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

brentk56

North Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a crystal clear amber with a massive head; sticks, impressively, and leaves shards of lace behind

Smell: Oak and caramel dominate the aroma, with piney and minty hops peaking through

Taste: The oak and caramel flavors lay down the backbone but by mid-palate the beer develops a piney bitterness that builds considerably, adding a little mint to the profile; the finish is bitter but the strong presence of the malts doesn't yield an inch

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate to high carbonation

Overall: I keep coming back to these GD anniversary beers though I really don't care for them that much - don't think I will return again; love the brewery, just not this recipe

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 00:48:20 | More by brentk56

oberon

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into an imperial nonic a brilliant clear copper with a large two finger sticky pillowey head that settled into a frothy mass after a longtime leaving a few broken "globs" of lace.Aromas are faint with mainly toasted oak and light vanilla,I was a little dissapointed with the nose.Flavors at first are dominated by toasted oak and vanilla, mild leafy hops come thru as it warmed a little as did the sweet alcohol.The hops are really subdued but it's got a nice feel,a great look, and decent flavors.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 21:23:07 | More by oberon

drabmuh

Maryland

3.48/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Why do I keep buying these? I guess I can't resist a new IPA. Also I'm an idiot. Beer served in a snifter.

Beer is amber and hazy with a tight off whtie head of small bubbles, nice lacing, looks good.

Aroma is mostly oaky, mild earthiness and pine hops.

Beer has a nice body but it is not really an IPA. It is strong and oaky on the finish, moderately bitter and strong throughout, it has this mild earthiness on the palate and clean. I don't think I'll have the 19th anniversary wood aged IPA. Just not interested at all.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 18:08:13 | More by drabmuh

zeff80

Missouri

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

A - Poured out a cloudy, dark brown color with a one finger, tan head. It left thin rings of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of wood, vanilla and piney hops.

T - Good roasted malt flavor with notes of pine, wood, vanilla and citrus peel. Not a lot of bitterness.

M - It was soft and smooth. A medium to full bodied ale with a dry finish.

D - Another nice edition of the Anniversary Wood Aged beers from Great Divide.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 01:26:52 | More by zeff80

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.23/5  rDev +9%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours amber/caramel with 3 fingers of cream colored head. Superior head retention & lacing

S: Breadyness & ever-so faint citrus, the only area where this beer fell short

T: Pineyness & oakyness up front, grapefruit, dryness up front. Woody, herbal & citrussy hops all play well with breadyness & a touch of caramel as this warms. Finishes with an oaky/piney edge, a touch of booze breaking through, & grapefruit

MF: Fairly chewy, slight carbonation, great balance

A fairly refined wood aged DIPA, this is the greatness I expect form these guys. This drinks really easy for the style & ABV

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 02:26:23 | More by russpowell

Halcyondays

California

3.6/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Hollingshead's

A: Pours a deep amber with a soapy off-white head, good lace.

S: Oak, vanilla, pine and cedar.

T: Definite full oak character, sweet crystal, nice hop flavour, though I didn't find it as vibrant as last years. Cedar bark, melon rind, and grapefruit.

M: Medium to full-bodied, astringent a bit on the finish, resiny, sticky.

O: A solid effort, the price-tag isn't making me happy, but well made.

Serving type: on-tap

05-10-2012 01:26:06 | More by Halcyondays

Billolick

New York

4.15/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bomber - $11.99 at DeCicco's in Ardsley, NY. Bottled on Mar 20, 2012 according to the bottom of the label.

Pours darker almond amber, tan head, stays a spell. leaves a nice lower sheet of lace and then bits and strands here and there.

Malty nose, with a rear coating of fresh hops. Nice.

Tasty, densely flavorful brew, with plenty of more malts, smooth and satisfying and then a better then average wave of fresh, piney and citric hops, with a slight minty bite. Also a smooth and lasting vanilla/honey note. Hops not over the top, but providing a nice counter balance to the rich malts.

Very soft and smooth mouthfeel.

Outstanding. Very enjoyable DIPA

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 01:15:41 | More by Billolick

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a creamy 1/2 finger head that fades semi quickly with just a bit of lacing, over semi clear coppery reddish colored beer.

Nose brings lots of malts, coppery reddish malts, caramel galore, toffee, candy and candi sugar even, with some booze even in the nose. There are some hops but not a lot, mostly candied orange zest, fruity marmalade like, and a bit of earthy hop aroma.

Taste starts pretty sweet, with lots of syrupy additions, caramel galore again, toffee, reddish candy, etc. Malts bring reddish toasty malts, coppery malt flavors, etc, with a decent booze warmth and tingle even. There are some light toasty oak chip flavors, hint of vanilla with that but not much. Hops are more background, with light earthy flavors, lots candied orange marmalade, light fruity flavored hops, etc. The bitterness is fairly strong, but not a ton of overall hop flavor. Finish is quite bitter, earthy gritty hops, abrasive feeling, still quite sweet too and a bit sticky, lingering caramel and syrupy flavors.

Mouth is fuller bodied, decent carb, bit syrupy, some warming slight tingly booze.

Overall not bad. I remember the first time I had this I loved it, but I've grown a lot since then. Hops are fairly one dimensional and not what I would typically enjoy, earthy and candied flavors. Malts and syrupy flavors are more of an imperial red ale than DIPA, and the oak is very light overall. But still a decent beer with OK flavors, maybe not summer though.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 22:40:49 | More by jlindros

kojevergas

California

2.63/5  rDev -32.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

650 ml brown glass bottle (bottled on date March 21st, 2012) acquired at Wally's Wine in Westwood earlier tonight (April 20th, 2012, not even a month after bottling) and served into a conical Guinness pint glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Angeles, California. I quite fancy the brewery but often dislike beers in the style, so my expectations are scattered.

Served slightly warmer than refrigerator cold and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a 2.5 finger head of decent cream, okay thickness, and great retention for the high ABV (a good two and a half minutes, I'd say). Colour is a transparent caramel-copper. No yeast particles are visible. It's generally appealing, but off for the style. Should be brighter and more lively.

Sm: Heavy wood. Malty and earthy. Some floral hops. Not at all of the hoppy character I'd expect. It turns me off. I'd prefer a fresh floral piney aroma, but this feels wrong. Some nuts. A mild strength aroma.

T: Vague wood and oak. A shockingly timid hop flavour - not at all dominant. Clean malts form the foundation. Resiny on the climax. Not particularly fresh (despite being not even a month after bottling). Unrefreshing. Extremely unwelcome caramelization. Far too malty and sweet, which doesn't balance the hops - it only overwhelms them. Some layering here, but no subtlety and very limited complexity. What were they thinking? It's very experimental, but it fails. They should have stopped this after the pilot batch. No yeast comes through. It does cover up the alcohol well, to its credit.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Of okay thickness. Too smooth. Needs more coarseness and dryness - vis a vis more hop content. The carbonation is adequate but far from ideal. Doesn't suit the flavours all that well.

Dr: A huge disappointment from one of me favourite Denver breweries. Brewed entirely wrong for the style. Wood aging and double IPAs do not mix - at least not here. Fans of the style will be displeased. A travesty, and an embarrassment as an anniversary beer. I wouldn't get it again, nor would I recommend it to friends. The ABV is pretty well concealed, though some comes through in the finish and aftertaste. It's got some heat. Fairly drinkable, but largely forgettable. Vote with your dollar and leave this one on the shelf.

C-

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 05:35:42 | More by kojevergas

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into pint snifter

Pours 1 finger of creamy off-white head. Fades to a thinner layer leaving some sticky lace. Color is a bright orange hued gold.

Aroma: Some orange and grapefruit citrus up front. A decent amount of malt shows. A grassy/floral hop profile. Then some oak and vanilla show.

Taste: A big amount of oak shows up front with lots of malt. Vanilla and some spices show. Caramel and bready malts. Floral hop profile. Some citrus in the background.

Mouthfeel: Bitter, but creamy. A fuller body for the style. Medium amount of carbonation. Ends with a lot of oak flavors.

Overall, this tasted like the other years. But more malty and oaky. It does show malts, but has a big enough hop profile to back it up. The oak is very dominate in this beer as well and reminds me a bit of cedar. Fairly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2012 02:43:03 | More by mothman

mactrail

California

3.43/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a dark orangey amber in the wine glass. Not much foam, but plentiful lacing. A nice nose of vanilla, though a little mustiness as well.

Tanginess on the tongue gradually reveals itself to be the woody flavors. Mouthfeel flattens out after some sipping. Sweet and fruity, but so sharp as to seem like the malt has been turned strictly to the purpose of producing alcohol. Overall it's more hot and harsh than I care for, though it's a powerhouse of hops. Bitter aftertaste, but that endless orange peel taste keeps coming.

Sharp, hugely hoppy, overly sweet, and the barrel flavor doesn't seem to add to the overall pleasure. From the 22 oz bottle.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 08:07:56 | More by mactrail

avalon07

South Carolina

4.23/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a tulip glass. Had a copper color and a clear consistency. There was an inch and a half of foamy, fairly long-lasting head. Very good lacing.

S: As expected, this beer had an extremely hoppy aroma, along with some citrus.

T: Tasted of hops (no surprise there), citrus (grapefruit, lemon), vanilla, malt, resin, and the advertised oak. The oak aging, as it does in some cases, doesn't take the edge off the flavor. This is a complex, flavorful beer.

M: A well-carbonated beer with a smooth finish. Medium-bodied.

O: This is a big beer that's surprisingly easy to drink and easy to like.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 13:08:43 | More by avalon07

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Clear, dark copper color and steady bubbling columns. Good head and a slow receding tan foam after each sip.

Resiny, orange peel aroma with toasted malt and wood chips. Good, inviting sweet, and little abv. warm aroma.

Bittersweet orange peel, light, toasted wood chip, sweet biscuit crust. Malty and bitter with a warm resiny mouthfeel and finish Maybe a too warm, but still good to sip. Not bad.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 17:26:22 | More by scruffwhor

kylehay2004

Florida

4.03/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: single finger off white thick head on a hazy amber with slight golden hue body.

S: Molasses, lemon and orange citrus, vanilla, and mild pine.

T: nice malt presence up front. Transitions to a pine and citrus with an oak and vanilla smooth finish.

M: medium body and moderate carbonation. Semi dry finish.

Overall: better than the 17th anniversary. Very malty. Fairly smooth at first but finished a little harsh. Actually tried it back to back with oak aged hoppy monster... This was better.

Serving type: on-tap

04-21-2012 00:25:48 | More by kylehay2004

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

nickfl

Florida

4.23/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours with two fingers of off white foam on top of a clear, amber colored body. The head fades away slowly and leaves nice lace on the glass.

S - A strong aroma of pine hops and caramel malt with oak and vanilla in the background.

T - Thick, rich malt up front with notes of caramel and toffee. Some spicy hop notes in the middle with pine and grapefruit. The beer finishes with more caramel malt and notes of vanilla.

M - Medium-thick body, moderate carbonation, and a sweet finish.

D - Very nice, the base beer carries things nicely and the oak adds a subtle touch of complexity. It is very malty, to the point that it almost comes across like a strong red ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 04:44:37 | More by nickfl

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.43/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

this one smokes the 17th anniversary! that was way too sweet and did not make a great impression on me. this one however, is remarkable. pours a nearly clear copper color with a good just off white head. smells highly refined. oak is present right away, some caramel malt sugar gets picked up with a very complex earthy hop profile. flavor is rich and robust, wood and hops compete for palate dominance, but i think the oak takes it. english style malt characteristics tie it all together. feel is nice, very mellow carbonation and plenty of bidy without being heavy. the proportions and flavors work together infinitely better than last year's version. this is one of the best beers going right now in my opinion, and i chose it as the winner at the gov's park brewfest this weekend.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 17:47:41 | More by StonedTrippin

tdm168

North Carolina

4.48/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at World of Beer Raleigh.

A - orange amber with a soft off-white head that has decent retention

S - faint wood, earthy, citrusy

T - oaky, citrus, pineapple, grapefruit, light bread

M - full bodied, well carbonated, a little boozy

This is a nice, balanced beer. The hops are there, the malt is there, and the woody, earthiness is there. This is definitely worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

09-16-2012 01:24:58 | More by tdm168

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

flagmantho

Washington

3.63/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 22oz bomber into a pint glass. Bottled 3/20/2012.

Appearance: deep, rich orange with a nice effervescence and two fingers of frothy tan head with an orange cast. Nice.

Smell: floral, citrusy, fruity hops on top of a rather biscuity malt base. The former help balance out the latter, but the malt character isn't really my favorite. The hops really are quite nice, though.

Taste: strong all-around and a bit on the rough side. Hops are citrusy but a bit muddled, alcohol is strong and bitterness is raspy in the middle but smooth at the end. Flavors are not bad, but could be cleaner and a bit smoother.

Mouthfeel: medium-rich body with a somewhat low carbonation. With this body I'd expect more creaminess. Still, it's decent.

Overall: this is an OK DIPA, but frankly, I don't love it.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 03:32:36 | More by flagmantho

oline73

Maryland

3.55/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a mostly clear reddish amber with two fingers of off white head that fades to a layer and leaves less lacing than I would have guessed.

Smell: More malt than expected with some fruity notes, I'm
getting some cherry. There are some citrus peel hops as well.

Taste: A strong sweetness from the malt. I'm getting the mild cherry along with some caramel and maybe a touch of coconut. The hops show up later on in the sip. Citrus peel bitterness along with a woody flavor. The finish is bitter and a bit hot from the alcohol.

Mouthfeel: The body is just on the thick side and a bit syrupy. The carbonation is fluffy and the finish is quite dry.

Overall: I think this beer would have been a bit better at about 8%. I enjoyed it enough, but I don't think I would want another.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 01:34:49 | More by oline73

maximum12

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked up this 22 oz. bomber of an annual favorite; there have been too few hops consumed around these parts recently. Let's rectify that.

Liberated from its restraining metal cap, the double-glass pour is a clear dark amber. No floaties or wedgies. Nose is faint but with a lot going in that faintness: oak, sharp tangerine, citric acid. Good, but I'd like to see the knob twisted a bit more.

Wood Oaked 18th Anniversary IIPA takes three seconds to say & far less than that to judge. Holy inner oak sanctum, Batman, is that a wood-lined bomber I see before me? There's enough wood here to start a mill, or a national wildlife refuge, or a national conversation on that infamous three-hour erection you're supposed to call your doctor about. But I digress. Massive wood notes are chased with pleasing hop bitterness. The hops impart a wick of pine & more than a dollop of sticky resin, but mostly just tingling slash-and-burn. Malt is distantly sweet, as it ought to be. Stay out of my hops, malt.

This is another winner in the series; not quite as good as last year's home run, but close. Great wood & ever-dangerous drinkability. Another excellent anniversary hop-and-wood-bomb. Keep 'em coming.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 02:32:11 | More by maximum12

cjgator3

Florida

4.13/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle

A- Poured into a tulip. Pours a dark amber color with a nice off-white head with great retention and lacing.

S- The aroma is sweet malt, floral hops and increasing wood notes from the wood aging as the beer warms.

T- The taste like the aroma is sweet malt up front and some bitterness from the hops in the finish as well as some warmth from the 10% ABV.

T- The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation.

O- Overall, this is a fantastic brew to celebrate 18 years of brewing some awesome beers. Happy 18th Great Divide! Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 04:48:28 | More by cjgator3

rarbring

Sweden

3.9/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

An hazy amber brew, an off-white small head, little lacing and good curtains.

A toffee aroma, pine resin, sherry.

Starting with sweet butter scotch, then bitter oranges, pine resin, soap, grape-fruit peel.

Little carbonation, soft and oily, a big body and long dry finish.

A clean straight DIPA, not bad at all.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 19:20:26 | More by rarbring

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle from Sammy, 650ml into a tulip. Bottled March 20, 2012.

Reddish brown, with a dense cap a few fingers in height of cream colour. Solid retention and lacing. Oak and vanilla notes are prominent, a bit of butterscotch, some citrus and pine are mildly present in the background. Taste has a continued generous amount of oak and woody vanilla character, citrus and orange but more hop bitterness to contrast a fairly big sweetness from the malt. Some apple as well. Oaky sweetness well into the finish, surprisingly not alot of alcohol. Medium full feel, and low-ish carbonation. Not a big fan of oaked DIPAs, but this wasn't half bad.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 21:06:08 | More by liamt07