Rumble IPA - Great Divide Brewing Company

ptbeer25

4.88/5  rDev +26.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A: Poured from a bottle into a snifter glass. 2" white head with a caramel hint. Good lacing throughout the drink.Body is a hazy, light tan. Truly a beautiful beer to look at.

S: A strong oak hoppiness with hefty notes of caramel and vanilla.

T: Absolutely delicious, the caramel and vanilla flavours almost make you not notice the hops. But this is an IPA, and the hoppy bitterness cannot be denied. Finishes slightly dry if you can wait long enough before sipping again.

M: A good composition. A tiny bit of a creamy thick feel, but definitely no stout.

O: This beer is fantastic! Absolutely my new favourite IPA! This knocks off Ska Brewery's Modus Hoperandi for my top IPA spot. The caramel and vanilla contrast the bitterness of the hops to perfection! Modus is no small opponent, but Rumble proves they can handle this jungle.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 21:29:21 | More by ptbeer25

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.83/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a very lightly hazy golden copper in color with light to moderate amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a one finger tall creamy off-white head that reduces to a couple of small patches of large bubbles and a medium thick ring around the edges of the glass. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: The beer has moderately strong aromas of oak along with some lighter notes of pine/resin and citrus/grapefruit hops.

T: Like the smell, this beer has a strong flavor of the oak barrel aging along with some lighter notes of vanilla. There is a light amount of caramel malt sweetness followed by citrus/grapefruit and pine/resin hop flavors. Light to moderate mounts of bitterness are present but does not linger too long.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Crisp with some dryness in the finish (from the barrel aging).

O: The barrel aging really makes this an interesting take on an IPA - enjoyable but definitely a sipping beer. This beer feel much bigger than it really is but still one to try.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 01:10:17 | More by dbrauneis

AmitC

Indiana

4.23/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours with a little head.

Medium carbonation.

Smells a lot of caramel, a little oak, wooden and earthy touch and some hops.

A bit complex smell.

Taste is not that complex but is good enough.

Clear caramel follows the nose along with the hops and oak.

Taste is a bit on the sweeter side.

Medium bodied mouth feel.

Overall a good IPA with a difference.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 01:45:34 | More by AmitC

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-Pours a lightly hazed dimly lit orange hue. Head is very frothy and creamy. It dies down to a thin covering. It leaves light locks of lacing along my glass.

S-Nose relies heavily on the combination of sweet citrus and oak. Smells like Oakes tangerines. Light booze. Quite hoppy but the oak really shines too. The two aromas really work well together.

T-Not as good as the nose. The hops are a bit less intense. Caramel is heavier here too. The oak is pleasant and perhaps the best part of the flavor. The nose works better than the flavor but it was still very enjoyable.

M-Medium bodied and a bit creamy. Booze comes into play. Oak may actually make the booze more noticeable. Moderately dry. Relatively light bitterness for an IPA.

O/D-Better than expected. Oaked IPAs are not my favorite. This one was pretty good. One single of this beer was enough for me. Appreciate the effort. Pricey.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 18:08:50 | More by VelvetExtract

alexgash

Connecticut

3.93/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle. Bottled on June 20, 2012.

Medium orange copper body. Finger of dense, creamy, light beige head. Great lacing up the side of the glass. Base aroma of fruity, marmalade-y malts. Tropical fruit and pine hops show up. Light vanilla and woody oak notes as well.

Woody, herbal bitterness up front. Tropical fruit and caramel malt fill in. Orange and citrus hop bitterness comes in. Dries out in a woody, oaky finish. Lingering citrus, with hints of vanilla. Medium bodied with a creamy feel. Interesting and overall pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 01:45:14 | More by alexgash

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

3.98/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A 355ml bottle with a BB of June 2012, so it's a little out of date. Picked up a while back from Great Grog in Edinburgh. I've not had an oaked IPA before - it sounds interesting.

Poured into a Delirium chalice. A deep, hazy orange-amber hue with medium carbonation and a ton of chunky floating sediment. Yields a decent head of creamy off-white foam that hangs around for a while before reducing to a frothy surface layer. Nice lacing lingers on the glass. Aroma of sweet caramel malt with notes of oak/wood, piny hops, toffee, dry yeast, faint vanilla and stewed hops. Complex but quite restrained.

Tastes of sweet caramel malt with a dry, bitter finish. Notes of oak, toffee, pine, vanilla, mild earthy yeast and stewed hops. A mild twinge of alcohol in the background. Possesses a spicy, astringent quality, followed by a distinct bitterness upon swallowing. Mouthfeel is smooth, spicy and tingly, with good body. Rather astringent - dries the palate. Aftertaste of oaky malt and an aromatic, piney bitterness.

A tasty brew with a twist. The oak add something extra to this IPA, yet it doesn't clash or compete with the hop notes. The subtle tannins and hints of vanilla introduce an extra layer of complexity. The hop notes are obvious but quite subdued - I'm not sure if they've faded a bit or if this is a natural characteristic of Rumble. The only real flaw is the appearance; it looked like a ton of coagulated protein floating in the beer. Still, a fairly minor complaint - this is well crafted. If you like IPAs and/or wood in your beer, then go for the best of both worlds and grab one of these when you can.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 01:37:30 | More by jazzyjeff13

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

4.05/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice orangey-tan color and clear with a considerable amount of suspended sediment but plenty of head and lace. The sediment takes away from the appearance but it's ok, the rest of this one seems to make up for it.

Aroma is malty and bready, oak and vanilla components, subdued hops, in fact the whole aroma is pretty subdued. There's also a lightly fruity component. Really the aroma starts so subtle and subdued, but as you drink and the beer warms up, it gets better and better. I think aroma is this beer's hidden secret.

Taste is smoooth for an IPA, very smooth. The vanilla and oak are perfectly blended and balanced with a moderate dose of piney and citrusy hops. Malts make a great showing too, the malty backbone shines through with plenty of toasty and bready flavors. It's a complex brew, as you would expect any oaked IPA to be.

Mouthfeel is smooth, slick, medium bodied, and carbonation is spot on for the oak-aged and vanilla components, perfectly accenting without overpowering. Slightly warming over the course of the brew. There's an oily, piney hops linger to this one, which is when the hops really shine.

Overall it's a very nice but not too overpowering oaked IPA. Very complex flavors and aroma make this a beer I'll definitely visit again.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 21:15:55 | More by AlCaponeJunior

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled mid-June, poured a clear orange and left thick lacing. I'd call it a smooth, interesting IPA. The barrel character pops through the hops with gentle vanilla and oak, along with caramel malt. I'd like a little more of the juicy, citrus hop, but this a balanced, tasty beer. Give it a try, it's not too heavy for a 7% barrel aged beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 23:16:20 | More by tempest

bmwats

Louisiana

3.98/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a standard pint.

A: Clouded amber hue. Giant frothy wight head. Disintegrates slowly and unevenly, leaving plenty of dry, sticky residue, and distinctive peaks and valleys. Many layers of beer ring lacing form and persist.

S: Woody and smoky combination of light hops and molasses. Slightly floral

T: Medium hoppiness with a light smoky character. A little basil or oregano in there, too.

M: Steely hoppy feel from the start and lingering in the aftertaste. The aftertaste is a little off-putting.

D: Goes down easy. Not overly hoppy.

Atmosphere is great. Giant head and lots of lacing. Nose is hoppy and smoky, with some sweet and floral notes. Flavor is lightly hopped and lightly smoked, and well-balanced in its execution. Steely aftertaste is a little off. Overall, this is a really good quaff.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 03:54:19 | More by bmwats

sonata2008

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance: About 1/4" inch of cream colored foam that quickly disappeared. Dark copperish amber, a slight bit cloudy. Some lacing.
Smell: A bready aroma with a slight amount of spiciness. There is a malt presence, but can't detect the hops. Can smell the oak, however.
Taste: Piney hops are right at the beginning of the taste, with a slight barley sweeness in the middle. The oak flavor is at the end with some bitterness. The oak was not overwhelming; it was nicely subtle.
Mouthfeel: Medium mouthfeel. Not much carbonation. A tad bitter on the finish.
Overall: A very drinkable beer, however, I'm not aware of the alcohol in the taste probably because of the sweetness. Very tasty, but definitely not a session beer. Would go well with roasted meats, cheeses (e.g., blue cheese) and greens.

Serving type: on-tap

09-03-2012 16:09:22 | More by sonata2008

Jacobob10

New Jersey

3.63/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap @ The Brass Rail in Hoboken, NJ.

Pours a hazy, deep orange color. Thick, off-white head with good retention and lacing on the glass. Complex yet relatively subtle aroma for an IPA. Notes of caramel, vanilla, and orange. Those aromas carried over to the flavor but slightly overpowered the hops. An interesting IPA that was enjoyable but not one I am dying to try again. Worth a shot if you are tired of the run of the mill IPAs and looking for something different.

Serving type: on-tap

09-02-2012 10:38:18 | More by Jacobob10

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Good bar-poured head which lasts a long time, leaving a blanket of lace after each sip. The liquid is extensively cloudy with an orange-amber hue.

Nice combination of floral hop and mild yeast smell. Pale malt background.

Mild start with a neutral pale malt. The beer heads rapidly to a bitterness that is far from overwhelming. The finish is bitter but short lived. Well-balanced, particularly for an IPA. No notable oak elements. Predictable body and carbonation.

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2012 16:22:30 | More by smcolw

jondeelee

Massachusetts

4.48/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Rumble opens with a heavily malty nose that makes immediately apparent the beer’s oak aging: thick rising bread dough, yeasty baguette and floury French bread mix with oak, vanilla, toffee, and caramel. Hefty doses of fruit esters (fig, orange, apricot, touches of raisin and cherry) are joined by molasses and brown sugar. Strangely light here are the hops, which only add shades of pine resin and grapefruit, apparently largely subsumed beneath massive malts and oak finishing. As a whole, the nose is excellent, the oak aging adding brilliant layers of complexity to what was very likely already an excellent beer, producing a beverage that smells delicious and begs to be tasted.

On the tongue, the beer opens with a shot of oak aged malt, with yeasty dough, brown bread, toast crust, and floury baguette mixing perfectly with oak, vanilla, toffee, and caramel. Toasted nut and coffee cream add further complexity, joined by healthy doses of brown sugar, as well as fig, raisin, and cherry. A good alcoholic vapor does run throughout, the beer’s 7.1% ABV showing slightly, but blends well with the fruits and oak. Hops again take a backseat here, mainly offering countering notes of pine and grapefruit in the main mouthful, but do come out more strongly in the aftertaste, which is otherwise a continuation of the bread and oak. Mouthfeel is medium to medium-heavy, and carbonation is medium.

Overall, this is fantastic fare, the oak aging doing wonders in terms of adding nuance and complexity to the beer, providing thick overtones of vanilla, cream, and wood that blend nicely with the fruits, sugars, and breads. It does seem somewhat strange that the hop notes aren’t more forward (this is an IPA, after all), but perhaps this is for the best, as they could possibly overwhelm the oak aging if present in greater strength. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 18:19:50 | More by jondeelee

intensify

Colorado

3.88/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Copper, honey colored body. Small lacing with fast retention.

S- Passion fruit, orange peel, lemon zest, resin smell lingering in their with a small hint of alcohol coming through the end.

T- Close to the smell.Has that nice candy like taste that I like in IPA's. Not as hoppy as I would have expected from Great Divide. Has a honey presence somewhere in their, ending with a sweet, and somewhat bitter presence of oranges and apricot.

M- Medium carbonation and medium bodied. Dry finish.

This could be a nice session beer. Nothing to get excited about, but still a nice American IPA.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 05:53:25 | More by intensify

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a robust ipa with meaty character and tones. The hops don't really give a real elaborate presentation; more of a thick delivery. I like this one, though I'd appreciate a fresh sample to be able to give a purists opinion. That aside, still diggin' it regardless.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 04:27:54 | More by RblWthACoz

axeman9182

New Jersey

2.9/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle from Amanti Vino's Beer of the Month program. This one was bottled on June 13, 2012 and poured tonight into my Brooklyn Brewery tulip.

Great Divde's Rumble pours an opaque copper, with just over a finger of off white foam crowning the beer. Head retention is decent, and there's a little bit of lacing, but neither really stand out. The aroma has a lot going on, which is nice, the only problem being not enough of it is coming from hops. There's the smells of caramel and vanilla and a spicy, woody oak. There's also an orange-citrus aroma, but not nearly loud enough. The flavor profile is similar. Caramel and vanilla open things, and after a surprisingly soft bitterness mid palate, I'm ready for the hops. As a bit of orange blossom and some grapefruit start to make an appearance, they're largely drowned out by woody oak flavors. The body is towards the chewier end of the spectrum for an IPA, but it works. The carbonation is just a little bit too muted. I had a hard time scoring Rumble, as I enjoyed it a bit more than the numbers would indicate. I think a barrel aged IPA is an interesting idea, and this one was certainly tasty. I just have a hard time still calling it an IPA. Call it an American Strong Ale or something, but it's going to be tough to take the time to barrel age a beer and still have it able to hang with the many readily available hop bombs put out by craft brewers.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 02:20:36 | More by axeman9182

ArrogantB

Colorado

3.8/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a single bottled 6/26/12 to revisit this one. Orange color, foamy white head. Smells malty, hint of oak, meh. Flavor is lots of oak wrapped around some decent hops, chewy. A BA in the mountain forum compared it to a baby oaked barleywine and that is an apt description. Solid beer but I really only needed the one.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 01:24:09 | More by ArrogantB

ninaturner

Florida

4.08/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Light brown in color, unfiltered

Aroma: Pine, pine, pine, and oak

Taste: I love how the sweetness of the malts meld with the hops... you get a caramel taste and a bitter taste all in one sip and are left with a smooth vanilla flavor at the end

Mouthfeel: Light to medium

Drinkability: Highly drinkable for this style of beer

Overall: Loved this oaked IPA, which is saying a lot since I am not a usually a fan of this style

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 23:49:50 | More by ninaturner

DM1293

California

3.23/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

An Oaked IPA?

An odd idea. The smells are much as I'd expect, a faint oaked smell with a bit of hop/malt. The taste is as I'd expect: there is oak, there is the piney bite, there is malt...but then I got vanilla. Vanilla is not something I would've expected, oaked or not.

Overall, the oaking mellows out some of the hop bite, but the malt feels a little stronger than necessary. The vanilla taste helps counter that too, but the balance isn't perfect. Its got a bit of punch to it. The semi-thick mouthfeel lets it ride longer than I'd like.

Its a neat idea, but the flavors don't appeal to me.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 01:42:55 | More by DM1293

LeeryLeprechaun

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beer pours a nice orange hued color with some hazy, possible remaining from dry hopping. The head is white and is easily stirred back up when I swirl my snifter.

The aroma is excellent with grapefruit and other citrus fruits rising out of the glass.

The beer is full bodied but refreshing and starts off with the typical sweetness of a well built IPA. The bitter finish is refreshing and not over powering and balanced with a nutty malt backbone.

Overall this is a very enjoyable IPA. It is just really hard to stand amount amongst all the great IPAs these days but this one is still worth giving a try.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 01:24:51 | More by LeeryLeprechaun

zac16125

Florida

3.95/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass
Bottled on June 13th 2012

A: Pours a quintessential amber color with just under 1 fingers width of slightly off white head.  Very good clarity.  Head dissipates down rather quickly and leaves effectively no lacing.  

S: Strong oaky aroma right off the bat.  Very nutty, along with some toffee and caramel.  Really smells excellent, but I get almost no hop characters.  Smells more like a lightly hopped, oak aged american strong ale.  

T:  Again, the nutty character is most prominent, at least initially.  There are also significant caramel notes and a strong oak presence.  This tastes like a beer Ive had before but I cant place it.  I was thinking Oaked Arrogant Bastard, but then I went back and read my review of that and remembered OAB was really hoppy, which this certainly isn't.  Although as it warms some piney bitterness  comes out as does a touch of booze.  Certainly drinks more like an IPA as it warms.  Really packed with flavor, which is impressive, although I would have appreciated more complex hop flavors especially citrus characters.  

M/D: Nice and smooth, with a moderate degree of carbonation.  Medium bodied.  Drinkability is good, but it isnt a sessionable beer in my book due to the heavy oak presence.  

O: Overall, a solid and tasty brew.  Not necessarily what I was expecting, but enjoyable nonetheless.  My experience with oak aged IPAs is rather limited, although I can say with certainly that  White Oak Aged Jai Alai is my favorite of the sub-style.  That being said, I enjoyed this one, and would certainly drink it again.  I recommend.  

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 22:20:06 | More by zac16125

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from tap at the brewery. Pours a light golden ruby with no head. Sweet malt, bubblegum hop and vanilla aromas. Taste is exactly the same but more hops and sweet vanilla. Its a really refreshing brew and mild, but hop forward at the same time. Really nice IPA and a good addition to their lineup.

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2012 21:35:43 | More by DrinkSlurm

kojevergas

California

2.6/5  rDev -32.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a conical Guinness pint glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are somewhat high given the brewery, which I'm fond of. I'm not huge on the style, though.

Served straight from the refrigerator. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a 1.5 finger beige colour head of nice cream and thickness, and good retention considering the high ABV. Lacing is decent. Colour is a transparent translucent textbook copper. Vibrant and appealing. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. There are very few carbonation bubbles, if any.

Sm: Clean malts, caramel, moderate pine, citrus, tinges of oak, and cream. A pleasant and delightful aroma for an IPA. Very balanced and subtle. I can't wait to try it. A mild strength aroma.

T: Clean malts with some heavy toasted character and pleasant subtle caramelization. Quite sweet, with some nice graham cracker character and blatant vanilla. The oak comes through marvelously; the subtlety here is impressive. Hop character is primarily pine, though some floral character does enter in the third act. I don't know where the citrus went, but it isn't here. It's nicely balanced, though the sweetness is over the top. Built well for the style, but suffers from simplicity. I do like it.

Mf: Too smooth. It comes off artificial, even a touch syrupy. Nicely wet. Overall, it just doesn't suit the flavours; coarseness is severely needed. This is by far the worst aspect of this brew.

Dr: Drinkable but held back by its unfavorable mouthfeel. I wouldn't get it again. Hides its ABV well. Great Divide brews far better beers.

C-

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 06:53:41 | More by kojevergas

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.45/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

11 ounce pour - $5.50 at Taco Mac in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Copper-hued body, clear and with a half inch layering of white foam producing layers of lacing film as it goes.

Smell: Lightly toasted grains, bread with some resins, tropical fruit, and low, gotta-look-for-it oak hints.

Taste: Bready malts, lightly toasted grains and a hint of sweet caramel. Fruity hop hints of grapefruit, lemon, papaya -- then, some resins, tannic mild oakiness, and the anticipated bitterness. Near the end delivers a black tea flavor. Bitter, dry finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Smooth mouthfeel, a tad sticky.

Overall: I wouldn't say I had high hopes for this one, just a hope for something decent. It was barely oaky and barely okay.

Serving type: on-tap

08-12-2012 22:55:32 | More by ChainGangGuy

Danny1217

Florida

4.18/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Found this one at the local whole foods and was immediately intrigued. I love Great Divide's IPAs, so an oak aged IPA from them sounded great. This was bottled on 7/19, so it was only about three weeks old when I drank it. Pretty fresh!
Pours a somewhat dark amber. Darker than most IPAs. A somewhat minimal head in size, but makes up for it by leaving a thin layer throughout the beer. I smell some caramel, toffee, and vanilla. A hint of citrus. The hop scent is very faint. The taste has sweeter flavors up front. I taste some vanilla, caramel, and orange. A nice oak flavor as well. The hops come in at the end, giving it a bit of bitterness, but not too much. The hops are still overshadowed. Medium bodied and medium-low carbonation.

Not the really hoppy beer some people may be looking for. The oak-aging really brings out some interesting characteristics though. I might like this even better than Great Divide's Titan IPA (though they are entirely different beers, really.)

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 15:11:33 | More by Danny1217