A taste of Espresso Oak Aged Yeti 2009

Great Divide Brewing Company
2201 Arapahoe Street
Denver, Colorado, 80205
United States
(303) 296-9460

Preface: As you may deduce from the above illustration, this tasting was not done “in house.” The event was held at a restaurant in Brooklyn Heights called “Jack the Horse.” It was held at the suggestion of Max the bartender who truly merits the moniker “mixologist.” Chef Tim, the head chef/owner and I have had many conversations about their beer list and his menu and his interest was piqued when Alex told him about the “tasting.” A Tuesday early evening was chosen for two reasons. The first was that it enough before dinner service so that the Yeti could get proper consideration. The second was that there is a price-fixed three-course dinner menu that needed trying so my wife, Virginia would also join in the tasting. The following notes were written without the help of the usual promotional “fact sheet” that accompanies sample brews. And so we were flying blind. The label told us the first important bit of information… 9.5% abv

The following are the tasting notes:

Appearance: Here is a dark brew… my Maglite couldn’t be seen on through this almost black brew. We didn’t have a cup of espresso available for comparison. The head is a fine, dense but slightly rocky mocha tan construction. It falls gradually and leaves a fine brown Belgian Lace.
Aroma: As soon as we opened the bottle the rich malt aroma, followed by chocolate was very evident. The lip-to-sip was rich in chocolate and then bourbon.

Mouth feel: Here is a zaftig beverage. Rather than a hairy beast I was getting such a sensual impression it was almost erotic. The others were impressed with the heft of body and flavors.

Flavor: Served at cellar-temperature, the cool liquid brought an initially grainy flavor that quickly looses out to the coffee accents. It took some time to find the oak flavors. There was little overt evidence of hops. Later in the flavor experience there were flavor sensations that were between coffee and sweet. (Hops by deductive reasoning…). However, the balance of heat and heavy was nicely done.

Finish: The finish was deemed smooth and not too long lasting. Traces of prune and fig were found to linger on the pallet.

Comments: Chef Tim joined us towards the end of the tasting and immediately wondered aloud “You could almost pour this on ice-cream…” After the three of us pondered that thought for a few moments Chef returned with two small dishes of ice-cream. One was a light tan scoop of malt ice-cream. The other cup held a scoop of vanilla. Both were doused with a tablespoon or so of Yetti and the result was a true taste treat. It made all of us wish there was enough Yeti on hand to make proper beer and ice-cream “floats”.

The Brewery: http://www.greatdivide.com/

What others say:

BeerAdvocate: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/158/19216/

RateBeer: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/great-divide-espresso-oak-aged-yeti-imperial-stout/85174/