18th Anniversary Wood Aged Double IPA - Great Divide Brewing Company

Dope

Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle dated March 21st, 2012. A little over a month old.

A: A very dark amber, almost ruby red pour. Clear with a good sized off-white head. Head fades slowly leaving thick lacing on the glass.

S: Pretty subtle aroma. Mainly of oak. Mild caramel. Hints of citrus and pine and resin but mostly overpowered.

T: Again, quite oaky up front. Big resin and pine hops (or is it just resin from the oak?), with just a bit of citrus. Strong caramel malt is present throughout as well. Drying oak and resin flavors in the finish and aftertaste. Once it warms the oak is even more prominent, it's like drinking wood (insert joke here).

M: Almost syrupy. Especially once it warms. A bit much for a DIPA.

O: A decent beer. The oak overpowers everything so it really loses a lot of IPA character. It becomes a thick oak and caramel syrup. Like an oak aged barleywine. Not bad but hardly your typical DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 02:35:14 | More by Dope

mikeincharleston

South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -9.8%

05-23-2013 02:00:35 | More by mikeincharleston

MinorThreat

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

05-16-2013 02:24:05 | More by MinorThreat

ChumleyX

California

4/5  rDev +3.1%

05-12-2013 23:01:58 | More by ChumleyX

mychalg9

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%

05-04-2013 02:49:59 | More by mychalg9

NWer

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -9.8%

05-03-2013 02:06:00 | More by NWer

spycow

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -9.8%

04-26-2013 23:40:50 | More by spycow

Beergelden

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

04-22-2013 11:17:36 | More by Beergelden

ALLISON01

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -22.7%

04-21-2013 19:26:43 | More by ALLISON01

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

04-15-2013 06:13:10 | More by Kelp

Woodysbeard

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +3.1%

04-05-2013 17:14:51 | More by Woodysbeard

bulldogg915

Wyoming

4.75/5  rDev +22.4%

04-02-2013 21:36:36 | More by bulldogg915

RochefortChris

South Carolina

4.75/5  rDev +22.4%

03-31-2013 02:36:22 | More by RochefortChris

Omnium

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Bomber > Pint Glass
NOTICE: This bottle is nearly a year old, keep that in mind while reading this review
A - Pours a hazy brown orange rustic color, 1 finger head nice and foamy, lighter on the lacing
S - Oak, Vanilla, sweet malt, piney resinous hops, some citrus, minor alcohol scent.
T - Caramel and toffee malts with hints of vanilla that have that great oak tone to it, there's still a decent hop profile left in this bottle despite its age, earthy and woody traits from the hops.
M - The malts hang on for a good while, and you get a rather nice aftertaste from it, but no hops, and a little burn from the alcohol.
O - Got this for $5 on the discount shelf at House of 1000 Beers, so I expected it to be old, but I cant see this beer being drastically different fresh. Its got some good flavors and characteristics that remind me of a double rumble. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 02:41:09 | More by Omnium

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

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

Picked up a bottle for 5 bucks at the House of 1,000 beers. Marked March 20th 2012 so its almost a year old. Hopefully it's not musky and tastes of old wood.

A - Well damn for a year old I was welcome with a 1/4 inch of sticky white head so thankfully not flat. Beer is a very hazy amber brown with no sediment.
S - Very mild if any citrus or pine malts. On the same level not too much wood which is nice since I am still scared from a "Oak aged yeti" I had.
T - Well it's not bad at this stage of being a year old all the bittering hops or strong/musky oak flavors have mended together, yet it's far from faint. I also get a strong caramel/toffee flavor and some wood in the finish.
M - ABV is completely aged out. Drinks like an 7 or 8% ABV but clocks in 10% so insanely drinkable.
Overall again worth the price of admission yet I find it not as good as the 17th anniversary ale in terms of balanced oak meeting citrus hops. This could have been because I had it on tap but it's just as drinkable. A great aged DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 00:34:07 | More by DrDemento456

510a

Washington

4/5  rDev +3.1%

03-17-2013 22:41:02 | More by 510a

flexabull

California

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

03-01-2013 16:35:43 | More by flexabull

SmellsofMahagony

Texas

4/5  rDev +3.1%

02-26-2013 03:55:27 | More by SmellsofMahagony

Theseanlewis

4.19/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4.25

! year old, Tasted Feb 6 2013.

A- Poured in a snifter. Head leaves a nice white lacing on glass, amber to ruby red in color.

S-pine, Pineapple, Oak, citrus

T-Medium citrus bitterness, followed by aged oak woodiness, aftertaste is dominated by cotton candy and bubblegum sweetness. Bitters out harsh for being a year old.

M-Medium to medium heavy mouth feel, thick syrupy front with a smooth bitter back.

O-After a year this beer has held its hop characteristics well. Sweet and malty but a huge citrus sweet hop finish. The only criticism is the oak chip age shows, just as in the 18 year, the wood characteristics age poorly, adding a stale taste. That said i would love to taste this beer a year later, the sweet hop notes may stand out even more.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 02:56:40 | More by Theseanlewis

heysuz

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%

02-03-2013 20:12:17 | More by heysuz

Mattias

Sweden

4/5  rDev +3.1%

01-27-2013 21:06:32 | More by Mattias

Tumble

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%

01-20-2013 20:22:17 | More by Tumble

mfield14

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -9.8%

01-18-2013 04:27:02 | More by mfield14

donjcarlsson

Sweden

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

01-12-2013 21:09:19 | More by donjcarlsson

bark

Sweden

3.15/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

The label says 8.5 % alcohol. The best before-date is January, 2013.

The colour is amber-red (30 EBC), the liquid is filled with small floaties. The two finger head is compact and off-white, it sinks slowly leaving some lacing.

The smell is smooth, sweet and hoppy. Orange peels, tangerines. Heavy notes of sweet malts (caramel). Some rubber and butter, alcohol in the background.

The taste is malty with a smooth citric bitterness: Tangerines, grape fruits, lemons. Some barrel-aged oxidised notes of raisins and prunes. The bitterness is a bit metallic, the age of this beer is quite obvious. Medium body. The aftertaste got hints of cognac, growing notes of alcohol and pine wood. Smooth bitter notes and old whisky in the somewhat frowsy finish.

The carbonation is medium strong. The few small bubbles are sharp. The liquid is semi-thick and sticky.

This beer was probably way more interesting when it was fresh.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 19:32:29 | More by bark