Just the other day, I was opining on Saison Dupont. It’s a beer I’ve loved for decades, yet somehow never managed to dedicate a page to here on Bruguru.com. Here we go again with that same line of thought and a bottle of the magnificent Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout. Now, I’ve opined on a few of the Yeti variants (Oak-Aged Yeti, Chocolate Oak-Aged Yeti or Espresso Oak-Aged Yeti anyone). I have some more variants floating around in bigger bottles, too. I am so far behind in my drinking, friends. I may be the world's biggest procrastinating drunk.
Anyway, Yeti is a wonderful American Imperial Stout, a world-class beer, and there I was puttering around in my garage beer fridge and found a bottle in the back. Thing was, the label said it was bottled on May 17th, 2013. But hey, if you can’t age an imperial stout, what can you age? So, we’ll be trying out a Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout with about 5 years of age on it.
Great Divide says on the label:
YETI IMPERIAL STOUT is an onslaught of the senses. It starts with big, roasty malt flavor that gives way to rich caramel and toffee notes. YETI gets its bold hop character from an enormous quantity of American hops.
Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout has an alcohol content of 9.5% by volume with 75 IBUs. Total Wine sells it for $12.99 a six-pack or $8.99 for a 22-ounce bomber bottle. Yeti is available year-round from Great Divide.
My bottle of Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout poured jet-black in color with a light to moderate head of tan-colored foam and roast and dark fruit in the nose. Taking a sip, the beer has an intense roastiness in the palate with licorice and chocolate and dark fruit and a huge roasty bitter charcoal finish with warming alcohol. There’s some hop bitterness too, but not as much as I expect I would get on a young bottle. The beer definitely has smoothed some with age. As it warms, the smooth and oily full body and intense licorice really come out.
It may be I drank my bottle too soon; it could have gone longer for sure. Amazing young or with age, this is one of my favorite American imperial stouts. I’ve enjoyed it young often enough, but will be sure to pick up a bottle to add some thoughts here on Yeti that way.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
(G)=Growler