Great Divide Fresh Hop Pale Ale

Brewed by Great Divide Brewing Company
Style: American Pale Ale
Denver, Colorado USA

Although it is an APA it is a weak representation of style. Hops are too weak and the taste is lacking in the amount of hops that I like. There is a bit of a nutty toffee like flavor but the body is weak and watery. Decent but nothing great.

Pour is auburn with a nice white head that leaves lace around the glass. Aroma of pine, citrus and grass. Flavor is bitter and quite dry. Medium bodied. Nice beer.

As the cap releases its soft chuff I’m taking aback by an initial oniony odor… upon pouring, I am reassured by familiar aromas of grapefruit, peach, and candycanes, Subtler, soft pear and pudding presences vie with unexpected MDF and rice vinegar plot twists. Oh yes, the color is hazy amber, boasting a short but stubborn whipped cream head and a gazillion tiny uprising bubbles, and lace rings spiral dizzily inside my glass. The first sip bewilders with a buttery malt bombshell of fresh-churned creamy calories. Peculiar humulus traits follow almost meekly, comprised of cilantro and clove spice… not fruity at all, as the bouquet suggests. An impression of chives arises intermittently in both taste and smell. The finish: green apple and wax crayons. Very odd indeed. A thick, fatty palate emphasizes the butter imagery and is further richened by soft, wooly carbonation. This confused concoction closes with a salty and minty toothpaste aftertaste and clipped, brambly bitterness. If one could ignore the myriad idiosyncrasies, the drinker would discover an utterly ordinary and bland beer... it’s hard to imagine how such a hop-deficient, banal ale of meager attributes merits consistently high scores.

[Draft @ Capone’s] Poured a lightly hazy dark golden color with a medium sized, off white head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of floral hops, citrus fruits, orange, pine, toasted malts, and grass. Taste of citrus fruits, orange peel, caramel malts, light toast, with some pine, resin, and a grapefruit bitterness.

Pours a clear medium gold with an airy light tan head. Fairly subdued hops aromas with light spice and some grassiness. Pleasant grain profile with some astringency that pairs well alonside the hops aspects. Well-balanced bitterness makes for an even mouthfeel with nice flavor peaks.

Wonderful grassy hop aroma, with a touch of sweetness lurking beneath. Pours a clear amber with about a half inch of rocky white head. Nice clean flavor, hops being the predominant flavor. Notes of pine and grapefruit. Not as bitter of a finish as expected. Very drinkable and tasty. About the only downside on this beer is the cost.

Nice clear golden coloured body with orange highlights and a thinnish dense off-white head. Aroma of fresh hops (of course), strong malt, pine cones and a grapefruit bitterness. Medium-bodied; Strong hoppy flavour up front that shows a good bitterness, followed by a good malt backbone. Aftertaste has plenty more bitter hop flavours and a very light sweetness of fresh apricots - followed by alcohol and malt. Overall, a good and fresh APA, not as best as the absolute best, but still up there as a really good ’harvest ale’ that should be reliable! I sampled this 65 cL bottle purchased from Whole Foods in Vienna, Virginia on 02-December-2007.

Bomber. Aroma of resin and citrus (though not exactly grapefruit). Amber color with a decent white head. Medium body with near creamy carbonation. The flavor is something caramel with a lot of floral and noble hop. The hop has the lead, and the malt slips away. The finish is decently dry, and the hop continues to build. It’s actually rather soft and smooth for such a hoppy drink.