Summer is officially half over which means so is the Summer of Tasting Notes. Here’s number 47 of the 94 daily tasting notes…and it’s a good one!
NOTES: Draft @ J. Clyde in Birmingham
STYLE: Imperial IPA
ABV: 10%
APPEARANCE: Deep, hazy amber
HEAD: Off-white, meringue-like head that lasts and lasts
LACING: Excellent, thick, clingy lace
NOSE: The wood aging keeps the nose mellow and soft, but the notes of caramel malts, pine resin, and grapefruit are unmistakable. Smells like a clean, smooth IPA, but the tickle from the noseburn at the end of each whiff hints at its “Imperial” nature.
TASTE: Nice and sweet with plenty of hops character holding it together. Vanilla and toffee in the malt profile and citrus fruit and spruce in the hops. It’s robust and has a great depth of flavor.
MOUTHFEEL: Medium-to-full with excellent carbonation. A very creamy, smooth brew.
DRINKABILITY: 10% ABV and a fairly full mouthfeel keep this from being a session brew. But it’s still an easy-sipping brew that disappears dangerously fast.
RATING: 3.5 Hops
ALEHEADS 
How have I never noticed this on Great Divide’s labels? “Aged On Oak Chips”. I guess I just assumed that all of their specialized, aged beers were actually barrel aged (Note, some of their beers are in fact barrel aged). I supposed I shouldn’t really care because their use of oak chips is still far superior than many breweries that use full on barrel aging, but still, I was a little surprised. I sort of felt like I was cheating by using oak chips to finish my homebrewed Porter, but not anymore. If Great Divide can use oak chips and put out some of the best beers around, I’m sold.