Beer Me! — Great Divide Brewing — Denver, Colorado, United States

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Great Divide Brewing

Denver, Colorado, United States
Bar/Tasting Room

2201 Arapahoe Street
Denver CO 80205
Telephone: +1 303-296-9460
Hours: Tours available by appointment.
Brewer: Brian Dunn, Mason Thomas
[Contact] [Map] [Update]

Notes

Updated: November 28, 2008

Opened: 1994

Annual Production: 16,000 bbl

Beer List

Arapahoe Amber Ale

American-Style Amber/Red Ale
- Date: October 7, 1996 (#1873)
  
  Package: bottled
  
  Place: Willman's Bottle Market, Grand Island NE
  
  Score: 15½ points
  
  Overall Impression
  Dark amber hazy, good carbonation and head. Big caramel malt aroma and flavor, well-balanced bitter finish.

Bee Sting Honey Ale

American-Style Pale Ale

Date: July 22, 2003 (#4969)

Package: bottled

Place: Beer Club International

Score: 14 points

Overall Impression
June 2003 selection. Golden, some haze. Thick head. The honey aroma is apparent from two feet away! Light-medium intensely fizzy body. Lots of grainy malt flavor, and a mild citrusy note. Mild hop bitterness in the middle, but this beer finishes very sweet. Very very sweet.
Date: October 5, 1996 (#1870)

Package: bottled

Place: Willman's Bottle Market, Grand Island NE

Score: 12 points

Overall Impression
Dark golden, some haze, good head. Smells sweet. Tastes sweet. Lots and lots of honey flavor...too much.

Denver Pale Ale / DPA

Classic English-Style Pale Ale

Awards:

Bronze Medal, 2006 Great American Beer Festival

Date: June 13, 2007 (#6546)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Bright amber. Thick head.

Aroma (3)
Spicy, herbal, caramelly, earthy.

Mouthfeel (8)
Light-medium body. Low carbonation. Huge caramel maltiness. A bit grainy, a bit earthy. Mild grassy, spicy hop flavor. Low bitterness.

Overall Impression (2)

Fresh Hop Pale Ale

American-Style India Pale Ale

6.10% abv.

Date: January 20, 2007 (#6297)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions

Score: 17 points

Appearance (3)
Bright amber. Thick fluffy head.

Aroma (3)
Mild piney hops.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium body, smooth. Big resiny, piney hop flavor, fairly big bitterness. Lots of caramel malt.

Overall Impression (2)
Brewed to 55 IBU with hops flown in the day after they were picked.

Hades Ale

Belgian-Style Pale Strong Ale

7.30% abv.

Date: February 2, 2008 (#6865)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions

Score: 20 points

Appearance (3)
Bright golden. High carbonation. Thick head.

Aroma (4)
Hugely spicy, bready.

Mouthfeel (10)
Medium-big body, creamy and fizzy. Lots of malt and lots of Belgian spiciness. Nice grassy bitterness in the finish.

Overall Impression (3)
Real tasty beer. Bottle-conditioned.

Hercules Double IPA

Imperial or Double India Pale Ale

9.10% abv.

Awards:

Gold Medal, 2007 Australian International Beer Awards

Date: January 20, 2007 (#6298)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions

Score: 17 points

Appearance (3)
Bright amber. Big fluffy head.

Aroma (3)
Lots of caramel, hint of smoke. Lots of grassy, spicy hops.

Mouthfeel (9)
Big body, lots of caramel. Huge grassy, resiny hop flavor, quite bitter, but nicely balanced.

Overall Impression (2)
85 IBU. Good beer.

Hibernation Ale 1997

Old Ale

Awards:

Gold Medal, 1997 Great American Beer Festival

Hibernation Ale 1998

Old Ale

Awards:

Silver Medal, 1998 World Beer Cup

Hibernation Ale 2000

Old Ale

Date: March 10, 2001 (#3788)

Package: bottled

Place: from the brewery

Score: 16½ points

Overall Impression
Deep red, good head. Rich caramel malt aroma. Big body, huge caramel malt flavor all the way through. Thanks to Steve and JoAnn Rott for the bottle!

Hibernation Ale 2003

Old Ale

Awards:

Silver Medal, 2003 Great American Beer Festival

Hibernation Ale 2005

Old Ale

Awards:

Silver Medal (Aged Beer), 2006 Great American Beer Festival

Hibernation Ale 2006

Old Ale

8.10% abv.

Date: January 21, 2007 (#6304)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions

Score: 19 points

Appearance (3)
Bright deep red. Very low head.

Aroma (4)
Rich malt with a hint of roast and lots of grassy, spicy hops.

Mouthfeel (9)
Huge body, chewy. Low carbonation. Intensely malty, not overly sweet. Some roastiness, lots of caramel. Big fruity, grassy hop flavor, reasonably bitter. All the flavors linger through the finish.

Overall Impression (3)
Good now — probably even better after a few years.

Date: November 21, 2008 (#7553)

Package: draught

Place: Crescent Moon Ale House, Omaha NE

Score: 18½ points

Appearance (3)
Bright red. Moderate-low head.

Aroma (3½)
Really toasty-malty.

Mouthfeel (9)
Big and smooth. Fiercely malty, with a huge spicy-fruity hop flavor. Really bitter and very well-balanced. Lingering toasty-hoppy finish.

Overall Impression (3)
Excellent beer.

Hot Shot ESB

English-Style (Extra Special) Strong Bitter

Date: April 14, 2007 (#6499)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 16½ points

Appearance (3)
Bright amber. Thick head.

Aroma (3)
Huge biscuity malt. Big grassy, resiny hops.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium body, fairly fizzy. Lots of chewy malt. Sweet and toasty with a nice grassy hop flavor. Moderate bitterness. Clean finish.

Overall Impression (2½)

Maverick Imperial Stout

Imperial Stout

Awards:

Second Place, 2003 Alpha King Challenge

Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout

Wood- and Barrel-aged Strong Beer

Awards:

Bronze Medal, 2007 Australian International Beer Awards
Silver Medal, 2005 Great American Beer Festival

Date: May 15, 2005 (#5706)

Package: bottled

Place: Sutler's Wines & Spirits, Stillwater MN

Score: 19 points

Appearance (3)
Jet black. Moderate brown head.

Aroma (3)
Earthy. Dark chocolate. Some spiciness and lots of roast.

Mouthfeel (10)
Big creamy body. Very very malty and fiercely roasty. Quite bitter — listed at 75 IBU. Lingering very roasty, bitter, malty finish. Hint of vanilla, but otherwise not a lot of oak character.

Overall Impression (3)

Old Ruffian

Barley Wine-Style Ale

Awards:

Gold Medal, 2006 Great American Beer Festival
Bronze Medal, 2005 Great American Beer Festival

Date: August 8, 2005 (#5737)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions

Score: 18 points

Appearance (3)
Red-brown opaque. Thick dense head.

Aroma (3)
Huge spicy, grapefruity hops. Some dark caramel.

Mouthfeel (9)
Big body, fairly fizzy. Massively malty, caramelly, raisiny, woody. Hop flavor and bitterness builds through the finish. Spicy, resiny. A little syrupy.

Overall Impression (3)

Ridgeline Amber Ale

American-Style Amber/Red Ale

5.40% abv.

Awards:

Bronze Medal, 1996 Great American Beer Festival

Date: June 10, 2008 (#7097)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Red-amber, very hazy. Moderate head.

Aroma (3)
Huge caramel, biscuit malt.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium-big body, moderate carbonation. Intense caramel malt flavor, fairly sweet, with a mild roastiness. Sweet caramel-biscuity finish.

Overall Impression (2)
Tasty malty beer.

Saint Bridget's Porter

Robust Porter

5.90% abv.

Date: June 18, 2008 (#7118)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 15½ points

Appearance (3)
Deep dark red. Moderate head.

Aroma (2½)
Smoky, sweet, and roasty.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium body, moderate carbonation. Big chocolatey maltiness, with a grassy hop flavor and finish.

Overall Impression (2)
Date: October 7, 1996 (#1875)

Package: bottled

Place: Willman's Bottle Market, Grand Island NE

Score: 14 points

Overall Impression
Very dark red, OK brown head. Sweet caramel aroma, with some black malt. Sweet and black, good roasty flavor. Sweet finish.

Samurai

American-Style Lager

Date: August 18, 2007 (#6602)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 14 points

Appearance (3)
Golden, hazy. Moderate head.

Aroma (3)
Yeasty, some graininess.

Mouthfeel (7)
Light body, fizzy. Really sweet. Quite a bit of yeast. Big noble hop flavor, fairly bitter. Floral. Big sweet finish.

Overall Impression (1)
"Unfiltered lager beer with rice"

Titan IPA

American-Style India Pale Ale

6.80% abv.

Awards:

Silver Medal, 2007 Australian International Beer Awards

Date: August 6, 2005 (#5725)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions

Score: 16½ points

Appearance (3)
Amber, slight haze. Big dense head.

Aroma (3)
Piney, grassy hops. Graham cracker malt.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium-big body, fairly fizzy. Huge biscuity malt flavor with lots of hop bitterness. Big resiny hop flavor lingers a long time.

Overall Impression (2½)

Whitewater Wheat Ale

Light American Wheat Ale or Lager with Yeast

Date: September 26, 1996 (#1652)

Package: draught

Place: Great American Beer Festival, Denver CO

Score: 13 points

Overall Impression
Bright gold, low carbonation. Sweetish aroma. Sweet, malty.

Yeti Imperial Stout

Imperial Stout

9.50% abv.

Awards:

Bronze Medal, 2008 Great American Beer Festival

Date: February 3, 2006 (#5825)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions

Score: 20 points

Appearance (3)
Pretty damn black. Thick dense head.

Aroma (4)
Richly malty and roasty, with vanilla and spicy hops.

Mouthfeel (10)
Massive. Black, roasty, and spicy and strong. Really well-balanced.

Overall Impression (3)
Phenomenally smooth and tasty.