: A
You just love bragging about that new chest freezer don’t ya?
I had to fit it in the story somehow =)
I have passed this one up too many times to remember. Probably because at my store it is $11 a bottle not $7 like you paid. However based on this review I’ll have to pick one up. Sounds like a great after dinner drinker with a bit of chocolate and some good conversation.
Don,
Don’t pass it up!! I loved this brew. Wish I had more. Chocolate is just one dimension of this beer.
Dave I had this on tap at my local beer store last week and it was amazing! One thing I found out, however, is that this year’s version has eliminated the cayenne pepper from the recipe. It still had a bite, but it tasted more black peppery to me. I’m going to pick up a growler for me and my buddy to split later this week! Should be a great night!
Glad you got to try it. It’s sad they are taking the cayenne pepper out. I thought it added a great dimension. Glad I got to try it before they did that. Growler of this stuff is dangerous =)