Nomad - Great Divide Brewing Company

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.7/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours out a clear, bubbly, golden-orange body with a tall, airy, foaming white head.

Smell: Sweetish-scented pils malt with notes of cracked grain, biscuit dough, lemon juice, and dried herb.

Taste: Sweetish, biscuit doughy, grainy pilsner maltiness. Little drizzle of lemon, followed by a spicy herbaceousness. Medium-light bitterness. Drying with little touches of herb and citrus on the sprightly finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium-plus carbonation.

Overall: Not great, but still fine, quaffable, and reasonably balanced.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 01:10:08 | More by ChainGangGuy

UCLABrewN84

California

3.45/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottled on 1/6/12.

Pours a clear light yellow with a 1 inch foamy white head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Thin foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt/grain, grassy/herbal notes, and a hint of skunk. Taste is of toasty malt/grain and big earthy, grassy, and herbal flavors. There is a somewhat assertive level of bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good pilsner but the skunky aroma I am getting is not too pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 00:55:39 | More by UCLABrewN84

oberon

North Carolina

3.78/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a clear straw color with a thinner but well sustained bone white head atop,a big shot of herbal/leafy hops really comes out during the pour,mild bready notes undereath.The palate doesn't have quite the assertive hoppiness with some grassy and lighter herbal notes,a firm bready malt base is nice.This is a very well made pilsner,I like the hoppy nose and firm bready malt flavors.Kind of an odd winter seasonal because this is something I would wanna drink while grilling or just hanging around outside.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2012 14:04:24 | More by oberon

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.71/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

I know when I think pilsner, I think the desert. Anyway, this stuff pours a clear sunset straw topped by a finger of white foam. The nose comprises flowers, grass, very light white grape skin, and some light biscuit. The taste brings in more of the same, with heavier flowers and a touch of sulfur in the background and in the finish. Reminds me almost of a Burton-ish character. The body straddles the line between hefty light and light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a drying finish. Overall, a solid pils, not the best the States have put forth, but a nice one regardless.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 21:10:16 | More by TMoney2591

drabmuh

Maryland

3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served from a 12 ounce bottle into a snifter. At the time of this review, this beer is #22 on the "Top Beers - Czech Pilsener" list on beeradvocate.com.

Beer is yellow and clear with a big white head of small bubbles, nice retention, some lacing, moderate carbonation.

Aroma is yeasty and weak, mild throughout but nice.

Beer is medium to light in body, a little sweet and grain on the finish, a mild bitterness and hop presence, It is OK but not great, I do enjoy it though. I may have it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 19:30:28 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a very clear straw color with a white head. The aroma is heavy on the pilsner malt with some grass and biscuit notes thrown in. The flavor is similar, with a ton of classic pilsner malt taste. There is also a little bit of grass and earth and a low to medium amount of bitterness. Thin mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 05:36:03 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

3.88/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a clear, golden-yellow color with a one-finger, white head of fizzy, bubbly head. It left sudsy trails of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of grasses and grains. There was a touch of caramel, too.

T - It tasted of caramel and mild toffee with a strong bitter spiciness. More hop bite than most pilseners.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A light to medium bodied lager with a clean finish.

O - This is a nice bitter pils. No surprise that Great Divide did a good job on this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 02:15:32 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

3.85/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A: The beer is clear yellow in color and has a moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high white head that died down but consistently left a thin head covering the surface and lots of lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: Light to moderate aromas of grassy hops are present in the nose along with some notes of earthy and spicy hops plus some hints of biscuit malts.
T: Similar to the smell, the hops dominate the overall taste—particularly in the way of grassy flavors—although there are also some added hints of yeast. A light amount of bitterness is present.
M: It feels a bit more than light-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: I liked this beer because it wasn't bland or boring and imparted lots of complex aromas and flavors from the hops. It is rather easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 23:36:08 | More by metter98

MasterSki

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle from d0b. Dated January 25th, 2012. Served in a pilsener glass.

A - Bottle was a slight gusher, but it'd been stored on its side in my fridge for a while so who knows. A couple fingers of white foam settle to a thick cap and even thicker collar, along with some sticky lace. Transparent golden straw body with some visible bubbles.

S - Smells like a pils alright - bread, grain, pilsener malt, grassy and slightly herbal Euro hops. Fairly potent nose, especially at 5.4%.

T - Taste has more of a buttered biscuit flavor, particularly in the finish. There's some grassy and slightly spicy hops, with medium-low lingering bitterness.

M - Chewy texture, medium body, pleasant medium active carbonation, no alcohol. Fairly refreshing, although a tad heavy to be a true session beer.

D - I had no problem drinking the 12oz bottle. It's a solidly made Czech Pilsener but not something of which I'd purchase a whole six-pack. Still, might make a nice palate cleanser at the bar, or be a good beer to have around for a craft n00b - my dad would probably like this.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 04:02:54 | More by MasterSki

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.48/5  rDev +22.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled on Dec 29 2011, shame Missouri whole salers for holding on to this for so long before releasing this to store shelves...

Pours an efferersvescent straw color with 2+ fingers of pearl colored head. Good head retention & lacing

S: Soapy & grassy hops, grainyness & perfumy hops as well

T: Follows the nose, slight sulphury notes, some lemony hop notes mix with mown hay, & honey malt up front. More soapyness as this warms, along with grainy/cereal sweetness. Finishes crisp, with lemon & honey malt/grainy sweetness, pretty dry as well

MF: Medium bodied, crisp carbonation & great balance

Great pils! I hope I can find this fresher, but this 2 month+ old pils is damn tasty& easy to session on...

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 20:30:24 | More by russpowell

emerge077

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Into a large mug it pours a pale gold color, with rising trails of carbonation visible. A couple fingers of foam from the initial pour settle down to an ample skim across the surface. It remains unbroken for the duration of the glass. Meanwhile, thin rings of drippy intricate lacing form in the glass.

Grassy noble hops and sweet malts (pilsner and pale) in the aroma. Floral with a vague sweetness. Simple and effective, and plenty aromatic.

Light to medium feel, lower carbonation, earthy hops at first with a grassy, floral character. Crisp and dry, very clean. Showcases the noble hop very well, lending a light earthy bitterness of summer weeds without sacrificing the drinkability. Exceedingly dry and not sweet tasting at all. Overall a great balanced euro pilsner, one i'll pick up a six of next time I see it.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 23:28:08 | More by emerge077

Halcyondays

California

3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle, saw this at Total Wine, 1/24/12 bottled so only 11 days old, super fresh, into a Great Divide shaker it goes,

A: Pours a clear yellow with a soapy two finger white head, good retention, lots of lace.

S: Has that characteristic Saaz hop nose which I love in Bohemian pilsners. Grassy, floral and herbal, very nice.

T: Quite green, I get weedy grass and dandelion greens. Vegetal, but in a good way. Earthy, really shows the hops without being bitter.

M: Light-bodied, not a crisp as I would have liked but has a complex flavour. Medium long aftertaste. Dry.

O: An interesting pils, I enjoyed it, it's always cool to see a new one from Great Divide.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 04:18:40 | More by Halcyondays

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Picked up a single at Euro Market in Queens. It poured clear gold with a white head. The aroma and flavor both hold a strong, but not overpowering herbal, spicy hops character. With the pale, toasted barley, there's almost a dry oak taste. It's a bit hoppier than more pilsners from Bohemia, but it's not as hoppy as a number of American versions, such as Victory's Prima Pils or Avery's Joe. I'm sorry to hear this is a seasonal. I'd love to have a few pints on a hot day, but I'll take it on this unseasonably warm March day.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 19:49:09 | More by tempest

WVbeergeek

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a slightly hazed golden hue with a bright white head forming thick, even bands of lacing left behind. I love a good pils, I hope this holds up the bottle mentions a full 5 weeks of lagering which hopefully brings some good results. Aroma earthy herbal citrus notes with a mild grassiness amongst a pale malt breadiness that just works. You may call it one dimensional but I think it's great. Flavor has adequate bitterness, fresh green hops a bit of sulfur/skunkiness going on but it's muted nicely an citrus lemony herbal grassiness. Pale malts provided a toasted biscuit sweetness that really works, finishes dry with each sip. Mouthfeel is crisp clean unadulterated good drinking lager, lighter bodied with sturdy carbonation. Overall a great American brewed version of a pils, I'm not used to see great ones coming out of Colorado or anywhere out west really. I'm spoiled living near PA where there seems to be a neverending supply of tasty lagers.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 18:22:23 | More by WVbeergeek

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Relatively clear with neutral golden color. Modest head that leaves some spotty lace.

Mild of aroma of fresh hop and sweet malt. I may be thrown off by the strong smell beer brewing in the background.

Thin bodied and slightly sour are my first impressions which misses the typical expectations of the style. Lip smackingly dry. Short aftertaste of neutral hop.

Serving type: on-tap

10-24-2012 16:33:51 | More by smcolw

Jason

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz brown bottle with a freshness date.

LOOK: Bright pale golden, three fingers of head

SMELL: Nutty, chalky, dried grass, doughy, herbal, lemon pith, mineral

TASTE: Biscuity, nutty, grassy, leafy, hop bitterness, yeast, clean, spicy, herbal, refreshingly dry

Very rustic tone to this beer yet it stays clean, the malt lashes out at the palate and the hops follow. I'd love to see this beer with some more late hop additions, regardless ... I dig this beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 03:30:42 | More by Jason

Billolick

New York

3.95/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle with "Bottled on" dating of Jan. 06 2012.

Pours super clear and light, moderate and fine white head, leaving minor bits of lace.

Grassy nose, with a whisper of smoke.

Light, moderatly crisp and quite easy drinking. More grassy notes, grainy hops, a touch of ripe fruit, lime and again a bit of smoke in the finish.

Nice, went well with some aged cheddar

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 03:09:24 | More by Billolick

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a big fluffy 2 finger pasty white fluffy head fades at a med pace with nice sticky lacing, crystal clear pale straw color beer.

Nose has a nice pilsner aroma, cracked straw, soft pilsner malts with a hint of soft complex almost decoction, soft lager fruits and crispness, very slight hints of noble grass hops.

Taste is nice, lots of cracked straw and toasty pilsner malts, malty, juicy fruity lager is there but light with a nice crispness, plenty of grassy slight spicy noble hops being a light bitterness at first that builds a bit. Complex malts that give the feel and softness of layers of decoction but not quite there. Finish gets a bit more bitter and spicy hops, not quite dry and crisp and slightly sweet and sticky.

Mouth is lighter bodied, decent carb.

Overall nicely done but not perfected, could use some drying on the finish, the hops get a bit overly on the finish but not too much, a nice perception of soft and complex decoction like makes, and nice toasty cracked straw pilsner malts. Tasty and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 11:51:44 | More by jlindros

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a clear gold, with a couple fingers of foamy bright-white head. This retains with a smooth and thick finger, leaving back a sudsy cascade of lacing which quickly slides down the sides of the glass. The aroma smells leafy and spicy, with a sweet grainy feel across the back. This has a pleasant feeling fresh airiness to it.

The taste has a leafy citric to bite to it, which is set against sweet and lightly toasted grains and finishing fairly dry and spicy. This is pretty tight and clean in the mouth, with the malts in particular pushing back nicely against the hops. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with more of a softer and bubbly feeling carbonation that then tightens up on the tongue. This has enough crispness to it while still staying smooth enough in the mouth.

This was definitely a decent take on a Czech Pils, with a crisp spicy bite that leaves an impression and this overall being clean and smooth feeling on the palate. I’d drink another.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 19:47:40 | More by Kegatron

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Draft at The Pour House in Westmont, NJ.

Pours a  cloudy pale golden yellow color with a two finger frothy white head quickly fades into a lasting ring. Chunks of soapy lacing left behind.

Slightly earthy aroma with a crisp hop presence along with grass, hay, light fruit and pale malts.  Nice balance of hops, sweeter notes and malt.

Medium bodied with a crisp, dry hop bite that provides some nice earthy bitterness which lingers over the earthy notes, sweet light fruit and pale malts.  Hints of pine, hay and straw followed by sweet apple and pear, bread and biscuity malt.  Really well balanced, refreshing and extremely quaffable.

Serving type: on-tap

06-26-2012 20:08:28 | More by corby112

DoubleJ

California

3.8/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Great Divide is on the pilsner radar, and I'm thirsty. 12 ounces is what I get. On to the beer:

Golden straw color with visible bubbles running through the body, topped with a semi-soapy, inch thick head. Good start. It follows though by leaving good chunks of lace around the glass. Its aroma is clean with a little sweetness and floral notes. Floral, grass clippings, and a little honey.

Fresh lager is a good thing, and being just 2 months from being bottled, you can tell it tastes fresh. It's not BIG in flavor like Titan IPA, this is a relaxed, easy to approach pilsner. A netural cracker and floral note hit first. Dry cracker and a little grass midway, finished with an herbal and pleasant bitterness. It's light bodied with a pleasant crisp body...gulp, I'm done! That'll hydrate me :-)

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 06:34:44 | More by DoubleJ

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.38/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

- Bottled 1/24/12, consumed 11/09/12.

A: Pale turbid lemon coloring with a quick paced macro-effervesce. Dirty white head is slight and washy, quick to dissipate leaving a minimal lacing.

S: Pale grains, lacks the edgy pilsner grainy character, rather smooth and rouded with a faint lemony scent. meh.

T: Lemony grains for flavor, a touch of dry wheat character, and a spicy lemon floral taste of hops. Tart.

M: medium body consistency with a slippery smootht texture and alkaline finish. Decent carbonation but not neccessarily sharp nor crisp.

O: Decent flavor, above average regards, just lacks the grainy pilsner character, more like a american blonde body, needs that more disticnt grainy feel and taste. Decent drinkability, tart lemon nature.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 23:50:08 | More by beerthulhu

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Another bottle from my local trading partner, tone77! I am going to have to return to The CANQuest (TM) here shortly, but in the interim, I am clearing out some of the backlog of bottles.

From the bottle: "Nomad is our spin on the classic Bohemian Pilsner style. The journey starts with German malts and Saaz hops that offer a lively floral nose and crispness, while a full 5 weeks of lagering time ensures that Nomad is eminently balanced. This Nomad may wander, but it's got some serious roots."; "Suggested Food Pairings: Pan seared trout, grilled pork tenderloin with fresh rosemary, Avalanche Cheese Co. Robiolo (Colorado), crispy Brussels sprouts, salted caramel ice cream."; "Bright [-] Elegant".

Fans of Sons of Anarchy may remember that being a nomad is not the way to go in that subculture, but a Pilsener on a hot summer's day may be just the ticket! Color me wandering, but not lost. I lost no time in popping the cap and getting it into a glass. Soon, I had two-plus fingers of solid, bone-white head with good retention that resembled the top of a vanilla ice cream cone. Color was an ever-so-slightly-hazy pale lemon-yellow. Nose was crisp with the Saaz hops front and center in evidence. Now this was what I was looking for! Mouthfeel was soft, not an overabundance of carbonation in the mouth and the taste was a good commingling of the grassiness of the hops with the counterbalance of the malt. Finish was semi-dry, refreshing and very welcomed in the humidity of the day.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 17:19:11 | More by woodychandler

kojevergas

California

3.1/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a generic pilsner glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Angeles, California.

A: Pours a half finger head of mild thickness, bad cream, and abysmal retention. Colour is a clear yellow. Standard for the style.

Sm: Straw, clean barley, and strange hints of peppers (?). No real floral presence. A mild strength aroma.

T: Clean full-bodied barley with straw notes and maybe clean malts. Very simple and boring. No hops come through. Some cream. Balanced but dull and bland. Built okay. Nothing unique or special here.

Mf: Smooth and wet, suiting the flavours okay. A bit overcarbonated. Too thick.

Dr: Drinkable but unremarkable. I wouldn't have it again, not even on-draught unless little else was available. Fairly priced but boring. The cream could use some amping up. Standard fare for a pilsner.

C+

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 06:13:10 | More by kojevergas

mactrail

California

4.05/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Crisp and refreshing light beer. Very aromatic, just like fresh hop cones, with that perfumey taste. Seems like the classic Pilsener style. Quite hoppy and fairly bitter in the aftertaste. Resins flavors are plentiful. Lemony with that yeasty biscuit taste.

Overall, this stuff is great for a light but flavorful drink. Clean and well made in the Great Divide style. It would be interesting to taste it with a Victory or some other domestic Pils. The Nomad is quite rich with flavors. Label says bottled January 24 2012.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2012 05:08:02 | More by mactrail