15th Anniversary Wood Aged - Great Divide Brewing Company

blakesell

Ohio

3.08/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Poured from the 22oz bomber into a beveled pint glass.

Appearance- As soon as I pop the bottle, thar she blows. A gusher, quick with the glass for the save, the beer is overactively foamy but it doesn't look like there's anything wrong with it. Ample white foam, an equal ratio to the pour. It clings and is impressively white. Beer itself is clear and amber colored.

Smell- Smells pretty nice, lots of hop character, American oak in there, smells to be a good balance. Almost a cracked black pepper smell in there that I actually find favorable as I sneeze away from the glass of course.

Taste- Well, all great things must come to an end. Now I'm tasting a decline and this is entirely subjective judging by me considering the previous reviews on this beer. It's not the freshness or being out of date, it's just that American oak and IPA's don't mix for me. The IPA flavor is intense and mouth coating which is great at first, then soon, almost immediately after the oak comes in and destroys what would otherwise be an enjoyable experience, scrubbing off every shard of that piny hop flavor that was there before. There are no off bacteria from the barrel, it's just the nature of the beast here and I'm sorry to say that I've never had an oaked IPA that really did it for me yet.

Mouthfeel- More of that overwhelming oak coating the tongue. Cloying, overdone, full bodied, highly carbonated, almost creamy from the barrel, not smooth, astringent.

Drinkability- I'll have a hard time finishing off this bottle and I'm afraid the rest may find it's way into the sink drain. I'm sure there are a lot of people who would call this blasphemy, but I've had that one too, and the oak is a bit overpowering on that one as well. Extreme beers have their place, and barrel aging the american IPA is not that place for my mouth.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2010 04:43:23 | More by blakesell

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