Great Divide Brewing Company Oak Aged Yeti Russian Imperial Stout at 9.5% ABV | 75 IBU (US$10.89 at Specs Main Houston, 650 ml, packaged on 13-Sep-2016, acquired 8-Mar-2017, reviewed 28-Dec-2017)
Appearance: solid black with one fat finger of rocky brown head, good retention and moderate soapy lacing. (5/5) Aroma: chocolate, coffee, vanilla, whiskey. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, high bitter. (8/10) Palate: full oily body, moderate carbonation, building bitter and warming finish. (4/5)
Big, bombastic, and boozy – just the way an RIS should be. This is my only experience with this one, so I can’t comment as to how hot this thing is when it’s first bottled, but I can say that after more than a year in the bottle, it’s still got an edge. There’s a lot of whiskey barrel showing here, which isn’t a complaint by any means, but it makes me wonder how good this would be alternating sips with a nice hopped whiskey as described in the recent article in Beer Connoisseur… Dang, I’m all out of Caskmates. But I can report firing up my palate with a little straight Jameson’s definitely woke up the whiskey flavours in this. I may need to revisit this technique during future tastings, once I’m part way through the beer and have a baseline, of course. (17/20)
My 251st from the 2010 Edition of 1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die, 241st from the 2013 edition, and 265th combining both editions.
8.5/10 #1001beers #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
