Day #337 – Great Divide Hibernation Ale

Great Divide Hibernation Ale

This is the winter seasonal from Great Divide and it is classified as an Old Ale. As it rings in at 8.7% ABV, I let this one chill out on the counter for a bit so that it would warm up.

This beer pours a very dark brown color that turns an amber orange color when put to the light. It also has a foamy beige head.

The aroma surprised me to say the least. The first thing I thought was chocolate but the more I thought about it the more I wasn’t so sure. It was kind of a chocolatey smell but in an old type of sense. Cocoa nibs but also a very bready nose, with some aged elements to it.

The flavor is similar to the aroma. It has some dark chocolatey notes but also holds bready flavors and some aged notes. Kind of a rooty flavor also. Bitter finish.

Cheers!

Day #303 – Breckenridge Autumn Ale

I love it when I open my fridge and it smells like hops!  I am most certainly brewing this weekend!

Breckenridge Autumn Ale

This is the fall seasonal from Breckenridge and is classified as an Old Ale.  ABV of 6.7%.  They bill this one as a fresh take on the Oktoberfest beer, as it has traditional German malts with Bavarian hops but is just a little askew from the standard Oktoberfest style.  It fits more in with the Old Ale style at this point.  This style fits along the lines of the strong dark Old Peculiar beer that is hugely popular in Europe.

This beer pours very dark, much darker than I was anticipating.  It appears to be dark brown until you hold it to the light and then just a bit of rosy red shines through.  It forms a tall tan colored head that slowly dissipates.

The aroma is sweet caramel malts, darker grains and a bit of alcohol spice.  It smells larger than it is I believe.

The flavor starts off with dark roasted malts and sweet caramel flavorings and then morphs into a strong alcohol finish that leaves quite a tingle on your tongue.  Maybe just a bit too boozy for a thin bodied beer such as this?

Cheers!