15th Anniversary Wood Aged - Great Divide Brewing Company

Redwood21

Virginia

4.13/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: loved the reddish glowing copper color of this beer, it is actually a tad mesmerizing in the correct light the head is about a finger maybe two deep in a large snifter. while i would have liked it to stick around longer, it did start out nice and there is a decent amount of lacing to keep you company as you drink. the color of the head is a white to off-white tan color, sitting like icing on top of a velvet cake...

S: There is a gentle softness that comes from the wood, i assume, but very little hop character, or at least for a supposed double ipa. some of this might actually be overshadowed by whatever the wood chip aging adds, but i still wish it was there

T: I am having a little trouble wrapping my thoughts around the taste of this beer. it is good to be sure, and there are absolutely no traces of that 10%, but like the aroma i feel like the wood aging covers up the hop character a little too much. i am actually a huge fan of anything wood aged, and so i am trying to get past that quibble. there is a lasting hint of hop bitterness that if you let the beer roll around in your mouth for a bit you might notice, but i feel like the wood aging is merely a little too strong and out paces the other potential flavors of this beer with a mellow vanilla wood character. if you could imagine a double ipa trying to peak out behind, that is this beer, and to speak of it... its not over the top with the wood...its just more of that than the hops, and i was looking for those damned hops.

ill have to say this is a great beer, possibly a must try. i certainly would buy it again and look at it less as a 2ipa, and more just a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2009 04:53:52 | More by Redwood21

iemailjack

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -13.4%

01-08-2013 03:30:48 | More by iemailjack

fpreh1957

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

10-21-2012 22:36:00 | More by fpreh1957

t0rin0

California

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

10-07-2012 23:22:15 | More by t0rin0

ObeMaltKinobee

California

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%

04-23-2012 04:32:53 | More by ObeMaltKinobee

Ego

New Jersey

3.33/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

have a few of these in the cellar, time to break one out and see what's what...

eyes...
2 fingers of snowy white head, sticky sticky sticky, this one leaves a bread crumb trail all the way down leaving no doubt where it has been, ample carbonation keeps the head well fed, lovely microbubble sheets roll around, nicely done, this is one good lookin' brewski

nose...
citrus and wood... who would have guessed? your first instinct is hops but the wood is definitely toning it down and adding something, there is a mellow booziness throughout, old orange rind, the nose is interesting but I don't love it, the hop florals kind of smelling like termite wood.

taste etc...
strange.. the flavor is of ashen wood with some bitterness, it is exceptionally smooth mouth wise but the flavor is throwing me a bit, some dark honey notes, there is just something off I can't quite place my finger on, perhaps this sat too long (bottled 7/2009).

verdict?
this has lost it's kick imo, without a more assertive hop profile this kind of tastes like soaked wood, too bad, the look and feel of the brew is excellent.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 04:27:33 | More by Ego

avisong

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

04-11-2012 03:51:00 | More by avisong

Tyrawlings

Ohio

4/5  rDev -1%

02-16-2012 15:34:23 | More by Tyrawlings

jfcaa193

Connecticut

3.25/5  rDev -19.6%

02-15-2012 01:39:36 | More by jfcaa193

ygtbsm94

Virginia

2.5/5  rDev -38.1%

01-13-2012 03:39:04 | More by ygtbsm94

ROBSTARR

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%

12-30-2011 23:33:55 | More by ROBSTARR

OBIrish24

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%

12-27-2011 01:54:03 | More by OBIrish24

jophish17

Georgia

3/5  rDev -25.7%

12-24-2011 07:30:02 | More by jophish17

trojankeg

Texas

5/5  rDev +23.8%

12-17-2011 03:22:19 | More by trojankeg

photomike

California

5/5  rDev +23.8%

12-15-2011 04:46:50 | More by photomike

alamode

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +23.8%

12-11-2011 16:30:55 | More by alamode

JohneHoodlum

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -1%

12-08-2011 23:02:08 | More by JohneHoodlum

sideshowe

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -1%

12-07-2011 14:17:12 | More by sideshowe

djrn2

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -1%

12-06-2011 21:40:51 | More by djrn2

HopStoopid120

Connecticut

5/5  rDev +23.8%

12-04-2011 18:33:59 | More by HopStoopid120

rab53

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%

12-01-2011 06:26:32 | More by rab53

FreshmanPour77

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -1%

11-22-2011 18:35:01 | More by FreshmanPour77

JAHMUR

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%

11-20-2011 04:28:15 | More by JAHMUR

brandoman63

Illinois

4/5  rDev -1%

11-20-2011 04:04:16 | More by brandoman63

Exiled

Texas

4/5  rDev -1%

11-15-2011 04:14:30 | More by Exiled