As the weather is getting colder and the days are getting darker, I thought it would be time to have a nice, dark, complex and heavy Imperial Stout to sip on. I’ve had this one in the cabinet for about 6 months, and closer examination of the bottle reveals that the best before date on this one was 1st of April 2011, so it should be at least 1.5 years old. Luckily (Imperial) Stouts usually like a bit of aging, so looking forward to trying this one. I have no official information on the malts and hops used to brew this one, but according to some homebrew clone recipes available on the web, this one should contain some Chocolate and Black malt, Roasted Barley, and is hopped with Chinook to a bitterness of 75 IBU. Looking forward to a dark and bitter evening! By the way, the Yeti is available in many different variants, including an Oak Aged, Espresso Oak Aged and Chocolate Oak Aged version. Will have to hold my eyes open for them as well.

[easyreview title=”Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout” cat1title=”Appearance” cat1detail=”The beer pours as a thick pitch-black liquid, with a slight tan-brown colored head, that quickly collapses to leave slight lacing along the glass.” cat1rating=”4″ cat2title=”Smell” cat2detail=”The aroma is full of roasted coffee, chocolate and malt tones, with hints of caramel, resin, licorice and dark fruits. Great aroma!” cat2rating=”4.5″ cat3title=”Taste” cat3detail=”The flavor begins with a sweet caramelly and chocolately hit, that is quickly joined by some roasted (almost burnt) coffee and malt, as well as licorice, flavors. Simultaneously with the roastiness, there is resiny and piney hop flavour, that lends a bitter, and surprisingly dry, finish. The alcohol is very well hidden behind all the complex flavors, maltiness and bitterness, as there is almost no presence of it.” cat3rating=”4.5″ cat4title=”Mouthfeel” cat4detail=”The beer has a smooth, thick and medium-full body, and a moderate carbonation level. This beer is something you sip on for quite a time, as it is quite heavy to drink. As mentioned earlier, it is very well balanced.” cat4rating=”4″ summary=”A fantastic beer, that is full of lots of dark and complex flavors, in a well balanced package. A perfect beer to have when you are sitting in your armchair in front of the fireplace on a cold winter/autumn day. Definitely one of the better beers I’ve had, and for a fantastic price (only available abroad though or in bars if you’re extremely lucky). Highly Recommended!”]