Barrel Aged Hibernation Ale - Great Divide Brewing Company

4thelvofbeer

Virginia

3.08/5  rDev -25.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to my friend for sharing and going out of his way to get this beer, which I am told is somewhat hard to acquire. Popped this bottle on Dec 3, 2012.

I love barrel aged beers. I really expected a lot more from the beer..expectations were high, but at best, this was maybe slightly above average and needs some work by Great Divide. A: cloudy dirt brown. S: nothing special. T: tastes were muted and bland, very average...I really really wished and hoped there were more, but it just was not there...it seems the barrel aging gave this beer a kinda musty taste. M: somewhat weird combined with the off tastes, not that enjoyable. O: a let down...

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 12:09:35 | More by 4thelvofbeer

Beaver13

Colorado

3.23/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

750 ml bottle. Pours a murky brown with almost no head (a vigorous pour produced a little frothiness that quickly went to a thin collar).

The aroma is chocolate and bourbon with dark fruit and molasses. Smells a bit like a decadent rum cake / fruitcake. There is a touch of fusel alcohol. I can smell the original Hibernation but it's been bourbonized.

The flavor is surprisingly subdued. There's some chocolatey bourbon and dark fruits leading to a bitter alcohol finish. As it warms, a bit more flavor comes out - but it still tastes like watered down Hibernation with a splash of whiskey. The mouthfeel is full with very little carbonation and is a bit watery.

Overall, this is not overdone with the alcohol like the bourbon yeti was. Both barrel versions I've had have been very lightly carbonated. I'm surprised by how subdued the flavors were for me, given how complex original Hibernation is. It's interesting to try, but regular Hibernation is better, and this is not worth $25 a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2009 06:25:49 | More by Beaver13

mulder1010

Australia

3.38/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle 128/492 Poured into a Great Divide Globe ( Just had to)

Thanks to Rake for the In person trade

A-- Poured a deep, dark mahogany color. Just touches of ruby at the bottom of the glass. Very little carbonation showing. Light brown head that went to film and stayed at film through drinking. Lots of spotty lacing on the sides of the glass.

S-- Rich and full smell. Buttery vanilla, rum, molasses,
brown sugar, and dates. Just slight bits of oak in this.

T-- Warm, melted brown sugar, butter, vanilla, rum, and dark fruits.

M-- Mid palate is very thin. Kind of sad really. Get just short bursts of what it was. A bit slick and sweet and and a rum spice finish but just lacking zest and too many gaping holes in this. Not much of the barrel though.

O-- Knocking off one of my biggest wants and realize I am getting to this about a year late. Flashes of how good this was does make this worth it for me though.

Edit: Really picked up with a lot of air. Thin gaps disappeared more but still evident, so a slight correction in rating.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2011 15:40:54 | More by mulder1010

ArrogantB

Colorado

3.4/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle #376/492 $25. I am a big fan of the regular version so I gave up the $25 for this one which I will say is not as good as the regular version unless you really like whiskey. It might be a shade darker than the standard version or maybe its just hazier. It smells like whiskey, alcohol, really an interesting smell. The flavor is really overwhelmed by the barrel-aging to the point that I can barely tell its Hibernation any more. Whiskey, wood, alcohol, vanilla, intense but just doesn't do it for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2009 04:40:25 | More by ArrogantB

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.43/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle 190 of 492, 2009 bottling; sampled October 2011
A solid pour into my Lost Abbey Teku glass produces a one-finger thick, amber tinged, tan colored head that disappears down to a thin ring fairly quickly. The beer is a murky, concentrated amber color, that shows more of the same just lighter in hue when held up to the light. The aroma smells of sweet, toasted coconut and raisins, and perhaps a touch of sherry at the first. A second pas reveals smooth whiskey aromatics, smoothly spicy oak that gets a touch more spicy once I move away from the kitchen were some food is braising. This beer is clearly dominated by the barrel influence, there are touches of caramel, which mix well with the ample barrel vanillin notes, there is a slight savory maltiness here, as well as touches of toasted whole grain character and even some grassiness / herbal character somehow; though this last seems mainly to be contributed by the whiskey barrel and actually becomes quite prominent after some time (though it also has an ample green, pepper like note)

Up front flavors of caramelized crystal malt, vanillin, toasted coconut, toasted whole grain, touches of toffee and caramel mix together on the palate. The finish is quite spicy, very woody, and even sort of has a green grassy or spicy herbal note to it; this morphs into a green peppery note as well as a lingering tannic bite.. The beer is fairly light bodied for its strength, though I am not overly surprised as that often happens with beers like this that get aged in barrels; there is some viscous character to this beer, and it even manages to linger a bit on the palate, but the spicy oak character ends up wiping the palate clean. After some time, the finish really starts to taste like a whiskey, spicy, somewhat hot from the alcohol, and it even has that sort of fruitiness that I get in a whiskey or bourbon.

Not bad, but I was expecting a bit more; the barrel character runs a bit roughshod over the base beer. If this had a lot more caramelized maltiness and quite a bit of a richer, hell even sweeter, body that could stand up to the barrel influence, this would be a much better experience. The beer actually seems to do well in very small amounts; if I come back to it after a while I can take a small sip or two that maintains a balance to it, but it ends up getting thin, somewhat too spicy, and a bit too hot after any more than this.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 03:09:00 | More by Gueuzedude

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Big thanks to Lunch for bringing this to last night's tasting. I have now completed the GD BA trifecta, mostly thanks to Paul. Served in a Bruery tulip.

Pours a moderate brown color and is slightly murky. Nose contained a good amount of toffee as well as some light caramel. Some brown sugar and light barrel character there as well. Not super complex, but the barrel character was seriously nice, coming through particularly well in the finish, which was exquisite. Taste was caramel and bourbon. Nice. Mouthfeel was ridiculously smooth and lacked nearly any alcohol presence. Low carbonation and a medium body. A nice offering, and the mouthfeel was really killer. Big highlight for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2011 00:18:22 | More by Thorpe429

gford217

Georgia

3.8/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750mL bottle, #316/492, poured into a snifter.

Pours a dark hazy mahogany that shines through as a dark amber with a decent head that's made up mostly of big bubbles that linger around the edges after a while.

The aroma is dominated by wood and bourbon...and not a whole lot else. There is a hint of dark fruit and toffee but it's tough to find under the barrel character. There is also some stale, cardboard-like aromas coming through that puzzled me.

The taste is just more whiskey - tons of vanilla, oak and bourbon, which leaves a big burn going down. I'm finding a hard time getting the underlying Hibernation - no chocolate or brown sugar sweetness to speak of. Maybe some dark fruits as it warms.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied and very slick with a subtle, soft carbonation. It feels and burns almost like a whiskey.

I'm a big fan of the regular Hibernation and, to me, this isn't quite as good. It's completely dominated by the barrel character, which overshadows the solid beer underneath. I'm hoping (and expecting) this one to age well and get better with a little time.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2010 03:20:03 | More by gford217

largadeer

California

3.8/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Bifrostguard opened this one last week. Thanks, Cameron.

Dark crimson-hued amber, murky, close to opaque in the glass. A small cream-colored head sits on top the mahogany body and shows good retention.

Smells like a pine forest. There's a solid backbone of earthy, leathery oxidation and mild whiskey barrel. It has more unusual herbal notes as well, mint perhaps, and faint toffee.

Very oxidized on the palate. Leathery, earthy, spicy. Some pine, mint, pepper. Full-bodied, but not exceptionally so - it's as viscous as you would expect an 11% Old Ale to be. Tobacco and leather flavors are prominent, and there's a strong hop character in the finish along with drying tannins.

Certainly a strange barrel-aged old ale, the whiskey barrel didn't impart much of the caramel and vanilla sweetness I've come to expect from this type of beer, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's a leathery, tannic, fairly oxidized and complex sipper.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2010 23:18:57 | More by largadeer

srandycarter

California

3.85/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

352/492 bottles.

A - Very dark cola, almost black. Not much off white head, runs to ring fast. Not much cling lace.

S - Toffee, sweet malt. Pretty much the dominant smells.

T - Boozy, but follows smell pretty well. Bourbon present and is not cloying in the finish.

M - Not as carbed as I would have hoped, lighter in body than I would have expected, but fairly well balanced.

D - Unique beer... nice to try. Not for the session.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2010 03:20:17 | More by srandycarter

br3wmeister

Colorado

3.88/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Dark red/brown colored beer with a wispy light brown head pour retention and mild lacing.

S- Large oak aroma, vanilla, caramel, roasted nuts and toffee. This is a quite boozy smelling beer lots of spicy alcohol. Very complex and nice smelling beer.

T- Very boozy alcohol flavor, the malts, hops and yeast are really an after though in the flavor of this beer. With some age I hope the alcohol would calm down an make this an excellent beer. Mild charcoal, and roasted nut flavors manage to show through the alcohol a little.

M- This beer has somewhat of a harsh mouth feel up front full bodied and finishes smooth.

This beer really needs some age. It is drinking really hot and it is difficult to get anything but alcohol out of the flavor.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2010 23:08:53 | More by br3wmeister

emmasdad

Colorado

3.9/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a thinnish looking brown color, with a light brown head that doesn't stick around for long. Huge bourbon aromas dominate, but there is also vanilla, toffee, oak and dark fruit. Huge boozy palate, with loads of bourbon. Eventually I get a little caramel, toffee and brown sugar before the warming alcohol takes over. Totally different from the original hibernation.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2010 01:30:04 | More by emmasdad

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.93/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Ditmier is again a badass.. 223/492 Very cool... Eric is a good guy... good taste in beer, and better in bacon.

Pours a deep clear amber with an okay off white head.. only okay retention... no lacing.

Aroma shows good caramel and a bit of bourbon... the malts seem restrained with a little bit of cocoa.

The flavors are nothing to write home about.. toasty malt is carried by the oak and vanilla in the barrel. cocoa is there toward the finish.... so is a little honest bourbon..

The big problem is there is not enough malt mid palate.. seems pretty damn thin for the brew that I was expecting and for the ABV... boozy goodness is okay, but the flavors in the middle are more malt extract with barrel presence t.

Thanks Eric.. again, another brew that I would never try and trade for.

3.5/4/4/3.5/4

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2011 08:56:56 | More by JohnGalt1

jrallen34

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

I drank this from a 22oz bottle into my Rochefort chalice. Bottle # 200 of 492.

The beer pours a watery dark brown with not much retention. The head is light tan, rises only about a half finger but then is gone right away leaving some on the outside of the glass. The lacing is light.

The aroma is medium and starts out very sweet. There are really nice notes of vanilla, caramel and cherry. At the end you pick up a bit of the bourbon.

The taste starts off kinda plain not a whole lot there. You get some sweet a little vanilla then a lot of bourbon to finish. For a beer that was 9 months in a barrell I'm surprised its stronger.

The feel is super watery, which is annoying with a light warm finish.

The drinkaility is ok.

Overall, this was pretty decent. The ale is a little to light and the flavor didn't really soak up the oak and the bourbon as much.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2010 02:37:51 | More by jrallen34

claytong

Vermont

3.98/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

2008 vintage

appearance - ruby brown in color, minor bubbles with minor lacing and minor sticking.

smell - a variety of malts, old malts, roasted malts, brown malts, oak, vanilla, figs and chocolate

taste - same story with the malts, vanilla...past its prime i think, but good.

mouthfeel - thin and not much carbonation, yikes. heres where the age murdered the beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2011 06:14:18 | More by claytong

claspada

New Jersey

3.98/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle 127/492 shared at a recent tasting.

Pours a murky moderate brown color with little to no head leaving minimal lacing.

Aromas begin with a good amount of toffee as well as some light caramel. Some brown sugar and light barrel character there as well. Not super complex, but the barrel character was certainly present and quite dominant.

The taste begin with a great deal of dark caramelized malts, sweet toffee and barrel. Lots of dark fruits, bourbon boozeyness and oaky dryness dominate as this warms. Finishes dry, oaky, fruit-forward with a bit of Bourbon pop.

The mouthfeel was ridiculously smooth and lacked nearly any alcohol presence. Low carbonation and a medium body.

Overall this was a nice offering, but lacked the overall quality I was hoping for with this beer. The whiskey barrel really overwhelmed the base beer leaving the flavor profile slightly one dimentional. While is was tasty, I won't be seeking out any more with great effort in the near future.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2011 16:07:43 | More by claspada

Dope

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2011 batch. Bottle 1499.

A: Pours a beautiful mahogany. Small fizzy light brown head. Head fizzes away quite fast, leaving zero lacing at all. Well, maybe a dot here and there. Not much to talk about. Small ring of foam remains but that's it.

S: Big big whiskey notes. Caramel and dark fruits abound with some oaky vanilla. Get some decent brown sugar and spices too, swear I get cinnamon sometimes. Smells more like a barrel aged winter warmer than an old ale.

T: More whiskey and lots of it. Warming caramel and toffee. Dark fruits likes plums, raisins and prunes, almost a little tart at times - possibly a result of slight oxidation (sherry-like). Glad I did not age this one. Chocolate mixes in briefly too in the middle. Sharp alcohol burn in the finish with boozy whiskey lingering in the aftertaste. A little spiciness in the aftertaste too.

M: Lower carbonation, heavy and sticky.

O: Hmph, I have to say that I think regular hibernation is better than this one. Barrel aging doesn't seem to have improved it much, it ends up being very sharp and boozy while also tasting a bit oxidized which does not help. Barrel overwhelms too, in my opinion. Overall still quite good, but not an improvement. Especially for the price and and difficulty to obtain.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 02:16:00 | More by Dope

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.08/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A huge thanks for getting this one out to me. I had been trying to track it down forever. Served as might nightcap last night, bottle number 319, served in a snifter (which incidentally my wife broke today), this one was consumed on 03/05/2010.

The pour was decent, though I admit I was looking for a little bit more. Nice even caramel brown in color with a small, fleeting head on top. Quickly left bare there was really not much left to it after a few moments. Aroma is dominated by bourbon and wood. Sweet vanilla notes, hints of oak, a light caramel touch. Not as strong as I have seen some BA beers, but it worked still, nicely done. Warming, soothing taste. Light oak and vanilla caress the palate and warm into an earthy and bourbon filled flavor. Not overpowering, subtle with the alcohol very well hidden leaving it to be consumed a bit faster then one had anticipated.

Overall a nice change up for me. I thought it could have been a little bigger, for the time it spent in the barrel it was very mellow and nicely done. Maybe with a year or so on it it will really start to flourish.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2010 02:05:51 | More by mikesgroove

Jwale73

Rhode Island

4.08/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to jedwards for sharing. Bottles 219/492. Pours a dull mahogany hue with no head, just a cluster of bubbles pooling in one corner. Nose expresses bourbon notes, wood and a hint of ethanol. As the brew begins to warm I also get a lightly sugared and toffee-like character. Taste is fairly subtle. While it is somewhat consistent with the nose there is also something else happening in the flavor profile - not quite sour or tart, but definitely a character that cuts through the anticipated sweetness. Mouthfeel is medium-light, with a mild carbonation and a slightly oily texture. Overall, a very drinkable Old Ale with a well-hidden abv. Not my favorite BA Old Ale, but it is quite pleasant and goes down so easily.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2012 23:31:17 | More by Jwale73

DavoleBomb

Ohio

4.09/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter. 2011 vintage, bottle #0877.

3.5 A: Dark brown, near black color. Just a quarter finger of beige head formed, but didn't stick around long.

4.25 S: The beer and barrel really integrate well in this one. Leathery whiskey offers a light smokiness, a touch of mineral, apple orchard, and melon. The base offers plum, caramel, tobacco, raisin, biscuity graham cracker, light toastiness, brown sugar, and toffee.

4.25 T: Tastes like the nose. Barrel and whiskey contribute leather, smokiness, light mineral, melon, vanilla, and apple. Plum, caramel, tobacco, raisin, toastiness, brown sugar, toffee, and biscuity malts. The only issue is that I'd like the overall intensity to be upped a bit.

3.5 M: Medium body. Good moderate carbonation, but lacking creaminess. I'd also like it to be a bit thicker, but it's still good overall. Booze is very well hidden.

4.0 D: Good beer, but not worth the $30 this cost me in Pittsburgh. I guess I should just be happy it made it out to here.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 02:54:26 | More by DavoleBomb

Googs

New York

4.1/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2011, 12.4% ABV poured into a goblet.

A: Thick reddish brown body, minimal amounts of carbonation showing with some lacing on the glass. What I would expect.

S: Really nice. whiskey and oak heavy upfront on the nose, followed by sweet toffee malts.

T: Like the nose, whisky hits you first, and hard. Then come vanilla, cocoa and caramel flavors. The transition ain't the smoothest nor is this the most balanced brew of the style, but it's pretty good barrel-foward beer.

M: Somewhat viscous, but not chewy. Alcohol makes itself known, in taste and the warming in your throat. English take on the style, so it's it's on the dryer side with not much of a hop presence.

O: I payed $32.00 for this beer and I wouldn't do it again. Seems like this beer is somewhat hard to get, and it's pretty good, so I'm not unhappy about the purchase. I had a BA 4D last night as well, and this isn't standing up to it, especially for that price tag. If you like whiskey or boiler makers, get this brew. I enjoyed it because of that, but at the same time prefer a bit more balance and malt/sweetness presence in this kind of beer. Can't wait to try BA Old Ruffian and Yeti.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 05:47:13 | More by Googs

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.13/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This one is courtesy of Schmittymack, cheers Dan!

Bottle 138 of 492 pours ann effervescent brown/chestnut with 2 fingers of tan head. Nice oily sheen, average head retention & lacing

S: Bourbon notes & figs

T: Follows the nose with nice toffee & vanilla notes, plus dryness, figs & leafy hops up front. Figgyness, bourbon boozeyness & oaky dryness dominate as this warms. Finishes dry, oaky, fruitty & with a bit of Bourbon twang

MF: Hefty & sticky with minimal carbonation, carbonation picks up a bit as this warms

Great drinkability, a luxury that alas may not stack up to many other Old ales, barrel aged or not; if you are seeking value for your dollar. Thrilled to have tried this, but was expecting more to be honest

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2010 03:18:39 | More by russpowell

BradLikesBrew

Missouri

4.13/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Thanks to Andre for splitting this one.

Bottle 208 of 492.

18 months in a Stranahan's bottle and 18 months in bottle.

Cloudy brown body beneath a light tan head.

Aromas of rum soaked fruit cake, raisin, fig, a touch of oak and some oxidation beginning to develop.

Toffee, molassas, rum raisin, fruit cake, spice, more like rum than Stranahan's, light oak.

The body becomes thin on the mid palate and that's my primary complaint.

Darn good and yet, I am dissapointed. Maybe its past its prime. I don't dislike it, but its not as good as I was hoping for. A bit too boozy, a touch too thin, but still very good.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2011 04:18:04 | More by BradLikesBrew

Treebs

Illinois

4.14/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

750 ml bottle served in a Southern Tier tulip. 2012 vintage.

A: Pours a murky brown color with a khaki head forming on the pour. It recedes to a thin cap that leaves some splotchy lace.

S: Whiskey notes up front with some underlying chocolate malt. Light spices with some fruity ale yeast.

T: More of the barrel comes out with some caramel sweetness. Whiskey notes with some spiciness as well. Sweet malt with some mild fruitiness. The barrel takes over mostly.

M: Medium bodied with a medium carbonation level. Very smooth.

O: Pretty solid overall. The whiskey barrel is prominent without being hot or overbearing. Definitely enjoyed this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 16:12:45 | More by Treebs

Lunch

Maryland

4.15/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle 431/429 received in a great trade with JMBSH, thanks!

Served in a Great Divide snifter because I can and I will. Pours fairly thick and I can already smell the Stranahan barrels. Mahogany brown in color with a light tan head that recedes quickly.

Smell is sweet malts with notes of brown sugar, toffee, caramel and oak surrounded in whiskey. Taste follows nicely with rich flavors providing a fairly sweet Old Ale that is thick with low carbonation. Glad I got a chance to try this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2011 18:17:38 | More by Lunch

Kaiser81

California

4.18/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Rye726 for this. I opened with Jerz and Vacax.

Bottle # 231/492

A - Dark brown in color, minimal head, and minimal lacing. Nice looking beer for a barrel aged old ale.

S - It smells like a typical old ale (dark fruits, some malts, etc.) mixed with just a hint of bourbon.

T - Dark fruits are mixed with some bourbon. It's clean and tasty, and the compliments of Hibernation and bourbon go well together. no alcohol bite for 11%

M - Heavy body with mild carbonation.

D - It's good. i could drink plenty of this.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2010 04:39:47 | More by Kaiser81