Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout

22 oz bomber- poured into wide room temp wide mug. Poured very dark with a head that formed slow but very strong from the bottom of the mug. nice dark brown head that stood strong and tall for a long time. Aroma was very nice. After letting the head settle the head stayed dark at the bottom and showed a lighter dark brown at the top. Very nice lacing as the head didn’t want to let go of the glass. Flavor was amazing. I am new to this rating and tasting but I have certainly found a beer style that I really enjoy. The flavor was a nice mix of bitter (not too bitter) and malt and sweet. Very nice. I will look forward to introducing this beer to friends. I will be sure to visit this brew again soon.

22oz. bomber, almost nine bucks at Sam’s, 100th pctl beer? ok, here it goes- didn’t rouse much of a head but what was there was very finely bubbled and sticky. Daaarrrk mocha brown. Really great freshly crushed hop cone aroma, creamy chocolate nougat, dank pine forest after a rainstorm when the sun comes back out. The tongue is first coated with a dextrinous, silky blanket that graciously yelds to waves of bittter espresso with a hint of unsweetened oaken vanilla and then a green sea of hop bitterness washes it all away. Surpassed my expectations, really great imperial that is, surprisingly, nowhere near over-the-edge, just huge in all the right ways. Flippin’ sweet.

2006 (?) Vintage

7/20/2008: Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout doesn’t seem as dark as the regular Yeti as it appears more dark and less black. It has a small tan head that doesn’t stay on top very long. Vanilla and candy-like citrus are most evident in the aroma. It actually smells more like an aged barleywine than an Imperial Stout. The flavor begins with caramelized malt and bits of roastiness and semi-sweet chocolate along with an assertive citrusy hop flavor accompanied by some piney hoppiness as well. Vanilla cream and subtle oak (in the background toward the finish) follow quitely and are faily pronounced. The flavors imparted by the oak aging definitely supress the robust roastiness and over-arching hoppiness of the regular Yeti somewhat, yet manage to blend and create and favorable flavor balance at wamer temperatures (the vanilla begins to retract and the citrusy hops come forth more readily). The body of this beer is medium-full (a bit more thin than the regular Yeti), but it is still very smooth and has a mellow mouthfeel. Overall one can tell that the original Yeti is hiding out underneath the vanilla and oakiness. While this is definitely acceptable and creates a really nice beer, some may more greatly appreciate the robustness and obvious assertive hoppiness delivered by the regular, non-oaked Yet Imperial Stout...

1 Pint 6 fl. oz. bottle (9.5% Alc. By Vol. / 75 IBUs) sent to me by jsh12bama in September 2006. Thanks Jason! Rating #1217 for this beer...

Poured black into my snifter with a big brown head. Aroma is roasted malt, chocolate and coffee. Flavor is the same with a nicely infused wooden oaky tones. Hops are noticable but not overdone, the bitterness is well balanced with the malt. Palate is medium body not like the motor oil of Dark Lord but almost refreshing for a big stout. Carbonation is slight and only gets you in the back of the throat. Well worth the hype this is up there with Dark Lord, Speedway, and Black Albert.

Bottle shared with 1_2many. Completely black in color with a thick brown/tan head. The aroma is an excellent combination of hops and roasted malt. Flavor is intensely hoppy as well, with more roasted malt, and sweet chocolate. Fairly full bodied with a dry finish. A wonderful balance of robust malt and hops. I’ve been waiting to try this beer for a long time, and it didn’t let me down.