Great Divide Fresh Hop Pale Ale

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

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker

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Slightly peachy, resiny and slighly minty, piny biting hops on the aroma. Surprisingly soft in the mouth. Slightly vermouth tasting before the hops take over. Not *that* bitter, mind you, but it’s the hops that rule this beer. They rule mildly though.

22oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Nice hazy copper color with a nice frothy white to off-white two finger head with excellent retention and nice somewhat spotty lacing. Aroma of pine and citrus hops with some malt coming through. Taste starts with a slightly sweet malt flavor almost such as in a amber ale that quickley goes to a nice piney hop with a moderately bitter citrus hop finish that is nice and dry. The somewhat moderate carbonation allows this beer to go down nice and smooth. Overall this is a very solid APA and is nicely ballanced and as complex as anyone can except from an APA. Recommended but at $9 for a 22oz bottle will not be seeking out on a regular basis.

Bottle at bar. Amber color, white head. Hoppy taste with lots of caramel, citrus and dry bitter finish. Excellent IPA.

Appearance: copper and orange under a massive pithy bready head. Lace abounds and fades like a volcano like a reverse donut - bubbly and meringue-like.
Nose: citrus abounds with grapefruit. Pine sap and sticky hop resins. Freshly mown dew-dropped grass. Crunchy melba and toast underneath while weaving in and out. Lime and lemon. Juicy and fresh.
Palate: oohlala. Tingly and lively and vibrant. Lemon, lime, and pine with white and yellow grapefruit holding it all together. More lemon and lime in the finish. Medium-light weight and mouthfeel. Crunchy sweet honeyed melba and crust for all to stand on top of. Pine is an essence along the edge.
Final Thoughts: hops are beautiful and delicious and fresh hops are super beautiful and super delicious. Great Divide never lets me down and they didn’t this time either. Available in a 22oz bomber, fear not and savor until the very last drop. I did.

Originally reviewed: 1/16/09. Pours a darker gold with a nice foamy white head. Great lacing. Smells really hoppy for an APA. Nice floral tones and some definitive citrus. I could easily mistake this for an IPA. Nice crips hop bitterness. A little too bitter for an APA. Lacks some of the sweet balance that this style is know for. Is there such a thing as an imperial APA? If so, this is it. Slight roasty flavor mixed in as well. I like this. Recommend.

650ml bottle from Bierzwerg. Dark amber colour with huge head. Aroma is caramel, citrus. Flavous is malty, not that hoppy. Bottle was not that fresh, would love to try it again.

The freshness of the hoops comes out most strongly in the nose. A pungent pine aroma accentuates sharp bitterness throughout the tasting. Delicious blend of spicyness, maltiness, and bitterness.

Had an older bottle, bottled in October drank in April. It lost a lot of the niceness that I expected. Whole cone doesn’t carry well with age. Beer on sale is not a great idea!

Pours a clear amber color with a big white head and decent lacing. Aroma of caramel, citrusy fruits and grassy hops. Taste is of grassy hops, caramel malts, grapefruit citrus and pine. Seems well balanced. Medium bodied.

Cloudy amber,small beige head.Piney hop nose.Nicely balanced hop/malt palate with a long medium strength hop finish. Medium bodied

Pours a light orange color with a good sized white head, and good lacing. smell is of malt, caramel, and citrus hops. taste is of caramel sweetness in front and a piny bitterness that finishes well. Medium bodied.