Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti - Great Divide Brewing Company

DenverLogan

Colorado

4.33/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

From growler picked up two days ago from brewery...poured in St Bernardus chalice.
Pours black with brown head.
Aroma of dark chocolate, espresso, dark roasted malts, carob, molasses.
Medium carbonation and big mouthfeel.
Flavors of bitter chocolate, oak, dark roasted malts, molasses. This is big and bold with a strong astringent and dry finish.
Would accompany many desserts nicely.

Serving type: growler

04-08-2013 04:21:33 | More by DenverLogan

thedoubler55

New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Dark as night, pitch black, about a two finger tan head at the top that sticks to the glass with every sip to leave a nice lacing.

S: Nice subtle notes of chocolate and malts, slight hint of coffee, nose is not to extravegant on this one.

T: Lots of chocolate all over on this one, with slight hints of oak and nice coffee.

M: Full body, Medium carbonation.

O: Another great brew from Great Divide, thoroughly enjoyed this beer, nice warm feeling with every sip.

Serving type: growler

06-07-2012 21:22:37 | More by thedoubler55

mfunk9786

Pennsylvania

4.85/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This beer is great in the bottle, but a goddamn masterpiece on tap. One of my all-time favorite imperial stouts, and the best barbecue accompaniment imaginable in the beer world.

It pours with a wildly dark brown head and a notably thick body. The aroma doesn't give everything away about the taste, which is a sock in the jaw of chile pepper heat and dark chocolate, with some oaky sweetness tying everything together. The chile isn't overwhelming, but it is a great compliment to the chocolate flavor and the beer is helped along by its thick body and milkshake-ish mouthfeel. Better than a lot of extremely hyped, limited imperial stouts out there. Give me this and Ten FIDY and I'll be happy to leave the Dark Lord for you.

Serving type: growler

08-07-2011 02:21:49 | More by mfunk9786

spartanfan

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a growler filled at Whole Foods in Plymouth Meeting Mall.

A: Pours an opaque black with a small tight tan head that has dissipated into a thin layer leaving some decent lacing behind.

S: Smells of chocolate and dark roasted malts. There is also a very prominent herbal hop aroma as well. When the beer is cold the oak is more noticable.

T: The first thing I taste in this beer is a dark almost bittersweet chocolate followed very quickly by a bitter hoppiness. Espresso is also very prominent in this one. A wonderful aftertaste of dark chocolate and bitter hops. At first the oak is very pronounced, but as the beer warms the coffee and chocolate flavors take over. When it's warm the beer is similar in flavor to chocolate syrup, tho it retains the bitter aftertaste.

M: This beer is full bodied and leaves a behind just a tad bit of alcohol burn. Still very smooth and almost silky.

D: This beer has a very complex intense flavor profile. If you like chocolate, coffee, and hops you should love this beer, but it is a bit overpowering, and I don't think I could drink this one all the time.

This is deffinitly a quality beer, it's just a bit too much for me right now, and I prefer the original Yeti. If it ain't broke don't fix it!

Serving type: growler

07-19-2010 22:29:19 | More by spartanfan

Phillyphilms

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Gto from Growler at Grey Lodge. Took home before trying. Was very impressed.

Poured deep brown almost black with better head than expected for the style that had some ok lacing and reduced to little more than a ring quickly.

A dark chocolate malt dominated the nose which hid the presence of the almost 10% Abv.

Taste was great, lots of dark chocolate up front and the coffee toasted malty goodness you'd expect from the style. The oak aging was not something I could easily pick out but assume the smooth taste is a result of just that. I think the dark chocolate and 9abv overpowered the oak for me though.

Was medium to full body with a silky creamy finish that kept me wanting more and helped to hide the high alcohol.

Overall another great job by the boys and girls at Great Divide. Not a session beer by any means but the drink-ability of this could easily get me (or you) in trouble.

RESPECT

Serving type: growler

07-01-2010 20:13:54 | More by Phillyphilms

mklinger

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bought a ghetto growler of this (1/2 gallon milkjug). Poured it into a snifter. Black, black, black color with a dark cappuccino head. Very good looking beer.

Aroma is super strong on the oak. This is followed by what I first thought was hot alcohol, but I now think is that hint of cayenne pepper in there. This was followed by the smell of roast/chocolate although this was more subdued than I expected. The oak really was the dominant character.

Taste is really complex. The first thing is creamy chocolate followed by burnt roast coffee flavor then some pretty substantial hop bitterness (eventhough they say it's lower here than in the regular Yeti, it is still really strong here). Then comes a bit of alcohol slight burn (or maybe this is some of the drying oak character) finally followed by a tingly front of the tongue sensation due to the cayenne pepper.

Mouthfeel is thick & rich & creamy. Nice character. I'm not completely sure I'm crazy about the cayenne in here, but everything else about this beer is awesome, and the tingly cayenne sensation is certainly interesting in here.

Serving type: growler

06-20-2010 02:03:51 | More by mklinger

argock

Virginia

4.08/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a growler into an oversized clear wine glass. Purchased from The Lodge (Hilton Head, SC) for $17.

A: Spent oil black body with large, 1/2 finger chocolate ice cream colored head with good retention and prodigious lacing.

S: Dark malts with bittersweet dark chocolate, coffee grounds dominate. Some softer earthy hoppiness also is present. The spicy cayennne is not easy to detect except for the tingle in your nostrils.

T: Both sweet and bitter dark chocolate are the biggest flavors, but others including dark malts, earthy hops, and light hot pepper sensation sneaks in there. The cayenne is much easier to taste with warming and longer drinking. I'm not sure I like the cayenne addition, but it doesn't detract from the beer.

M: Typical big Yeti feel overall with full body. Carbonation is low and aftertaste is chocolatey with hot pepper tones.

D: An excellent RIS but not an improvement over the original.

Serving type: growler

06-11-2010 03:45:08 | More by argock

karlbronson

Colorado

4.03/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: pours dark malt brown on the sides and blacker in the middle

S: sweet malt, slight oak, slight chocolate, light floral hops

T: complex. malt undertones, and the cayenne creates real initial spiciness. once that quickly settles, it has a long bitter chocolate finish.

M: Spicy at first, followed by bitter. long spicy bitter finish

D: The spicy finish limits the drinkability of this one

Serving type: growler

04-22-2010 02:12:26 | More by karlbronson

wyattshotmaker

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

growler from party source,poured into a snifter.this beer is pretty much pitch black.nose is dominated by oak,chocolate and vanilla,with some roasted malt and dark fruit lingering in the back round.i feel. like this beer is a bit too oak dominated,i think bourbon oak aging would have been better.oak and vanilla dominate this beer,with dark fruit,chocolate,and coffee lingering in the back. kinda the reverse of how it should be.

mouthfeel is smooth but a bit thin.this beer kinda reminds me of new holland dragon's milk.overally pretty good,probably wouldnt get it again though.

Serving type: growler

08-21-2009 22:35:12 | More by wyattshotmaker

BEERMILER12

Maine

4.31/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

BOTTLED ON: APR 09 2013

A: Pours a pitch black color with 2 fingers of dark tan head that reduces to a cap within a few minutes

S: The usual roasted malts along with a nice oak presence and cocoa. Some light earthy hops underneath, but the roastiness, oak, and cocoa really take the show

T: Starts off with the roasted malts and then goes into a combination of spice, oak, vanilla, and cocoa. The spiciness lingers on throughout along with a hint of alcohol. Finishes lightly spicy with a good oaky woodiness

M: Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation

O: Nicely done integrating the cocoa, oak, and cayenne. The cayenne really adds another dimension to an oak-aged chocolate stout. Instead of being overly sweet, it really keeps things in check and allows a good amount of bitterness through from the hops and cocoa nibs. Highly recommended if you enjoy any of the Yeti variants or imperial stouts in general

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2013 23:05:13 | More by BEERMILER12

pants678

California

3.09/5  rDev -26.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

Black with a brown head that recedes to lacing.

Smells from the bottle like cocoa or baker's chocolate. Enticing.

Not subtle at all and it's all in the name. A bit soda-esque in grit. I would prefer Young's Double Chocolate or even Rogue's Chocolate to this stout. The oak is too harsh, like gnawing on bark and for a simple beer of just two punches, that won't do. Too mean and not nearly enough sweet to be a dessert.

Hardly carbonated, I'd like it to be upped.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 04:18:46 | More by pants678

Pinknuggets

Vermont

4.14/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle to Lawson's sniffer

A: It has the black coffee look going for it with a thin lacing that is mocha in color that stays around the top of the glass. It is completely opaque and is about as dark as you can get. It pours pretty vicious but not like motor oil.

S: The chocolate is definitely the star here as it has a solid powerful coca scent that clearly is not run of the mill chocolate. The oak is in there as well and seems to have balanced things out as there is a noticeable amount of heat that is not necessarily alcohol.

T: Again the chocolate is definitely the star here the coca is bitter and almost grainy but in a good "authentic" if you will type of way. The oak is noticeable in the background for taste but more so in that it has clearly smoothed things out because despite having some heat to it the alcohol is defiantly not present and being a fairly heavy stout it is pretty drinkable.

M: It is thick without being heavy so that makes it drinkable considering the amount of flavors. It does go down really smooth, though i liked sipping it more then just going at it. There is little to no carbonation but there is a bitterness from the chocolate that stays on your tongue.

O: My over all impression of this beer is that it is good, but not great. The flavors and look are really good but they do not blow me away and my feeling are the same about the smell and feel but on a lower level. I have like the other yeti series better, but this is certainly not the worst. I doubt it will do better with age as I fear the chocolate will dramatically fade with time.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2013 03:12:38 | More by Pinknuggets

plaid75

New York

4.25/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

On draft at The Lark, East Northport, NY.

Poured a deep brown hue with a two finger foamy tan head. There was very good retention and lacing.

The smell featured notes of coffee, cocoa and lactose.

The taste offered waves of charcoal, dry coffee and soft chocolate, all coexisting with no single element overpowered any other.

The mouthfeel was nicely textured and of typical fullness for the style.

A very enjoyable and user friendly stout.

Serving type: on-tap

06-11-2013 23:06:18 | More by plaid75

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

4.04/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

22oz bottle, thanks be to the good doktorzee for smuggling this back from Colorado a few weeks back.

This beer pours a rather solid black hole, with the faintest of basal cola highlights, and two fingers of puffy, densely foamy chocolate milk brown head, which leaves a low band of honeycombed lace around the glass as it slowly and surely abates.

It smells of rich semi-sweet cocoa, lightly roasted, biscuity caramel malt, bitter black coffee, vanilla pods, subtle swirling smoke, a bit of dry black licorice, a hint of wood, and softly warm spice notes. The taste is big n' heavy bitter dark chocolate nibs, grainy caramel/toffee malt, tame espresso, sweeter anise, more oaken vanilla, a slight milky creaminess, and a further wispy, somewhat singed vegetal spice. No real sign of the 19-proof booze.

The carbonation is fairly innocuous, just providing a nice dull hum, the body a decent medium weight, and no more, with a nice creamy smoothness, punctuated here and there with some spicy and bitter pangs. It finishes off-dry, of course, but not nearly as sweet as expected - the wood, bitter chocolate, and Cayenne colluding well in the cause.

A pretty tasty and complex Imperial Stout, the guest ingredients used judiciously in creating a balanced, soft-stepping behemoth. I quite enjoy the lingering tingle on the tongue from the spice, too. Neat.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 23:55:25 | More by biboergosum

schwemjw

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: motor oil thick with a very dark brown head. This beer is black as night. Impressive.

S: yum! Dark bitter chocolate. Espresso and a dark fruit note. A small touch of earth and wood. this beer is calling out for me to drink it.

T: dark chocolate and burnt coffee. Bittersweet. There is a small note of oak in there. Here comes some dark fruit. Raisins and plum come to mind. A vanilla quality here. Dry semi choppy finish and then milk chocolate.

M: for a big beer this definitely doesn't weigh you down. A long lingering milk chocolate finish. Creamy.

O: this hit the spot. A perfect after dinner beer. Its big but never overpowering and bursting with flavor. Balanced and complex yet it goes down deceptively easy. /93

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 07:46:05 | More by schwemjw

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.6/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 650 ml bottle into a Surly Darkness chalice. Bottled on March 28th, 2013.

Appearance: Pours an oily midnight black with a moderate amount of bubbles. Big four fingers of deep tan head which slowly recede into a thinner creamy layer. Leaves a lot of creamy lacing around the glass.

Smell: A big, rich, and very roasty dark aroma with lots of chocolate and coffee hints. Rich dark roasted malts with big hints of dark chocolate and cocoa nibs. Hints of coffee beans, oak chips, vanilla, cream, burnt toast, grains, biscuit, caramel, toffee, yeast, and some smoke. Sweet hints of molasses and burnt brown sugar. Light hints of the Cayenne pepper spicing as well as some anise licorice spice. Solid hints of earthy and grassy hops in the background. Hint of alcohol as well. A very roasty and chocolate forward aroma with a well balanced sweetness.

Taste: Like it smells, a big rich and roasty taste with lots of chocolate notes and a well balanced sweetness. Dark roasted malt taste throughout with big notes of bitter dark chocolate and cocoa nibs. Notes of toasted bread, coffee beans, oak chips, vanilla, wood, cream, grains, biscuit, caramel, toffee, yeast, and some smoked malt. Some sweetness is provided by some rich molasses and burnt brown sugars. Subtle Cayenne pepper spicing and some anise licorice notes. Fairly earthy with some notes of grassy hops towards the finish. Taste is rich and moderately sweet with a nice drying bitterness from the roasted malts. Very good dark taste.

Mouthfeel: Rich and full bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Creamy, fairly smooth, and slightly syrupy with a drying finish. Alcohol heat is hidden pretty well.

Overall: Another really great version of the Yeti Imperial Stout. Huge roasty chocolate flavors while maintaining a good drying balance with the sweetness. Big flavors with a very manageable feel.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 06:44:00 | More by MattyG85

dar482

New York

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

The color is a pitch black with a brown small head.

The aroma has chocolate, roasted malt, sweetness, but also that oakiness that comes with these beers.

The flavor has a very creamy oak flavor along with bitter chocolate. The chocolate doesn't actually stand out because it's so darn bitter that it combines with the roasted bitter malt flavor.

The mouthfeel is so viscous and delicious. Smooth and creamy.

In the end, I I wouldn't go into this beer looking for chocolate, but you will get an fantastically balanced beer. For some reason though, this has the least amount of this chalky strange aftertaste that I do not like the about the Oak Aged series. Having regular Oak Aged, Espresso, and this, this still might be my favorite.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2013 23:05:25 | More by dar482

Ri0

Wisconsin

4.43/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured 22oz bottle into snifter.

A - Pours very dark almost black into snifter. Head is a nice 1.5 finger tan. Leaves tan ring with bubbles, some lacing.

S - Bitter and semi sweet bakers chocolate with roasted malts and some oak.

T - As expected big bitter sweet chocolate followed by oak, touch of vanilla and roasted malts Seems there is a faint hint of soy sauce, in a good way as the saltiness works well with the chocolate. Finish is bitter chocolate and oak.

M - Medium bodied, nicely carbonated and creamy.

O - Very nice beer by GD. I wasn't sure if it would be sweet or bitter, but it finds a nice semi sweet bitter that makes it a great sipper. If happen upon this beer treat yourself. Thanks to deadonhisfeet for sending this.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 15:05:40 | More by Ri0

Dwtucker90

Texas

5/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from a bomber into a Deep Ellum Numb
comfort snifter at the Dancing Bear Pub, Waco, TX

Look: pours an oil black with a dark brown head that dissipates some but sticks around and clings to the glass.

Smell: dark chocolate, some vanilla notes, very balanced between the chocolate and vanilla.

Taste: dark creamy chocolate. Super dark heavy chocolate, almost like chocolate syrup. Lots of black roasted malt. A good amount of sweetness from the chocolate and an alcohol/cayenne finish that warms your throat and mouth.

Mouthfeel: syrup like stickiness. Medium carbonation but extremely thick and tasty.

Overall: this is definitely one of the best imperial chocolate stouts I've ever had. I place it a little above the Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout. Although I'm not sure if it beats the deliciousness that is the espresso Yeti. I'll try and get my hands on that espresso/chocolate yeti as soon as possible to try it out.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 01:44:45 | More by Dwtucker90

n2185

North Carolina

4.19/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2013 and 2012 side-by-side

A:
2013: pours black with a finger of dark brown head that fades into a thin layer with decent lacing.
2012: about the same as the 2013.

S:
2013: roasted malts with dark and slightly bitter chocolate hit first with some creaminess underneath. There are some spicy notes toward the finish.
2012: sweet chocolate and cocoa dominate followed by roasted malts and cayenne. There are also vanilla notes underneath.

T:
2013: roasted malts and bitter dark chocolate here as well. Creamy cocoa follows with light cayenne flavors. The finish is slightly spicy with a light alcohol presence.
2012: semi-sweet chocolates, cocoa, roasted malts, a bit of char, and a nice cayenne kick. The finish is spicy with almost no alcohol presence.

M:
2013: thick body with low carbonation, this beer is smooth and creamy.
2012: about the same as the 2013

O:
2013: tasty. I enjoy the cayenne and chocolate flavors combined.
2012: I like this one a little better. The chocolate and cayenne are both more pronounced.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 01:39:23 | More by n2185

BigBarley

Texas

4.05/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Having reviewed other Yeti's extensively, I will eschew traditional reviewing format and focus on the things that made this one different.

The look and mouthfeel were the same... excellent for the style! The smell was very, very close to the standard yeti, with just a hint of oak and more emphasis on that creamy, sweet scent. The flavor was closer to classic Yeti than Oak, due to the Chocolate being the main event. Very sweet chocolate up front, but there's a smooth, woody, aged profile lingering underneath it all pleasantly.

This is my least favorite Yeti, but still easily outshines many, many beers out there today. Yeti is good people!

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 15:35:10 | More by BigBarley

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.31/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This poured out as a thick looking black colored brew with a tan head that has a decent retention and light lacing. Te smell is loaded with chocolate, oak, a spice. The taste of the beer has a nice toasted note with the dark chocolate and spice. The mouthfeel is thick and nicely carbonated. Overall this beer is awesome, really hits each note they strike on the label. Really worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 01:55:09 | More by Knapp85

rlee1390

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A-Black in the glass a deep brown head, with some lacing and it is sticky.

S-Dark chocolate (not super sweet like ST's chocolate) some oak and a tad bit of roasted malt.

T-Good deal of dark chocolate, bitter chocolate, still not overly sweet. Slight vanilla and oak.

M-Medium bodied, nicely carbonated and creamy.

O-A nice beer, was not expecting the dark chocolate but it ended up being a great change of pace for a chocolate stout and it came out great.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 19:11:23 | More by rlee1390

SHerninko

Pennsylvania

4.06/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

On tap @ Whole Foods - Mile Post Pub (PA)
Looks great, I enjoy all the Yeti's. It was a bit too cold so I let it warm, taking a few sips every 5 minutes.
Overall, it is a great Imperial Stout, but the addition of the choco did not do much for my palate. I didn't want it to be SUPER sweet like some of the Southern Tier stouts, but it was very bitter and caused a drying of my mouth. Some intense smokey and charcoal type flavors in the aftertaste.
I have a bomber bottle and I will compare that to the one on tap.
Try it, but don't expect any sweetness.

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2013 19:23:37 | More by SHerninko

Zbeetleman

California

4.59/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a tulip glass.

Appearance - nice, dark and motor oilish, great for a stout. Dark tan head lacing around the glass diminishing as it sits.

Smell - typical soft metallic smell of a stout, nice chocolate and hints of cocoa and coffee

Taste - A bit more metallic than I would like, but it has nice chocolate notes mixed with the thick stout mouth feel. Nice all around with the oak notes coming through in subtle vanilla. Nice.

Mouthfeel - very good for a stout, nice and thick, not too thin and "weak" for a big stout.

Overall - Really well done and nicely aged in the oak for the correct amount of time to mix with the other flavors.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 05:44:55 | More by Zbeetleman