Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti - Great Divide Brewing Company

GregSVT

Texas

4.22/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a pitch black with a big tan head that stays around for a bit and fades to a light covering of the top of the beer. Excellent lacing.

S: Not picking up much in the smell besides some roasted malt and a bit of cocoa and a slight hop presence. As it warms up more of the chocolate/cocoa flavors make their way through along with a fair amount of booze.

T: Taste is the roasted malt with a dark chocolate flavor and the hops from the nose show up in the finish. Not picking up much if any "Oak" flavor. Very balanced and complex...I like!

M: Coats the mouth with an oily viscous feel and has decent carbonation. Thick and chewy...good stuff.

D: This goes down incredibly smooth and is much better than the regular Oak Aged Yeti which I feel has too much hops. The 9.5 ABV makes it an occasional type of beer and not a session beer.

An excellent example of a RIS. Very similar to Ten Fidy or Stone's RIS. Can't wait to see what a year or so does to this.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2009 01:32:23 | More by GregSVT

br3wmeister

Colorado

4.05/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- Large light brown head, good retention and mince lacing. The beer itself is essentially black.

S- Large sweet caramel and molasses nose up front. Dark chocolate, oak, vanilla, coffee and spicy pepper also in the aroma.

T- Very oaky, lots of vanilla ans smooth woody flavors. Also a lot of bitter roasted malt, dark chocolate and caramel. Some molasses and balancing hops as well with a nice spicy pepper after taste.

M- Full bodied beer with a nice smooth almost oily mouth feel. Slightly better and tingly on the tongue in the end.

This is a pretty darn good imperial stout. I love the peppery after taste!

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2009 05:10:44 | More by br3wmeister

GarrisWH

Colorado

4.53/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a nearly opaque black that just barely lets light through, yielding a rich brown at the edges. Dark, two finger, creamy, tan head that descends slowly with solid retention, leaving behind some great lacing.

S - Sweet, chocolate, roasted malt aromas up front with hints of coffee and dark fruit also noticeable. The oak also comes through, imparting a woody/slight vanilla hint. Pretty substantial hop presence in the background along with a bit of alcohol.

T - Rich chocolate and roasted malt flavors come through first, with nice coffee flavor and hints of dark fruit in the background as well. The oak aging is definitely noticeable, with subtle, oaky and vanilla notes in there too. Hops appear later on, adding a nice bitterness and a somewhat dry finish. Very slight kick from the cayenne doesn't really show itself until the aftertaste. Interesting and complex, very enjoyable.

M - Full bodied and creamy, with fairly low carbonation that goes really well with this beer.

D - This is definitely a sipper, but overall, I really thought it was great, with a very nice complexity. Nice balance of flavors, and different than anything I've tried to this point. I wasn't sure how the cayenne would fit in, but it really just adds to the beer. I would not mind trying this one again at all.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2009 02:54:40 | More by GarrisWH

Kromes

Georgia

4.65/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours black with a thick, dense brown colored head. The aromas were initially mostly citrus hop with some roasted malts in the background, but as the beer sat and warmed a little, the coffee, chocolate, and roasted malt aromas started to become more apparent and alongside the hop aroma. The initial flavor is a nice mellow citrus hop with some roasted malt and then there is a good oaky flavor with some warm alcohol feel and flavor. The oak and alcohol carry into the finish where it meets up with the smooth chocolate in the aftertaste. For me the flavors are just about the best I've had. I like oaked beers, I like hops, I love stouts, and I like chocolate (but in small doses like in this beer). The mouthfeel is full and creamy smooth with a bit of peppery spiciness that accentuates the flavors. This beer is awesome!

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2009 00:00:29 | More by Kromes

GilGarp

Colorado

3.45/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours into a chalice with very dark brown color with creamy dark head.

Aroma is familiar for yeti drinkers - hoppy and roasty. There may be a little chocolate sweetness but it's subtle.

Flavor is intense with huge roasty malt, lots of hop goodness, and a little chocolate. The surprising thing is the spicy finish. Apparently they used cayenne pepper. I know chocolate and pepper go well together but I'm not sure it's as successful in this beer.

Creamy mouthfeel and very full body. The bitterness, alcohol, and higher level of carbonation make it a difficult sipper. Actually, it's the red pepper in combination with the alcohol that gives quite an unpleasnt burn.

A good stout and certainly adventurous but unfortunately my least favorite Yeti.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2009 02:23:00 | More by GilGarp

mikey711

New Jersey

3.83/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had a bottle yesterday while brewing. It was black with little lacing. Lots of vanilla and chocolate rush to the nose.
The taste is of bitter chocolate, and a very sweet vanilla note. The flavors were good but the mouthfeel was lighter than I expected. It is a little chalky as well. There was no perceived heat which was good, but I guess I was expecting a bit more roastiness to balance with the sweetness. I enjoyed this side by side with a peche mortel which was great, but this beer got a bit overshadowed.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2009 21:10:54 | More by mikey711

MrHungryMonkey

Texas

4.28/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nose is chocolaty malty and softly floral/fruity with fresh grassy aromas. Roast character is dark and sweet with caramelized sugar. Mild nut. Smells good.

Pours pitch black with massive creamy/foamy head that looks like mousse. Looks wonderful.

Luscious chocolate flavors. Rich semisweet with soft roasted sweetness. Some dark roasted woody tones, mild sharp woodiness. Mild nut and biscuit/toast. A big fat oak vein runs down the center that reminds me of a 2-3 use bourbon American oak (or perhaps a younger French oak... as if I could tell). Sharpness increases greatly with warmth and I can't decide if it's more from alcohol or wood or hop or what; it is kind of pungent like bittering Noble hops, with spicy/floral note of tobacco; it is also quite woody and resembles the sensation of sucking on a popsicle or corndog stick; it is also reminiscent of distilled spirits in its nasal bite - perhaps all three are present. Notes of grape in the finish.

Cayenne is the culprit! Fooled me. Funny that I could mistake its heat for alcohol/hops/oak when I know it so well in chili. Nice.

One of the oakiest beers I've had. A joyous beer for an oak-head such as myself. My only complaint is that I would like it thicker - it feels a little thin for a RIS. Other than that Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti is beautiful.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2009 01:35:33 | More by MrHungryMonkey

champ103

Texas

3.8/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours an opaque brown color. A large tan head rises to over two fingers. Lots of sticky spiderweb lace is left behind.
S: Malty with bittersweet chocolate, brown sugar, vanilla, and some dark fruits.
T: Very sweet. Malty brown sugar with lots of chocolate and vanilla. Dark fruits are present. Some of that distinct Great divide hop flavor. An odd peppery spice as the flavor lingers.
M/D: A full body that is well carbonated. The alcohol is well hidden. A good beer to sip on.

Another quality Impy Stout from Great Divide. Not my favorite, but still highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2009 02:48:22 | More by champ103

Nickls

District of Columbia

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

(From notes)

A - Poured with a darker tan head that was frothy; very dense pure black color

S - Chocolate at first in the nose (lives up to the advertisement here); faint whiff of alcohol; roasted maltiness; faint hop and spice at the end

T - Dark chocolate, then some bittersweet characteristics; only a hint of booze; then spiciness at the end presumably from the cayenne, which burned the back of my throat a bit

M - Thick and luscious; very subtle carbonation; really good for the style.

D - Definitely a sipper, but even at that it was a bit lower for me than the Espresso, Oak, or regular Yeti. The warming nature was nice, but just a bit much for me.

Overall, a really interesting brew and pretty fun. I have to say that I prefer all other versions of Yeti to this one, but it's still a fine brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2009 01:49:32 | More by Nickls

pokesbeerdude

Colorado

4.05/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz single from Wilbur's in Ft. Collins.

A: dark brown, verging on black, lighter brown head, about an inch or so worth, sticky lacing. Nice looking beer.

S: chocolate, smoke, definite oak notes of vanilla and wood. Booze as well. Oak is really raw and woody. Very nice.

T: not as much chocolate as I'd hoped for, but still a big chocolate malt presence. Oakiness adds a layer of vanilla. Underlying bitter hops as well. This seems a little more hop forward than other yetis. Still nice but not quite what I was expecting.

M: much thinner. Much much thinner than I had hoped for. That really knocks this down. Extremely dry and pretty warm alcohol as well.

D: easy to drink, but probably my least favorite yeti. Still a great imperial stout but the thin mouthfeel knocks it. Won't seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2009 02:01:07 | More by pokesbeerdude

GeezLynn

Minnesota

4.3/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Almost black, with the monster brown Yeti head.
Aroma is heavy oak, vanilla, chocolate malt and some pepper.
Flavor is very similar to smell. Sweet, malty oak flavors with a peppery finish.
Mouthfeel is thick, syrupy, clingy with a noticeable pepper burn.
Very drinkable, although as fun as the pepper is, it takes it down here for me.
Great beer. I didn't really notice much additional chocolate here relative to the other Yetis but the cayenne adds something different. I prefer the more balanced and smoother Oak-aged Espresso, but this not short on big flavors.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2009 03:15:17 | More by GeezLynn

LordAdmNelson

Ohio

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

A- Pitch black with a dense brown head. Great retention/lacing.

S- Some coffee, light fruit (hops?), chocolate. Not too strong when it's cold. Vanilla and some oak/cayenne comes out as it warms. Pleasant.

T- Chocolate, coffee, vanilla, some piney hops, and that cayenne bite. Interesting, this beer is almost spicy. Definitely one of the more memorable stouts I've had. Almost no alcohol. The cayenne is a little much, though. A bit smokey with some woody undertones. The cayenne really mellows as it warms and the woody notes come out too.

M- Medium bodied, moderate carbonation is a bit strong for the way I like my stouts.

D- The cayenne actually hurts this a little. Overall, a very complex and interesting beer. Worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2009 00:38:41 | More by LordAdmNelson

snaotheus

Washington

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

22oz bottle poured into a pint glass (for me) and a sampler glass (for my wife)

Tar dark in color, medium beige head with surprising lacing. Smells sweet, smokey with a cherry overtone.

Taste is bittersweet, with an interesting chocolatey bitterness mixed with a surprising hoppy bitterness. Strong chocolate notes and smokey background. Cherry from the aroma surprisingly absent. Chocolate comes out more and more as the beer warms up.

Mouthfeel is fairly light, slightly gritty. Pretty drinkable, especially for an imperial stout.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2009 00:41:02 | More by snaotheus

Bung

North Carolina

3.88/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 oz. A great initial pour, pretty much black with some frothy dark tan head. Foam kind of has that layered look from dark tan to brown and fading into the dark. Sticks to the glass ok. Aroma has some chocolate, roast, malt, a bit of wood. Body is a bit thinner than I was expecting. Taste is chocolate malt with some limited roasted tones of coffee and malt. Oak is not overly present, kind of mingles with the pepper bite. Could almost be contrued as hops, but I don't think there are much present. Very interesting replacement. Flavor is nice, keeps it lighter, but does burn a bit down the throat, like you had ate something hot. They call this a summer IS, I suppose they accomplished that. If the spice mellows, this could be more drinkable than it currently is.
Also the bottle says 9.5%, not the 10.5% listed.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2009 02:39:51 | More by Bung

baker2716

Massachusetts

4.65/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Drank room temperature from a pint glass.

Appearance: Thick, dark head. Deep chocolate brown color. No light getting through this one.

Smell: Gourmet chocolate with cayenne. Dark sweetness with a definite spicy character. Not incredibly aromatic, but what does come through is gorgeous and pure.

Taste: The chocolate is subtle, but persistent. The cayenne hits hard up front and then burns steadily at the end. The heat is easy, but truly satisfying. No question, the cayenne is much more prominent than the chocolate.

Mouthfeel: Feels lighter than I would have expected. Not chewy or heavy feeling on the tongue.

Drinkability: The lighter-than-expected quality makes this surprisingly drinkable for a bigger beer. Interesting and still goes down easy.

Definitely a winner.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2009 02:54:29 | More by baker2716

KarlHungus

Minnesota

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

This beer pours an opaque black color. The head is a massive two inches in height, and recedes slowly into nice sticky lacing. The is a very nice looking beer. The aroma is similar to what I would thing it would smell like if one were to smear good chocolate all over an oak tree, and for how weird that sounds it is oddly compelling. It is certainly unique. There is also some roasted malt, and alcohol. The taste similar to the aroma. The is a very nice balance of oak, chocolate, and stout. The mouthfeel is full bodied with appropriately low carbonation, and a velvety texture. Overall, this is a very well crafted beer. To put together all the elements found in this beer without having any of them clash is a true feat in brewing.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2009 22:57:52 | More by KarlHungus

angelmonster

Colorado

3.78/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had this fresh at the Great Divide Tap Room

Pours a 2 finger chocolate head, body is black in color. Head retention and lacing are slightly above average

Smells similar to regular yeti, big on roasted malt and some alcohol. Chocolate and hops arent really detected

Taste is of roasted, burnt malt, dark bitter chocolate. Spiciness of pepper is also there and hops and alcohol are there but not the main flavor

Mouth feel is well balanced in carbonation. Body is full but wish the head was more present

Drink ability was above average, full bodied and rich. The pepper was more apparent than the chocolate which was kinda disappointing. Over all it was definitely a one of a kind beer but i still prefer the Espresso Yeti

Serving type: on-tap

07-14-2009 22:12:18 | More by angelmonster

LilBeerDoctor

New York

2.83/5  rDev -32.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Bottle. Pours black with a pretty, thick tan head that fades. Aroma of wood and roasted malt. Perhaps a touch of cocoa, but I think my nose is straining to find it. Flavor is completely dominated by the oak/woodsy notes. I don't get how they can call this "Chocolate Yeti." Just the same as with Espresso Yeti, they should just as well have called this "Super Oaky Yeti" and drawn a bunch of wood on the label. Blech, this is really too oaky and sorta burns your insides when you drink it...

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2009 17:44:27 | More by LilBeerDoctor

cbutova

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a very deep coffee black with a dark tan head. Leaves some good lacing down the entire glass as it should. Smells of roasted malts and chocolate, yummy. Taste is of lots of chocolate, malts, some alcohol and cayenne. The addition of cayenne really makes this beer for me compared to regular oak aged yeti. Not too much cayenne, not too spicy, just perfect. Mouthfeel is pretty much spot on for an imperial, thick and creamy. Drinkability in this case is all about taste (imperial stout), and this one was very tasty so its definitely one I will try again. The cayenne and alcohol might get to you after a while though.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2009 06:15:18 | More by cbutova

rwf08

Texas

4.15/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

22oz bomber. Bottled on June 02 2009. Silver label with mocha colored letters giving the name of the beer. Gives a brief description of the beer and food pairings, very useful.

A: Black like coffee, held up to light a faint ruby color at the tip of the brew. Nice mocha head that leaves fair lacing and a faint head of what can only be described as pond scum.

S: Nothing more than chocolate with some booziness until it warmed. Now reminds me of mole, Mexican food fans will understand where I'm coming from.

T: Chocolate and vanilla are very prominent in this beer with the spiciness of the peppers on the back end melding with the alcohol. Reminds me of a pepper infused chocolate bar I once had.

M: Mild viscosity that can lay over the tongue to give the full flavor profile of this beer.

D: One bomber is enough for a day. I put this on the same lines as a wine. No need to drink multiple beers in this case. With the Chocolate Aged Yeti it is an experience to find and enjoy new flavors not a quest to get drunk.

Notes: For the price of $9.00 or so I think it is a great buy to share as an end of summer brew with some BBQ. Buy it up if you can and lay one down for a few months. I would assume the chocolate would come through more and you'd get a great aperitif affect out of this.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2009 06:19:57 | More by rwf08

infestaxion

Florida

3.95/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours an opaque dark brown with a fluffy mocha head. Marvelous.

S - A quick sniff gives my the cayenne pepper. A deeper smell and the chocolate malt comes out. Nothing really special here.

T - Mmm. Creamy chocolate up front. Transitions into the oak nicely with some vanilla. Then the cayenne in the end is surprisingly pleasant. I've always been leery about chocolate and pepper together but I'm also always surprised. Very well put together.

M - Not as thick as I'd like but very smooth. Goes down easy.

D - The pepper does take away from the drinkablility a bit. But not enough to hurt it too bad.

Probably my least favorite Yeti but that's kind of like saying my least favorite Ferrari.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2009 05:24:16 | More by infestaxion

dwaz

Pennsylvania

4.83/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Drinking from a 650ml bottled secured from the Foodery and defintiely a unique taste. Apearnace, mouthfeel and smell all good but the drinkbility and taste are awesome. Had Oak Aged Yeit two days ago off tap and this bottle of Choclate Oak Aged is so much better. So much less sweet and and lighter than reagular oak aged and the cayenne heat at the end of each taste just puts it over the top. Enjoy!

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2009 03:16:41 | More by dwaz

allengarvin

Texas

4.3/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a half-liter mug, this latest offering from Great Divide features a dark, completely opaque body and a thick creamy layer of tan foam on top. The aroma is very malty, with a rich milk-chocolate scent, but also surprisingly hoppy. Excellent flavor, with a lot of dark chocolate, fortunately not too sweet. There's a lot of oak through the entire experience, but it's never overpowering. High bitterness dries things out a bit at the finish. Alcohol is modestly apparent in the finish, though not unpleasant.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2009 05:52:47 | More by allengarvin

BMoney575

Michigan

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

Sampled on 7-11-09
Bottled on 6-15-09
9.5% abv

Pours completely pitch black with a foamy, long-lasting tan head and huge spikes of lacing.

Smell is strong oak, with maybe a hint of chocolate if you look for it. A little one-dimensional, with notes of anise and vanilla.

Taste is much like the smell, lots of oak, the slightest bit of bitter chocolate on the finish, and a little vanilla in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is right for the style, thick and creamy.

Drinkability is good, but I'd like to see what some cellar time would do.

Overall, a good beer, but not as good as the Espresso Oak-Aged.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2009 22:57:23 | More by BMoney575

jpaltan

Texas

4.3/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Quite dark and opaque with a velvet head of mocha pours up and sticks around for a bit. Smell is cocoa, some woody notes, lots of coffee aroma. tastes like roasted coffee beans, cocoa, espresso, slightly sweet, with a nice hint of cayenne coming through at the end. i absolutely loved the cayenne touch and feel that it really set this beer apart from many others. I didn't get an overwhelming chocolateliness from it, but it was definately there. Mouthfeel was thick and delicious. almost perfect for a stout. drinkability, despite being almost 11%, was pretty high.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2009 00:55:20 | More by jpaltan