I can honestly say I've never met a Great Divide brew I didn't like. I have met a few I didn't fall completely in love with, but I've never regretted putting down my hard earned dollars for one, and in this day and age of rising prices and stagnant wages, there's something profound to be said about consistent quality. Too many brewers don't understand this concept, and one day when the craft beer revolution settles, I have a feeling a lot of trendy, bandwagon chaff is going to be whisked away by the fickle consumer trade winds.
Ok, end spiel and onto this much anticipated brew. Reddish orange pour with a tawny middle at the light and a slight and quickly fading off-white head. Very little lace sticks to the pint after all is said and done. Sweet and mellow to the nose with some ripe fruits and a faded citrus hop presence toward the back. Body is also smooth as silk and has a medium mouth-feel. Taste involves an understated caramel maltiness, an array of fruits (apple, orange, and even banana) and a fairly subdued, but long lasting woody hoppiness that makes up for vigour with longevity.
Alcohol heat livens things up randomly, as it's not always noticed, but there when sought. A few chalk notes are revealed as the beer warms. Some spice and then a hint of charred oak finish things up and top off this fairly complex IPA with a foot-under-the table furtive wink instead of an over-the-top one-liner bang; a fact that I think is pretty damn sexy in this extreme in-your-face world we live in.
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