Nomad - Great Divide Brewing Company

chocosushi

Oklahoma

3.88/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Žatec Glass
A ~ Pours bright gold with straw legs & a cap of smooth white head that does not cease. Carbonation is fine & uniformly rising to the top throughout the drink.

S ~ Saaz aroma with a twinge lemon zest followed by proofed dough. Tons wet grassyness & wildflowers...Club Soda

T ~ Saaz by the bucketload on a bed of honey & toast. . .White pepper & crackery malt. . .Faint oats & bergamot. . .Very grassy.
On warming it becomes breadier with more lawnmower clipping grassyness melded through.

M ~ Carbonation is spot on. Hops are earthy & spicy with a crisp finish. Very floral. Loses sharpness on warming.

D ~ I think this is a very well executed Pils that, while being a tad "green," is very balanced. Supreme American flair, but with a focused Idea in mind

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 21:10:55 | More by chocosushi

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +6%
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

imasloth

Texas

4/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A common warning ... I don't drink many lagers.

A- Poured into pint glass, giving light lemony yellow out of bottle with a tilt toward that of apple juice in glass. 2-finger frothy, white head that perseveres at one-finger perpetually. Large lacing, highly effervescent.

S- Grassy, malty, light bittering hop.

T- Creamy and bitter. Sweetness with a smooth bitter finish.

M- Good mouthfeel for the color of the beer (heavier than expected). Slight bitter after-feel, coats mouth nicely.

O- Very good pilsner. Light, smooth and perfect beer for spring/summer.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 01:25:32 | More by imasloth

GilGarp

Colorado

4.23/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled on 1-12-12.

12 oz bottle served in a pint glass.

Nomad is a bright pale yellow color with perfect clarity. The head is thick and a pure white. Settles slowly and leaves a little lace.

Aroma is a blend of grassy hops and a clean pilsner yeast.

Flavor is crisp, clean, and nicely hopped. Very light in malt character which lets the grassy/spicy hops shine through.

Mouthfeel is light in body and nicely carbonated. Balance leans towards the hoppy for this pils but that's no bad thing in my opinion.

Overall a really nice hoppy pilsner that would make a great summer sipper. Makes me wonder why it came out in January but oh well. The weather is warm enough today to enjoy this beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 23:52:19 | More by GilGarp

MasterSki

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev +0.5%
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

lstokes

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Unseasonably warm in Chicago? Why not do something uncharacteristic and buy a pilsner! Very pale yellow pour with a quite fluffy white head. Smells of grassy grains with a bit of the herbal hop to come. It finishes dry, if not exactly crisp, and starts with that grain sweetness and a very fresh hop presence. A fairly respectable pilsner, although I'm not sure if I'll remember it.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2012 01:15:23 | More by lstokes

barnzy78

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle, pours pale golden yellow with a nice fluffy white head that holds good retention and leaves all kinds of sticky lacing down the entire glass. Aromas are pilsner malt, grassy, and citrusy. Tastes are pilsner malt, grainy, lemon grass, herbal hop, and slightly nutty. Mouth-feel is creamy and smooth with a fairly sharp hop bite on the finish, but still goes down smooth and clean; easy to drink. Overall, nice take on the style. Better than expected.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 23:46:59 | More by barnzy78

Hopswagger

Oklahoma

3.8/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From notes:

P: Thin sloshy crystal clear with thin airy sediment of head on top.

S: Yeast, floral hops, pear, small citrus notes, a touch of salt, and coriander.

T/M: High carbonation that presents limes and salt o saturate the tongue. Thin playful mouthfeel on a balance of floral hops and grain. Green apple rinds on the dry finish with a lingering orange aftertaste.

O: Fantastic Pilsner! Easily drinkable and refreshing with a perfect hop bite.. A great summer beer that would please anyone.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 03:43:25 | More by Hopswagger

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Never really an impressive color a bright pee colored yellow with an impressive 1/2 inch of sticky foam. Worth a 3.5

S - Smells of light Saaz hops giving it a better bitter tone across those typical pilsner malts.

T - Quite smooth and balanced with hops and malts. Really find no fault in this take of the style. Smooth and drink able.

M - Light obviously but good.

Overall worth a second look but really not my first choice. These guys get props since even the best brewery can overlook a good pilsner.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2012 05:13:56 | More by DrDemento456

zeff80

Missouri

3.88/5  rDev +5.4%
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

emerge077

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +9.5%
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

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +7.3%
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

UCLABrewN84

California

3.45/5  rDev -6.3%
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

horshack7

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pale golden with a white head one finger thick.

Aroma: Some floral hops, light malty breadiness. Touches of citrus with a bit of dryness in the nose. There is a wisp of lemon zest in the back.

Taste: Crisp mouthfeel at the start. Solid floral hop bite, lemon zest, minor breadiness, and a good touch of dryness in the finish.

Notes: A solid drinkable Pilsner for any time of year. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 04:29:17 | More by horshack7

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +1.9%
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

Beaver13

Colorado

2.08/5  rDev -43.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

12oz bottle, bottled on 1/12/12. Pours a clear yellow with a fluffy white head that retains well and laces the glass.

The aroma is sweet corny malts and some metallic, floral noble hops.

The flavor is sweet grainy malts with some vegetal notes. There's a good amount of bitterness in the finish from the noble hops. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and a little watery.

Overall, decent hops but very vegetal and sweet.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 04:56:37 | More by Beaver13

Nerudamann

Arizona

3.48/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a pilsner glass.

Look – light golden color, clear, with good carbonation and about three fingers’ worth of off-white colored foam that dissipates somewhat slowly.

Smell – typical near-cereal type of smell that comes from a pilsner. Malts seem more prevalent than the hops. Almost seems to have a syrup like quality to the aroma.

Taste – much like the smell, there’s the typical bitter bite of a pilsner, but there’s also a sweetness that creeps in toward the middle, but it’s not enough to balance out the bitterness in the finish. One also notices a muskiness in the middle that also persists in the finish/aftertaste.

Mouthfeel – pretty well balanced, not seeming to lean more toward the watery or creamy sides.

Overall – not extremely interesting, but not dull and not bad-tasting either.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 04:10:46 | More by Nerudamann

smakawhat

Maryland

3.9/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a pilsner style glass. Bottled Jan 6th 2012 off we go!

Super crystal clear lemon brass and shiny gold body color, with lots of rising carbonation. Shocking white head, quite soapy, but hangs on quite well.

A light nose, noticeable, but brings some grassy/floral faint hop, crisp malt hinting to white baked bread.

Mid palate upon tasting is pretty neutral. Finish brings a real nice hop and crisp lightness though. Good dense mouthfeel on this, but sort of better on the finish. Hints at butter but without a diacetyl rush.

Overall for a crisp pilsner sort of drinks real well with some dense body unlike most Czech Pils I've had. Sure I could have another.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 00:01:41 | More by smakawhat

coldriver

Texas

3.55/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a pale gold with good head and lacing. Aroma is grassy and grainy with a hint of corn, but not unpleasant. Taste is bitter spicy hops and grainy malt. Nice crisp mouthfeel typical of a good pilsener. Back before I discovered ales I would've loved this beer - very good for the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 23:44:38 | More by coldriver

WVbeergeek

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev +6%
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

dedrinker

Kansas

3.5/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pale, slightly hazy golden color with a sorry macro-lager white head.

Aromas of minty saaz hops and white bread. Pretty close (but no cigar) to a good Bohemian Pilsener.

Light breaded with more minty Elmer's paste saaz hop flavor. This is where it starts to taste a lot like the other American craft attempts at German/ Czech lagers where there is a lack of pure, clean bready malt character and body ,and the hops come a little too close up front.

Fairly balanced finish with a little hop bitterness.

I can buy the real thing for less though, so I won't bother with this one again.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 02:44:28 | More by dedrinker

shand

Florida

3.68/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Sam Adams perfect pint.

Pours out a hazy golden color with a large head. Aroma is nice, noble hops and pilsner malts. Well-done, but nothing special. That also carries over to the taste, this is just a well-done Czech Pils with maybe just a little more hops than normal. Clean and citrusy. The mouthfeel is nice, it's got a bit of substance at first, but it's nicely drying at the end. The drinkability is very good. Overall, it's a good pilsner, a great option if you're in the mood for the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 00:41:11 | More by shand

Immortale25

Florida

3.43/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Dogfish pint glass. Label says bottled on Jan 12 2012.

A- Pours a crystal clear light gold color with a ½ inch fizzy head that couldn’t dissipate any quicker to a paper-thin ring around the edge of the glass and some surface foam. Lacing is almost nonexistent.

S- Mild grain smell coupled with an even milder hop aroma. As clean as it gets.

T- Nice at the start but then that weak lager flavor sets in and stays. Hops don’t provide enough “umph” to bring it back around to something interesting and also taste "dirty" IMO.

M- Watery and thin. Medium-low carbonation.

O- Yeah, it’s crisp and refined like a pilsner should be, but lacks the flavor needed to make drinking it feel worthwhile. I’m beginning to think I just may not like Saaz hops because Nomad was brewed with them exclusively and it's the usual hop variety used to make Czech pilsners; a style which I rarely enjoy. At least I'm learning.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2012 23:49:08 | More by Immortale25

jeremy13586

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle date 1/25/2012

Very pale, yellow color. Almost looks like a clear lemonade. Poured a bone white head that dissipated very quickly, but did leave some decent lacing.

Pale malt and citrus fill the nose. There is a very good amount of hoppiness, but a primarily citrus scent.

The hop presence was more up-front when actually drinking. Lemon zest and breadiness followed. Very crisp and floral finish.

Medium bodied and a mellower carbonation for a pilsner, but still very crisp.

The appearance of this beer is the only thing that's not impressive. Its a nice, crisp, and flavorful Czech style pilsner that will be awesome once the weather gets a bit warmer.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2012 20:16:40 | More by jeremy13586

BarryMFBurton

Indiana

4.05/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Hopefully we’ll have another epic Great Divide Euro-brew. Hoss, Hades – they were both incredible. Let’s see about this “bright, elegant” pilsner.

Brewed two months ago (“DEC 15 2011” on the label).

A: Pouring this into a Duvel tulip looks like it was the perfect idea: its body is a shining gold with just a bit of pale yellow tint. The head starts off with a soapy, white, two-finger foam, then falls slowly to a light, patchy retention. Some sudsy lacing and streaming bubbles erupting from every part of the bottom of the glass – not just the nucleation site.

S: Loveable grains right from the start: banana, biscuit dough, light lemon, and sourdough bread. It’s quite tart, actually. The hops are bright as well, flowery and citrusy aromas popping off nicely with the malts; now, while their presence isn’t quite as strong as I was expecting from a pilsner, it’s great to see the grain character coming through.

T: Just like the nose: a malty body, crisp with lemon, lime, light breads, and berry sweetness. The grains are slightly musty with some hay-flavors, reminiscent of classic German lagers like Weihenstephaner Original; combined with those distinctively flowery Saaz hops, it’s once again pretty damn close to perfect European balance. There’s a little corn taste here and there, but not with a hugely dissuading presence. Finishes with a salty dryness and mineral water flavors to smooth it out.

M: Bubbly-smooth and a bit oily, with a refreshing cool-water presence on the tongue. Pretty chewy for a 5.4% pilsner, too.

O: There we have it: Great Divide = Great Beer. European styles can be hard to emulate, and even harder to make memorable; but these guys, fortunately, definitely know how to do it. And though this is my least favorite Great Divide Euro-style beer so far, I’d buy a sixer of this in a heartbeat.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2012 04:59:27 | More by BarryMFBurton