Day 295: Great Divide 18th Anniversary

Name: 18th Anniversary Wood Aged Double IPA

Brewer: Great Divide Brewing Co. (Denver, CO)

Classification: Imperial IPA

Alcohol: 10%

Thoughts: Well I'm back on the wagon as my Shitty Beer Week is over. It was a nice refresher in why I am doing this blog. I wanted to do something challenging, I wanted to learn as much about beer as I could, and I wanted to inform me that there are better beers than the mass produced crap you see in most bars and stores. I started the rest of the blog with a special beer. It is Great Divide's 18th Anniversary special. It is a wood-aged Imperial IPA and as you can see in the small snifter glass about it pours a clear amber color with a bleach white, soapy head. The presentation for this beer gets full marks. The aroma was very grainy and woody (I assume from the wood-aging process). I was expecting a big, bold, flavorful beer, but the wood was a bit underwhelming and ladened the rest of the beer. This is a very soft beer and the palate can really relax and take in this beer. The hops are muted, but not subdued, and the malts are sweet. There are notes of apple, vanilla and herbs. It creates a very different taste and an interesting one at that. When drinking this beer, don't go into it thinking that there will be a ton of hops because it is an Imperial IPA. Instead enjoy the wood-aging and the uniqueness of this beer. Oh yeah, I had this at Tyler's hence the Wife in the background. 

Rating: 85/100