Great Divide Samurai

Brewed by Great Divide Brewing Company
Style: Golden Ale/Blond Ale
Denver, Colorado USA

Poured vigorously into a pint glass with a pale yellow colour and small white frothy head. Nose of floral hops and cotton candy. Initial taste is of citrus hops, grain and mild sweet malts and fruits. Finishing with a light bitter hops and dry chalky finish. Light bodied. Palate duration is average. Good head retention and lacing of the glass. Overall a great starter beer for the night.

Very excited to try this, I know Great D has some great brews, I even think there DPA is pretty good. Smells like any other clean pale yellow beer. Magnificent precipitant swirl in an otherwise pale yellow brew. Fine carbonation. Fizz is perfect as with most of Great Divide’s brews. Rather crisp and refreshing. Overall a very well behaved ale. There is however a slight bitter finish, that fades rather rapidly. Leaves no bad after taste.

Bottle. Hazy pale gold color with a bright white head. Green bell pepper aroma with some light biscuits. There is a little bit of grainy character. The taste is grainy bread crust with the rice character. There is some unsalted roast peanut shell. This is light and different. However, I am not sure of the goal with this beer. Is it just a gimmick to use some rice? Seems like it to me.

On tap @ brewery during the 2006 GABF open house. MIldly sweet unassuming aroma. Taste is sweet, you get the rice taste at first. Clean finish. An easy drinking beer, preferable to most BMC’s.

A nice golden ale. Aroma was so so with a hint of sweet malt and not much else. Pour was a light gold with a thin white ring for a head that didn’t stay around long. Taste was unoffensive and sweet. Tastes like a sweet Budweiser. If this was very cold and I was at a picnic it couldn’t be beat. I find it odd this is a summer seasonal and it just popped up now in December in Pittsburgh.

12oz bottle courtesy of Degarth. Pours a very lemonade-esq body with only a small white head. Very fizzy in appearance, resolves to a layer of foam. A bit of cloudiness to the body, but no noticeable sediment. Nose of wheat, citrus fruits, sweet malt, some bitter hops and grass. I believe I can smell some adjunct in there, but maybe that’s because I KNOW it’s in there. Flavor is pretty similar, malts and fruits, adding some grains. Med-long finish, bitter and drying. Slightly watery palate, light bodied and crisp. Refreshing. Interesting, but not something I would reach for very often.

Bottle. Looks like urine, has soapy head. Aroma is slightly wheaty. Somewhat creamy, carbonated palate. Not a lot of taste. Little, if no, aftertaste. Disappointed that I have 5 left to drink, but I’ll survive.

Sl. hazy yellow pour. Aroma is really of nothing. Tastes like an average wheat beer even though I know it is made with rice.