Orabelle - Great Divide Brewing Company

Cylinsier

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12 oz.

Pours a light, slightly hazy lemon gold. Thin white film for a head.

Smells of coriander, lemon zest, grassy malts, and semi-sweet citrus.

Flavor is of light grassy malts, hints of wheat, and tart and sweet citrus fruitiness. A very mild hop bite comes through in the aftertaste.

Body is on the full side with light fizzy carbonation on the roof of the mouth.

Pretty decent Belgian-inspired ale, not quite in tune with the style to me, but that aside very enjoyable and refreshing. Has some saison-like elements. Definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 23:06:33 | More by Cylinsier

phishsihq

Colorado

4.01/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

This new(er) seasonal release from Great Divide pours a golden-orange, and is capped with a thin, off-white head. A decent amount of lacing is provided by the slowly dissipating foam. An intriguing bouquet of aromas leaves the nose with wonderment. Hints of oranges and apricots join a delectable Belgian yeast funk, as well as a good amount of spice. Wheaty malt flavors quickly join orange, coriander, and clove with just a hint of pepper joining some citrusy hop flavors in the finish. A good deal of carbonation joins a medium body in this tasty brew. Orabelle is almost like a mix between a tripel and Belgian wit, and that is not a bad thing...

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 21:41:56 | More by phishsihq

Beaver13

Colorado

3.7/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle, bottled on 12/31/12. Pours slightly hazy straw yellow with a medium creamy white head that goes to a thin film that laces the glass.

The aroma is sweet and tart fruit with corriander and a bit of funk.

The flavor is bready malts with some fruit and corriander and a bit of a funky bitter finish. The mouthfeel is pretty full bodied with smooth carbonation.

Overall, a solid beer. Kind of a cross between a tripel and a wit. Easy drinking but with a bang.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 04:29:33 | More by Beaver13

shand

Florida

2.96/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 2.5

Orabelle pours a hazy orange color with a tiny head. The aroma has a strong citrus component over spices and yeast. The taste is a bit odd - I was excited when I saw rye on the label, but the rye here just doesn't work that well with the strong citrus, clashing and making the middle to finish section of the beer rather awkward. The mouthfeel is on the lighter side and gently carbonated. The drinkability is alright, all things considered. Overall, Orabelle isn't that good a beer. It has promise, but falls apart pretty quickly.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 19:39:30 | More by shand

hosehead83

Ohio

3.36/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a wine goblet.
Orange/apricot in color, with a rather short, thin head of white foam.
Aroma-Fruity, faint Belgian spices
Taste-Pear, peach,faint coriander, orange peel. Dryish finish, a bit under-carbonated, flavor flattens out after sitting for a bit. A decent American offering.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 20:58:29 | More by hosehead83

vkv822

Oregon

3.45/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

12oz : Teku glass

Pours a lightly hazy, pale golden yellow with a foamy white head.

Coriander, faint citric and Belgian yeast.

Lightly sweet, citric notes, some coriander and yeast notes.

Medium-full body, smooth, mild foamy carbonation.

An enjoyable, fairly well done Tripel. Pleasant flavors, though nothing particularly exciting about it.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 08:46:12 | More by vkv822

pants678

California

2.91/5  rDev -25%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

Golden yellow, fits the style, not much of a head, though.

Orange, coriander make a great nose. Not subtle at all.

Sweet, maybe too much so. The rye doesn't jive so well with the orange. I enjoy tripels and I'm not looking for subdued but I think this suffers from too many additives. The honey, spices and yeast are all dominant and frankly come off too rich. I'm not looking for a tripel or any summer beer, really, that I have to approach this timid.

The carbonation should be upped.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 20:57:59 | More by pants678

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.71/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Orabelle has a hazy golden honey color. The head is thin and white and never really gott started.
The aroma has a very pronouned corrinder nose. A spicy nose from yeast esters and perhaps sutle orange peel.
The taste follows the nose. Lots of spice and corrinder in this sweet tasting beer. Throw in some yeasty funk too. There is a pretty healthy dose of alcohol in the taste too.
The feel wasn't as crisp as I would like.
A good tripel that leans alittle too much into the wit side for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 15:15:10 | More by micromaniac129

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.66/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

-bot. 12-13-12. Consumed 3-13-13.

A: Bright tangerine orange is translucent filled with a good showering of visible effervesce. The head is washy, slightly bubbly, peanut shell colored, leaving a speckled spacious lacing that was weakly visual.

S: Tart funky oranges, yeasty, musky grains, barnyard scents upfront. A bit of spicy golden hops. The wheat follows through along with some fruity notes of honey dew. Aroma seems to increase in interest deeper into the experience.

T: Flavor is fruity, cantelope, melon, and white grapes meeting a yeasty and musky grain backing. Some apple-citrusy notes, wheat, and hay, with a hint of banana from the yeast and semi-dry oranges.

M: light bodied, medium sense carbonation. Fairly crisp and yeasty feel.

O: Overall you can easily warm up to this, spicy, yeasty, and fruity while the 8.3% abv is easy to handle making this go down fairly easy inticing another. Mouthful could be a bit crisper. Flavor is respectable and the weak visual can be overlooked.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 22:35:53 | More by beerthulhu

blakelive784

Colorado

2.8/5  rDev -27.8%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

12 fl oz brown glass bottle served in a pilsner glass, reviewed live:

A - pours a lemon gold color with a cloudy yeast presence and two fingers of frothy white head. Retention is average. Lively carbonation. Unremarkable.

S - light bready yeast, sweet lemony esters, honey, and a pale malt body. Light alcohol on the nose. Incredibly mild, especially for the style. Not what I look for in a tripel.

T - muted, dull fruit esters and bland yeast. A touch of floral hops midway through. The alcohol is far too noticeable for how light the body. Warms a bit on the way down. It's missing the pleasant fruit esters and spice I associate with a great tripel.

M - light bodied and well carbonated. A touch thick.

D - a poor example of the style. I expect more from Great Divide. Takes a hit on drinkabiity due to the excessive alcohol presence. I'll pass on this in the future.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 22:44:50 | More by blakelive784

Jacurdy60

Alabama

4.08/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4.25

A-Hazy, pale golden-yellow pour that thins out towards the bottom. Creamy half finger white head with decent retention and minimal lacing

S-Dank parmesan cheese, subtle oranges, spices (coriander and pepper), and a full yeasty nose. Some grains are present as well.

T-The yeast makes its presence felt here as the spices and fruit fade into the back ground. The cheese transitions well from the nose into the palate. A smooth yeasty and cheese note up front is washed away by a powerful peppery finish. Very complex.

MF-A little too carbonated, I thought it would be smoother but it's still satisfying

O-Very, very complex. This is one of the better noses on a beer I've personally ever reviewed. Half of the nose transitions into the taste, where I pick up an array of new flavors. Great Divide does not brew a sub-par beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 18:46:44 | More by Jacurdy60

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

3.41/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

12oz bottle poured into a tulip.

Appearance
Gold with 2-3 fingers of white, fluffy head. Great retention and clarity. Low carbonation.

Nose
Caramel drizzled grains, potpourri, rye and hay.

Taste
Rye, pear and dried hay. Notes of potpourri, raw grains, earth and spelt. Touches of lemongrass and apple skin. The rye lingers along with some peppercorn.

Mouthfeel
Light-medium bodied, smooth, spicy and dry.

Overall
This is a very spicy Tripel. A lot of rye. Not a good representation of the style but it hides the alcohol quite well.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 19:30:26 | More by justintcoons

ocelot2500

Arizona

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy, golden color with a tight, white head that leaves rings of lacing.

Smells of citrus notes with some grain and spices to it.

Tastes of bright fruits layered with sweetness and spices. Fruits lead off with apples, grapes, orange zest, and a little banana. Sweetness comes through and adds a little grain as well as some light syrup notes. Some bready notes come through as well and adds body. Spices round out the end with some earthy spiciness.

Mouthfeel is medium-light with a slightly assertive amount of carbonation.

Overall, this is fairly tasty and worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 01:05:19 | More by ocelot2500

barnzy78

Illinois

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

12oz bottle with freshness date clearly marked. Poured into a chalice, the ale is golden-tangerine color with a thin, white head that dissipates quickly. Full nose of banana, bready yeast, orange, spice, pear, apple, coriander, booze. Tastes are sweet with spice, plenty of banana & orange rind, yeast, wheat, booze is warming and a bit hot, finishes slightly dry and spicy from the rye. Mouth-feel is thin-medium body, with moderate carbonation. Overall, nice complexity & a good meld of flavors from all the ingredients.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 00:57:02 | More by barnzy78

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.26/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Bottled on 28 Jan 2013

Pours a hazed bronze with 2+ fingers of pearl colored head. Average head retention & lacing, clears nicely

S: Appleskins, white grapes & coriander, plus pineapple

T: Follows the nose, over ripe pears, white pepper, plus a touch of pineapple, a kiss of funk up front. Orchard fruit, a bit of dirty funk, & pineapple sweetness, dryness & a touch of leafy hops. Finishes fairly crisp, a little bit of cloves & coriander also there with dirty pears & citrus

MF: Medium bodied, slight carbonation, warming, somewhat sticky

This is one of Great Divide better Belgian itterations, this works well for me; the ABV is well hidden

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 04:43:32 | More by russpowell

Billolick

New York

4.05/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12 ounce bottle, bottled on Jan 16, 2013. Nice-good consumer information provided and its fresh.

Pours cloudy medium apricot, looser off white head, fairly quickly goes to a fine film, collar and leaves ample sheeting and bands of fine lace.

Fruity nose, with orange, apricot, pepper and Belgian inspired yeast notes.

Pleasant and flavorful offering with the flavors of the nose flowing onto the palate. Soft, ripe fruits, more pepper and again distinctive Belgian yeast qualities shining through. Soft on the palate and quite easily drinkable. Dangerous stuff, being this easy drinking and packing over 8%.

Nice new brew from great Divide and a nice Americanized version of the style. Well worth a try. Went nicely with some blue cheese. Looking forward to enjoying this on a summers day with some salads, crusty bread and a selection of cheeses.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 23:30:07 | More by Billolick

ianjsullivan

Maryland

4.19/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

ST: 12oz poured into a chalice.

A: Yeast haze through golden-orange.

S: Beautiful aroma of sour orange, coriander stone fruits.

T: Spicy rye on the tip moves into grated orange peel, coriander, and a green edge in the smooth wheat finish.

M: Medium and dry.

O: A very tasty beer. The aroma is excellent, and the flavors of the beer offer a nice mix of sweet and tart. Balanced and enjoyable, Orabelle is a fine food beer for roasted food in particular.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 20:56:38 | More by ianjsullivan

Hoptometrist

Oregon

3.83/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served from the bottle into a globed glass

A- Poured a really bright golden color, semi-hazy with tons of visible streaming carbonation, white head with tons of big bubbles that left splashy lace

S- Big orange juice and chalky yeast notes, Some bubblegum, banana, and clove notes

T- Big fresh squeezed orange juice and chalky yeast flavors, some clove and banana flavors.

M- Just kind of sits on the palate, lingering finish, lighter bodied for the style, a little sticky, some alcohol warming

O- I would love to see more six-pack tripels on the market. Flavor and aroma wise this is a really solid tripel, the mouthfeel is a little lighter and does linger on the palate. Some pleasant alcohol warming, but overall the alcohol is pretty well masked.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 04:30:36 | More by Hoptometrist

outdoor7or24

Georgia

4.11/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle from mothman, bottled on 12/2012. Poured into St. Bernardus goblet.
A: pours a light cloudy golden straw color, off white one finger head that quickly fades, some lacing is present, carbonation ifs present
S: aroma is full, Belgian yeast, citrus, apricots, Belgian candy sugar, lemon zest, coriander, light hints of wheat, biscuit
M: medium to full body, slight creaminess that coats the tongue
T: Belgian yeast, citrus, lemon, grass, coriander, biscuit, straw, pepper hints, bitterness and alcohol towards finish, as it warms the alcohol becomes more pronounced.
O: solid offering from great divide, will buy again. 4+ stars.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 03:14:15 | More by outdoor7or24

schoolboy

Ohio

4.29/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

My love of Colorado breweries continues. This offering from Great Divide is outstanding, and a great value at under $2 a bottle.

It pours fairly flat but a pretty golden color. It has little lace but it has a cool haze. The aroma is a yeasty fruity Belgian thing. Nice and a little boozy too, as it should be.

The taste is of Belgium, not Colorado. It's just right. Yeasty and fruity like the aroma. The aftertaste is sweet and a little dark. This isn't quite like some of the Belgians that will totally fool you - it is obvious this has some kick. I will need to remember the name - this is a good one.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 00:36:37 | More by schoolboy

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a St. Bernardus goblet glass. Bottled on Jan, 02, 2013.

Appearance: Pours a hazy golden orange with a lot of bubbles. Small finger of white head that quickly recedes into a thin patchy layer. Leaves a lot of lacing on the glass.

Smell: A yeasty and spicy aroma with lots of citrus fruit esters. Belgian yeast and some farmhouse funk. Hints of coriander and clove spicing. Big hints of citrus orange peel, lemon zest, and pineapple, and peach. Also some hints of apple, pear, and banana. A little candied sugar sweetness. Pale malts with hints of wheat, cereal grains, biscuit, and cracker. Floral and earthy hops in the background. A nice zesty aroma.

Taste: Follows the aroma well with a good mix of yeast, spices, and fruit flavors. Belgian yeast with some funk. Nice taste of coriander as well as a little clove spice. Good taste of citrus with notes of orange, lemon, peach, and pineapple. Other fruit notes include some pear, apple, and a little banana. Light presence of candied sugar. Soft pale malts along with notes of wheat, cereal grains, cracker, hay, and biscuit. Some earthy and floral hops towards the finish. A really nice taste.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with a moderate amount of carbonation. Crisp, creamy, and slightly sticky. Very smooth and finishes dry.

Overall: A pretty good American take on a Tripel. Good mix of yeast, spices, and fruit flavors. Well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 07:28:59 | More by MattyG85

BeerWizard

Colorado

4.23/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Picked up a six pack of this for about ten bucks. Nice to see something over 8% available in a sixer. Typical clean-looking Great Divide label on bottle; sillouhette of a girl aiming a bow and arrow, I'm guessing some kind of cupid-theme. Almost no head after pouring into a goblet. Cloudy, warm, butterscotch-yellow color is pleasing. Not sure if it's because I just said "butterscotch" but I'm detecting some of that in the nose, candy and alcohol, plus some yeast and maybe some light citrus. The flavor is good, and I get more of the citrus from it, orange for sure, and they do indicate on the side of the bottle it's brewed with orange peel. Alcohol taste is negligible. Mouthfeel is thick, nicely carbonated, and punchy, plus sort of a nice lightly bitter finish to balance - again I'm going to guess orange peels on that one. Overall, love this beer. Suprised to see the lower score when I signed in, but to each his own.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 02:56:03 | More by BeerWizard

Flounder57

Massachusetts

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

12 oz bottle was poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: This beer poured no head and is a slightly hazy golden yellow. No bubbles coming up through the glass. Looks pretty dull for a triple.

Smell: apples, vanilla, spices, boozy alcohol, yeasty esters, and bready notes.

Taste: Pretty much the same as above. The tastes are very minimal here and hard to decide. It should be blended more well together. The spices seem to dominate the whole taste.

Mouthfeel: Smooth boozy, low carbonation, light to medium bodied, a little chewy, and some lingering bitterness.

Overall: A nice attempt from the boys of Denver, but ill stick with other favorites. Still a decent beer though.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 07:42:32 | More by Flounder57

CloudStrife

New York

3.96/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a tulip. Bottled on Jan 02 2013.

A: Pours a hazy pale yellow gold with a 1.5 finger white head. Lots of little bubbles as the visible carbonation. Some spots of lacing on the glass.

S: First thing I get is a strong farmhouse yeastiness. Lots of orange, lemon and banana with hints of coriander in the background. Big focus on the yeast. Pale malts come out more as it warms.

T: A pretty balanced tripel that is not extreme in any one direction. Starts with a belgian yeastiness, bit of a fruity middle, orange lemon and banana like the smell. Mild malting toward the backend. Just a touch of booze and small hint of metal.

M: Medium bodied with pretty mild carbonation. Nice and warming on the stomach. Goes down easy but I wouldnt mind a little more fizz.

Overall certainly worth a try as it is very mellow and a smooth drinking beer. Good introduction for some of the more extreme Belgian Tripels.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 23:14:12 | More by CloudStrife

secondtooth

Indiana

3.84/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Cloudy golden, with limited carbonation and virtually no lace to speak of.

Nose is fruity and boozy, with definite hints of orange peel citrus and a little spice.

Taste is strong and malty, but well-balanced. The orange comes through well before the double yeasts and coriander add a peppery note. Finishes with a little booziness. Definitely a sipper, but a fine and well-done tripel.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 13:04:19 | More by secondtooth