15th Anniversary Wood Aged - Great Divide Brewing Company

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Review from notes taken 7/23/10.

Bottle date of 6/19/09. I had this brew fresh last year and never got around to reviewing it. Strangely enough some bottles popped up right around the time the new anniversary was released.

A careful pour still introdices quite a bit of yeast chunks into the glass. Bomber split with a friend and poured into a SA sensory glass. This brew appears a very hazed orange-amber color that has an appearance flirting on the edge of being a cider. The head appears more than a finger strong and retains very well with a fluffy uneven cratored surface. The color of the foam is a merange-like yellow that laces all about the glass.

The aroma is a very strong sweet smelling blast of caramel, vanilla and orang- like citrusy rind from the hops. Surprising how bold the hoppy character is after a year spent on the bottle.

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. The taste includes both herbal and earthy hops upfront with some citrus twang that leads into a caramel malty sweetness. The base of this brew includes a solid amount of vanilla flavoring brought on by the oaking. A modest amount of alcohol is evident tasting slightly solvent. This brew leaves a lingering flavor of woodsy dryness that is exaggerated by the herbal hops and alcohol. The alcohol increases in the back of the throat along with a bolder sense of darker caramelized sugary sweetness. Very drinkable and a beer I would suggest giving a try even if it is in celebration of a previous year!

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2010 19:28:48 | More by stakem

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Florida

3.5/5  rDev -13.4%

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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

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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

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4/5  rDev -1%

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4/5  rDev -1%

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