Great Divide Samurai

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

Serve in English pint, Shaker

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UPDATED: SEP 22, 2006 On draught at the brewery, 9/30/2005. Pours a light, yet unfiltered (basically a chill haze) and rather shiny golden-yellow, with an absolute perfect amount of white, foamy head. Retained all the way to the bottom of the glass with ample lacing. Probably speaks to how fresh this stuff is. Sparkling appearance, with large bubbles rising. Aroma has notes of dry, papery/grainy malted grains, dry rice-like notes and a bit of dry doughiness from the yeast, kind of like overboiled white rice. A hint of lemon-pepper from the hops. Flavor is dry, with a very light body, mostly water and rice, some light graininess and a moderately sharp finish, not altogether unlike some notes you get from sake. But that’s not surprising because I knew to look for the rice, being in abundance at 20% of the grain bill. Carbonation was a bit too stiff and sharp for my liking, but it wasn’t unclean in my book. Light lemons and sponge cake as it warms, soft, almost nutty-like hops bitterness is light, with little to no hops flavor. Some honey rounds out the finish. Obviously, it could stand to have more malt flavor, more hops and less rice and high water to malt ratio, but for what it’s shooting for, it does pretty well. Like a clean, well-made version of Coors Light. Really like the lack of filtration. Though it was too carbonated, it did have a good amount of substance to it, relative to style.

Lasting white head covers the clear light golden robe. Not very smelly at all, husky, candied light malts do have that ricey kick, while softly peppery hops have no pretension to add more character than it already has. Light and thin bodied, rather sweet and dull.

Draught at the brewery. Light, grainy aroma, bready and citric with faint lemony touches. Light-medium golden color, mostly clear, with a fine, creamy head.Lightly sweet, honeyish, bready/grainy flavor, with a gentle hop finish. Slight citrus (lemon) throughout. Pretty well balanced. Very light mouthfeel; effervescent. Not bad but very light and incredibly simple profile, would definitely work best as a "lawn mowing beer".

09.29.05 Tap. Clouded yellow gold. Thick white head lasts. Fine lace. Aroma is sour and fruity, some tropical fruits, something grainy. Sweet pex flavors, strawberry , tart. Uninspired. Finishes wet and sweet.

tap at the brewery. uhhh, i had to double check this with brian dunn, but they are serious with this. i guess it does fit a whole in their beer lineup. poured hazed whitish with a thick cream head. not much aroma, just a tad lemon grass. taste is clean but empty. not unsatisfying, but neutral. some yarn like flavor to this.

Tap at the brewery. Nose is heavy laden with adjuncts. Golden straw body with a film of bubbles. Taste-ricey, cornflakes, but clean and crisp. Good light bitter on the finish. Not an every day drinker, but doable.

Pour is clear golden yellow, nice white head...smell is herbal and almost has a basil quality...vegetal bitterness...

(draft) Golden body with white head. Aroma is medium sweet, grainy. Taste is medium sweet, grainy, some apple. Light body.

golden color w/ a quick to dissapate white head w/ some nice lacing. Very small aroma light grain and malt maybe. palate coats well but to thin. Light bitter flavor w/ a tiny carmel and some grass and rice. Nothing special here.. reminds me to much of bud. Sampled at the brewery during GABF

UPDATED: OCT 30, 2007 Sampled at the Brewery on draught. Sharp and I suppose not surprisingly somewhat sweet rice pudding aroma. Cloudy yellow. Grainy taste in the fore, mildly rice pudding sweet in the middle with a low key hop finish. Not a show stopper, but an enjoyable beer.