Beer Buzz // Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout

Details:
Brewer: Great Divide Brewing Co.
Location: Denver, Colorado
Brew: Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 9.5%

A few years back we visited the downtown Denver Ballpark: Brewery & Tap Room of Great Divide Brewing. We happened to be in town for a release party for our friends at META Magazine and decided to make a few stops at some craft breweries while there. Although we’d never heard of Great Divide before our visit, we liked the place immediately and the beer even more. On that day, we had a 3 for $3 sampler of the Colette Farmhouse Ale, the Claymore Scotch Ale, and the Yeti Imperial Stout. All three were amazing but the Yeti stood out as a favorite and of course we had another 10 oz. (or two) pour.

Fast forward to 2017 and one day a mystery box showed up at the Dirt Buzz headquarters from a southern California buddy and fellow beer connoisseur. The guy spoils us, and every so often a box will show up full of obscure California beers that we try and stash away (unsuccessfully) for special occasions. This time one of them happened to be the Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout, which is part of what Great Divide calls the “Yeti Clan.”

Having tasted this beer in its standard form we were a bit skeptical, but one taste and we knew this was something special, a well thought out version of the standard Yeti. According to Great Divide, “a generous infusion of Denver’s own Pablo’s espresso adds yet another layer of complexity to this beer …. to create a whole new breed of mythical creature.” The result is a more bitter version—but in a good way. We’re talking dark roast coffee on top of hoppy goodness. Great Divide also recommends a food pairing of “Chorizo breakfast burrito, potato hash, roaring 40s blue cheese, [and] cinnamon donuts with crème anglaise vanilla bean ice cream.” Say what!? As you may have surmised, this beer is a meal in itself!

So yeah, it’s good. And yeah you should give it a try if you can get your hands on one. Denver people: you have no excuse, hit this place up! But if you don’t live in Colorado, look for Great Divide brews at your local craft beer purveyor.

Beer BuzzDale SpanglerGreat Divide Brewing Co, Yeti Imperial Stout, Yeti Stout, Denver, ColoradoComment