Beer pick of the week: Great Divide 15th Anniversary Ale
July 30th, 2009 by Jeff Holland in Drink
Great Divide Brewing Company
Denver, CO
10.0% ABV
Great Divide celebrates its 15th year in business with a potent Double India Pale Ale aged on French and American oak to “round off the edges.” Indeed, it’s a very drinkable DIPA, with tons of malt complexity and vanilla essence to balance the aggressive hop bill.
Unlike typical over-the-top hop bombs, the initial nose carries significant fruity esters, along with brandy-like alcohol and vanilla. Floral hops, pineapple, and fresh wet pine needles round out the subtle (for a DIPA), inviting aroma. Toffee sweetness hits first in the taste, followed by a solid, resinous smack of hops. The malts, oak and citric bite of hops combine to create a whiskey sour-like quality, right down to the smoky, boozy warmth and cherry sweetness. Oaky dryness and vanilla hold onto the middle, with a pine and grapefruit rind hop bitterness rising in the finish. An alcohol burn lingers in the sinuses on the long fade.
Considering the strong elements contributed by the wood aging, the mouthfeel is somewhat raw and grainy and could be a bit softer and creamier. No doubt some further aging will help with that, as well as mellowing the burn. Medium-full and sticky, this is definitely a sipper, but balanced and enjoyable. I had no problem finishing a 22-oz bomber, leaving me warm and happy.
July 31st, 2009 at 9:34 am
Looks good. I might try it. Do you know if it ages well? (Typically, IPAs do not age well, especially those that are malty, like Great Divide’s.)
July 31st, 2009 at 10:16 am
I think this is somewhat of a personal consideration. Many people will tell you that DIPAs should not be aged, since the intended hop character will fade in time, and this one has already been aged for some time. Still, I find some big beer like this benefit from 6 months to a year of aging to further meld the flavors and take some of the burn off the alcohol. I would try it fresh first, and if you find it satisfying, by all means enjoy it now. I plan to put some away to enjoy during the winter months and I’ll let you know how it fares.