Yeti Stouts - "I believe..."

Image borrowed from www.knoxbeercrew.com

     Anyone who's spent a decent amount of time in the Denver area has more than likely seen Great Divide's sticker with the words "I believe" accompanying a "yeti" like figure floating around somewhere... Any craft beer head in the area has also more than likely tried this somewhat "staple" of a beer... Great Divide is a brewery I never made it to while I was in the area, but I enjoyed their beers, and of course made sure that a Yeti was indeed on the list... In fact, I enjoyed quite a few of those before being exposed to an Oak Aged Yeti, and consuming that was pure delight... This all occurring before I had begun doing any sort of lengthy write-ups, but hindsight tells me it would have been beneficial to have taken the time to simply jot some notes during their consumption... Regardless, Great Divide has continued to do small batches of their Yeti, with each batch brewed a touch differently, as to influence the flavor profile to adjust slightly, all while maintaining the backbone that makes this beer so prolific in CO's craft community...

     In this write-up I'll highlight two small batch representations of the Yeti, the "Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti," as well as the "Oatmeal Yeti..." I won't be enjoying them simultaneously, as I believe comparing two tangent brews of the same original could very well overlap each other's flavor profiles, thus making the review less "true..." Not to say I'd never indulge in two similar beers at the same time, but for the sake of the Yeti, I believe it deserves a fresh palate for each brew... So if you're ever looking for a nice winter warmer to enjoy this coming season, and a Yeti is available to you, pour one of those and enjoy one of the better stouts brewed in America!!

Great Divide Brewing - Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti [Stout Aged On Oak Chips With Cocoa Nibs And Spice Added] (22oz ---> Dogfish Head Curved Pint Glass : 9.5% ABV)

     With high anticipation, I tilted the bottle and the medium bodied, pitch black brew fell beautifully into the glass and formed a fairly dark brown, two inch head that was composed of moderately tiny bubbles... A good amount of lacing was left behind as the head slowly faded and left a nice retentive cap sitting atop the extremely dark contents... Nice chocolate notes are on the forefront of the aromatics,  with a bit of coffee bean mixing in with it also... There are small traces of oak present as well, but in much smaller amounts... Upon tasting, a chocolatey bite of bitterness hits the pallet and livens things up right away, along with some bolder roasty flavors also being picked up on right away... Mid pallet allows for plenty more chocolate to come through, as well as some more coffee, but this is where the oak notes begin to present themselves in small doses... On the back end is still plenty of chocolate, but as the tastes settle, the oak flavors become more and more present, blending in nicely with the roasty notes to balance out the slight chocolate sweetness... The bottle states it's got just a touch of cayenne added to the mix as well, but definitely not in any distinguishable amount... I believe it was added not to give this beer any amount of serious spiciness, but to adjust the flavor profile slightly, and give it another slight layer of complexity... My favorite online culinary influence, Food Wishes' Chef John, adds a touch of cayenne to everything he prepares, often times strictly for the depth and complexity it can add to a dish, as opposed to its' heat levels... So I could see Great Divide sharing that mindset with their addition of cayenne to this brew... The mouthfeel that accompanies this brew is, for lack of a more fitting term, LARGE... It's not syrupy by any means, as it's silky smooth on its' way down, but the robust oral takeover that occurs on each sip is remarkable, as it pleasantly lays down the red carpet for the flavors that accompany it... Overall this beer lived up to the high expectations I had previously set for it, as every aspect of it was outstanding, only getting more enjoyable with each sip... Another great brew - Cheers!!

Great Divide Brewing - Oatmeal Yeti [Stout Brewed With Raisins] (22oz ---> Dogfish Head Curved Pint Glass : 9.5% ABV)

     Again, with high anticipation, I poured this bottle and received the same aesthetic qualities as I found during the pouring of the Chocolate Yeti, the only noticeable difference being that the head on this brew was just a touch lighter in color... Otherwise, another two inch head that faded a bit quicker than the previous, but this one's cap was much smaller... Before the swirl-and-sniff, I took note of the lacing, which again, is comparable to the previously enjoyed beer in that there's a fair amount lining the glass... Until this point everything seems to par, in that the differences between the two beers' appearance would be minimal, but once I begin smelling and tasting, I'm assuming the nuances will become more decipherable... The nose on this beer is more delicate than the Chocolate, as there seems to be far fewer bold roasted notes, and obviously the cocoa isn't there to emit a big cloud of chocolatey aromatics either... Instead, there's some subtle berry in there, that mix in with some floral notes also, but it just generally seems to be a less aromatic beer overall... As it hits the tongue, you can immediately tell this beer is much less pronounced than the Chocolate, as that immediate bitterness is much milder... The chocolate and roasted coffee notes are still present, but again are much milder, and are accompanied (fittingly) by some cream elements also... Mid palate, is where the flavors really take a stand, but the oat elements aren't as prevalent as I thought they'd be, as it's far more rich than previously suggesting, letting the  savory coffee notes show their heads... While on the other hand the dark berry, almost plum-like flavors are flowing lavishly, but with their abundance, they bring with them a decent amount spice also!! That spice is fairly surprising in this beer, as the Chocolate version was the one actually brewed with cayenne spice... But as I previously mentioned, spices like cayenne aren't always added for heat elements, as their flavor profile can lend itself nicely to many of the other elements of flavor... On the finish is where the oats got their chance to really shine as a primary element in this beer, embracing the "Better late than never" theory... The fruity, malty sweetness also lingers with the oats, but also lingering with those flavors is plenty of alcohol heat, which is practically nonexistent in any other Yeti variation that I've tried... The mouthfeel on this beer was again excellent, but this version is also much lighter than the Chocolate one, which I actually found preferable, as I believe it worked better with these flavor components... Overall it's another great representation of Great Divide's Yeti!! I don't find it quite as enjoyable as the Chocolate version, but that preference won't apply to everybody, and doesn't take away anything from the face that any version of their Yeti is an enjoyable one!! Another great brew - Cheers!!