Beer Me! — Great Divide Brewing — Denver, Colorado, United States

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Great Divide Brewing

2201 Arapahoe Street
Denver CO 80205-2512
Telephone: +1 303-296-9460
Hours: Monday-Tuesday 2:00pm-8:00pm, Wednesday-Saturday 2:00pm-10:00pm.
Brewer: Brian Dunn, Mason Thomas
[Contact] [Update]

Notes

Opened: 1994

Annual Production: 35,300 bbl

Contributors: Dan Schmidgall, Ralph Wells, Richard R Tinurelli

Updated: March 17, 2022

News

2021-01-25: Great Divide to Shutdown RiNo Packaging Plant (ProBrewer)
2019-09-18: GREAT DIVIDE ABANDONS PLANS FOR DENVER BREWERY (American Craft Beer)
2017-01-13: Great Divide Brewing Suffers Major Production Decline in 2016 (Westword)
2013-08-27: Great Divide on tap to build huge new brewery in Denver (Denver Post)
2011-03-29: Great Divide pulls distribution from several regions (Beernews.org)
2010-05-12: Denver's Great Divide brewery to brew more beer (KDVR)
2010-03-03: The beer glass if half-full for Great Divide's Dunn (Denver Post)

Beer List

15th Anniversary Wood Aged Double IPA

Wood- and Barrel-aged Strong Beer
- Date: July 30, 2009 (#7862)
  
  Package: bottled
  
  Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE
  
  Score: 17 points
  
  Appearance (3)
  Deep red-amber. Some haze. Thick head.
  
  Aroma (3)
  Lots and lots and lots of coconut!
  
  Mouthfeel (9)
  Medium-almost-big body. HUGE coconut flavor. Nicely malty, toffee underneath. Coconut all the way through. Very mild fruity hop flavor, not all that bitter.
  
  Overall Impression (2)
  As a wood-aged beer, it's fantastic. As a Double IPA, it's pretty mild.

16th Anniversary Wood Aged Double IPA

Wood- and Barrel-aged Strong Beer

10.00% abv.

Date: June 12, 2010 (#8255)

Package: bottled

Place: Brix, Omaha NE

Score: 18 points

Appearance (3)
Bright red. Thick dense head.

Aroma (3)
Big resiny, fruity hops.

Mouthfeel (9)
Big and chewy. Blast of resiny hop flavor, fairly bitter. Big biscuity malt base. Fruity, biscuity, nicely bitter finish. Just a little warming at the end.

Overall Impression (3)
An intensely hoppy beer that's really well-balanced.

17th Anniversary Wood Aged Double IPA

Wood- and Barrel-aged Strong Beer

10.00% abv.

Date: May 27, 2011 (#8575)

Package: bottled

Place: Hy-Vee Stony Brook, Omaha NE

Score: 17½ points

Appearance (3)
Light brown, hazy. Dense head.

Aroma (4)
Big spicy hops. Toasty, earthy malt. Citrusy.

Mouthfeel (8)
Big, chewy, and bitter. Loads of toasty malt. Spicy, earthy hops with a big bitterness. Brown sugar.

Overall Impression (2½)

18th Anniversary Wood Aged Double IPA

Wood- and Barrel-aged Beer

Date: May 19, 2012 (#8813)

Package: draught

Place: Library Pub, Omaha NE

Score: 14½ points

Appearance (3)
Copper color, some haze. Low-medium head.

Aroma (3)
Intense caramel. Some coconut. Earthy, musty. Dark toffee.

Mouthfeel (7)
Huge, chewy malt. Toffee. Dark fruit. Mild oak character, coconut. Medium (relatively) bitterness. Some oxidative flavors, paper, sherry. Warming, sweet-malty finish.

Overall Impression (1½)

19th Anniversary Ale

Wood- and Barrel-aged Strong Beer

10.20% abv.

Date: July 5, 2013 (#9221)

Package: draught

Place: Krug Park, Omaha NE

Score: 19 points

Appearance (3)
Amber, some haze. Dense head.

Aroma (3)
Perfumey, woody, grassy.

Mouthfeel (10)
Thick and chewy and smooth. Big coconut flavor on top of lots of malt. Low hop flavor, low bitterness.

Overall Impression (3)
"Brewed with pure birch syrup and aged on birch wood."

Arapahoe Amber Ale

American-Style Amber/Red Ale

Date: October 7, 1996 (#1873)

Package: bottled

Place: Willman's Bottle Market, Grand Island NE

Score: 15½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Dark amber hazy, good carbonation and head. Big caramel malt aroma and flavor, well-balanced bitter finish.

Bee Sting Honey Ale

American-Style Pale Ale

Date: July 22, 2003 (#4969)

Package: bottled

Place: Beer Club International

Score: 14 points

Overall Impression (2½)
June 2003 selection. Golden, some haze. Thick head. The honey aroma is apparent from two feet away! Light-medium intensely fizzy body. Lots of grainy malt flavor, and a mild citrusy note. Mild hop bitterness in the middle, but this beer finishes very sweet. Very very sweet.
Date: October 5, 1996 (#1870)

Package: bottled

Place: Willman's Bottle Market, Grand Island NE

Score: 12 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Dark golden, some haze, good head. Smells sweet. Tastes sweet. Lots and lots of honey flavor...too much.

Belgian Style Yeti Imperial Stout

Specialty Beer

9.50% abv.

Date: July 29, 2011 (#8603)

Package: bottled

Place: Hy-Vee Stony Brook, Omaha NE

Score: 17½ points

Appearance (3)
Black. Massive dense head.

Aroma (3)
Roasty. Malty.

Mouthfeel (9)
Thick and smooth. Very malty and very roasty. Nicely bitter. Not a lot of "Belgian" character, though.

Overall Impression (2½)
Still a great beer.

Belgica

Belgian-Style Pale Ale

7.20% abv.

Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout

Chocolate/Cocoa Flavored Beer

9.50% abv.

Awards:

Gold Medal, 2013 Great American Beer Festival

Date: July 26, 2009 (#7855)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 20 points

Appearance (3)
Black. Huge dense brown head.

Aroma (4)
Dark chocolate. Grassy hops. Vanilla.

Mouthfeel (10)
Big and chewy. Lots of dark chocolate. Lots of vanilla. Lots of malt. Big grassy hop flavor. Nicely bitter. Some alcohol at the end, but it mostly finishes with vanilla and chocolate.

Overall Impression (3)

Claymore Scotch Ale

Modern Strong Scotch Ale

7.70% abv.

Date: May 7, 2010 (#8217)

Package: bottled

Place: Brix, Omaha NE

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Deep red. Dense head.

Aroma (3)
Malt. Dark caramel malt. Some smoke.

Mouthfeel (8)
Big and chewy. Sweet, smoky, roasty. Smooth, roasty finish.

Overall Impression (2)

Colette

French & Belgian-Style Saison

7.30% abv.

Awards:

Silver Medal, 2010 Great American Beer Festival

Date: May 23, 2011 (#8569)

Package: draught

Place: Crescent Moon Ale House, Omaha NE

Score: 16½ points

Appearance (3)
Golden, hazy. Low head.

Aroma (3)
Lemony, mildly grainy.

Mouthfeel (8)
Light-medium body, smooth. Sweet grainy malt, nicely tart, with a lemony character. Earthy, grainy, citrusy finish.

Overall Impression (2½)

Denver Pale Ale / DPA

Classic English-Style Pale Ale

Awards:

Bronze Medal, 2006 Great American Beer Festival

Date: June 13, 2007 (#6546)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Bright amber. Thick head.

Aroma (3)
Spicy, herbal, caramelly, earthy.

Mouthfeel (8)
Light-medium body. Low carbonation. Huge caramel maltiness. A bit grainy, a bit earthy. Mild grassy, spicy hop flavor. Low bitterness.

Overall Impression (2)

Double Wit

Specialty Beer

Dunkel Weiss

South German-Style Dunkel Weizen/Weissbier

6.40% abv.

Date: June 12, 2009 (#7811)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 17 points

Appearance (3)
Red-brown. Hazy. Thick head.

Aroma (3)
Toasty-sweet malt.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium body. Fizzy. Gingerbread spiciness and maltiness. Oddly numbing alcohol sensation.

Overall Impression (2)
Tasty beer.

Espresso Oak Aged Yeti

Wood- and Barrel-aged Dark Beer

9.50% abv.

Date: June 4, 2010 (#8240)

Package: bottled

Place: Brix, Omaha NE

Score: 19½ points

Appearance (3)
Black. Moderate brown head.

Aroma (3½)
Earthy hops. Coffee. Malt.

Mouthfeel (10)
Big and smooth. Malty, really roasty, with a smooth coffee flavor. Reasonably bitter. Very low alcohol character.

Overall Impression (3)
Real good beer.

Fresh Hop Pale Ale

American-Style India Pale Ale

6.10% abv.

Date: January 20, 2007 (#6297)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions, Tigard OR

Score: 17 points

Appearance (3)
Bright amber. Thick fluffy head.

Aroma (3)
Mild piney hops.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium body, smooth. Big resiny, piney hop flavor, fairly big bitterness. Lots of caramel malt.

Overall Impression (2)
Brewed to 55 IBU with hops flown in the day after they were picked.

Grand Cru

Belgian-Style Dark Strong Ale

11.00% abv.

Hades Ale

Belgian-Style Pale Strong Ale

7.30% abv.

Date: February 2, 2008 (#6865)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions, Tigard OR

Score: 20 points

Appearance (3)
Bright golden. High carbonation. Thick head.

Aroma (4)
Hugely spicy, bready.

Mouthfeel (10)
Medium-big body, creamy and fizzy. Lots of malt and lots of Belgian spiciness. Nice grassy bitterness in the finish.

Overall Impression (3)
Real tasty beer. Bottle-conditioned.

Hercules Double IPA

Imperial or Double India Pale Ale

9.10% abv.

Awards:

Gold Medal, 2007 Australian International Beer Awards

Date: January 20, 2007 (#6298)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions, Tigard OR

Score: 17 points

Appearance (3)
Bright amber. Big fluffy head.

Aroma (3)
Lots of caramel, hint of smoke. Lots of grassy, spicy hops.

Mouthfeel (9)
Big body, lots of caramel. Huge grassy, resiny hop flavor, quite bitter, but nicely balanced.

Overall Impression (2)
85 IBU. Good beer.

Heyday

Belgian Style White (or Wit) / Belgian-Style Wheat

5.20% abv.

Date: July 19, 2014 (#9455)

Package: draught

Place: Jake's Cigars and Spirits, Omaha NE

Score: 16½ points

Appearance (3)
Hazy yellow. Dense head.

Aroma (3)
Mildly spicy, earthy. Wheat malt.

Mouthfeel (8)
Light and fizzy. Sweet wheat. Fruity. Mild earthy, floral spice. Clean, nearly refreshing finish.

Overall Impression (2½)

Hibernation Ale 1997

Old Ale

Awards:

Gold Medal, 1997 Great American Beer Festival

Hibernation Ale 1998

Old Ale

Awards:

Silver Medal, 1998 World Beer Cup

Hibernation Ale 2000

Old Ale

Date: March 10, 2001 (#3788)

Package: bottled

Place: from the brewery

Score: 16½ points

Overall Impression (3½)
Deep red, good head. Rich caramel malt aroma. Big body, huge caramel malt flavor all the way through. Thanks to Steve and JoAnn Rott for the bottle!

Hibernation Ale 2003

Old Ale

Awards:

Silver Medal, 2003 Great American Beer Festival

Hibernation Ale 2005

Old Ale

Awards:

Silver Medal (Aged Beer), 2006 Great American Beer Festival

Hibernation Ale 2006

Old Ale

8.10% abv.

Date: January 21, 2007 (#6304)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions, Tigard OR

Score: 19 points

Appearance (3)
Bright deep red. Very low head.

Aroma (4)
Rich malt with a hint of roast and lots of grassy, spicy hops.

Mouthfeel (9)
Huge body, chewy. Low carbonation. Intensely malty, not overly sweet. Some roastiness, lots of caramel. Big fruity, grassy hop flavor, reasonably bitter. All the flavors linger through the finish.

Overall Impression (3)
Good now — probably even better after a few years.

Date: November 21, 2008 (#7553)

Package: draught

Place: Crescent Moon Ale House, Omaha NE

Score: 18½ points

Appearance (3)
Bright red. Moderate-low head.

Aroma (3½)
Really toasty-malty.

Mouthfeel (9)
Big and smooth. Fiercely malty, with a huge spicy-fruity hop flavor. Really bitter and very well-balanced. Lingering toasty-hoppy finish.

Overall Impression (3)
Excellent beer.

American-Style Rye Beer

6.20% abv.

Awards:

Bronze Medal, 2010 World Beer Cup
Bronze Medal, 2009 Great American Beer Festival

Date: December 17, 2010 (#8389)

Package: bottled

Place: Hy-Vee Stony Brook, Omaha NE

Score: 16½ points

Appearance (3)
Golden amber. Thick head.

Aroma (3)
Grainy, grassy, malty.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium body, fizzy. Sweet, malty, grassy, grainy. Low fruity bitterness.

Overall Impression (2½)
Good clean beer with a nice rye flavor.

Hot Shot ESB

English-Style (Extra Special) Strong Bitter

Date: April 14, 2007 (#6499)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 16½ points

Appearance (3)
Bright amber. Thick head.

Aroma (3)
Huge biscuity malt. Big grassy, resiny hops.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium body, fairly fizzy. Lots of chewy malt. Sweet and toasty with a nice grassy hop flavor. Moderate bitterness. Clean finish.

Overall Impression (2½)

Maverick Imperial Stout

Imperial Stout

Awards:

Second Place, 2003 Alpha King Challenge

Nomad Pilsner

American-Style Pilsener

Date: January 28, 2012 (#8720)

Package: draught

Place: Krug Park, Omaha NE

Score: 15½ points

Appearance (3)
Bright golden. Moderate head.

Aroma (2½)
Some DMS, floral and grainy.

Mouthfeel (8)
Light-medium body, fizzy. Big grainy malt up front with some DMS. Grassy, floral hop flavor, medium bitterness. Lingering grassy, hoppy finish.

Overall Impression (2)
Compares favorably with some regional American lagers.

Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout

Wood- and Barrel-aged Strong Beer

9.50% abv.

Awards:

Bronze Medal, 2007 Australian International Beer Awards
Silver Medal, 2005 Great American Beer Festival

Date: May 15, 2005 (#5706)

Package: bottled

Place: Sutler's Wines & Spirits, Stillwater MN

Score: 19 points

Appearance (3)
Jet black. Moderate brown head.

Aroma (3)
Earthy. Dark chocolate. Some spiciness and lots of roast.

Mouthfeel (10)
Big creamy body. Very very malty and fiercely roasty. Quite bitter — listed at 75 IBU. Lingering very roasty, bitter, malty finish. Hint of vanilla, but otherwise not a lot of oak character.

Overall Impression (3)

Oatmeal Yeti Imperial Stout

Imperial Stout

9.50% abv.

Date: August 22, 2013 (#9257)

Package: draught

Place: Wilson & Washburn, Omaha NE

Score: 17½ points

Appearance (3)
Black. Dense brown head.

Aroma (3½)
Big grassy hops, roasty, mildly alcoholic.

Mouthfeel (9)
Thick, chewy, smooth. Intensely malty, really roasty, pretty bitter. Chocolate, some coffee. Grassy hop flavor all the way through.

Overall Impression (2)
Big beer.

Old Ruffian

Barley Wine-Style Ale

10.20% abv.

Awards:

Bronze Medal, 2009 Great American Beer Festival
Gold Medal, 2006 Great American Beer Festival
Bronze Medal, 2005 Great American Beer Festival

Date: August 8, 2005 (#5737)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions, Tigard OR

Score: 18 points

Appearance (3)
Red-brown opaque. Thick dense head.

Aroma (3)
Huge spicy, grapefruity hops. Some dark caramel.

Mouthfeel (9)
Big body, fairly fizzy. Massively malty, caramelly, raisiny, woody. Hop flavor and bitterness builds through the finish. Spicy, resiny. A little syrupy.

Overall Impression (3)

Orabelle

Belgian-Style Tripel

8.30% abv.

Date: January 16, 2013 (#9006)

Package: bottled

Place: Hy-Vee Stony Brook, Omaha NE

Score: 15 points

Appearance (3)
Golden, hazy. Low head.

Aroma (3)
Floral, fruity. Mild citrus.

Mouthfeel (7)
Medium-big body, smooth. Sweet, malty, fruity. Some mild spiciness in the finish. Sweet.

Overall Impression (2)
A very sweet Tripel.

Ridgeline Amber Ale

American-Style Amber/Red Ale

5.40% abv.

Awards:

Bronze Medal, 1996 Great American Beer Festival

Date: June 10, 2008 (#7097)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Red-amber, very hazy. Moderate head.

Aroma (3)
Huge caramel, biscuit malt.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium-big body, moderate carbonation. Intense caramel malt flavor, fairly sweet, with a mild roastiness. Sweet caramel-biscuity finish.

Overall Impression (2)
Tasty malty beer.

Rumble IPA

Wood- and Barrel-aged Beer

7.10% abv.

Date: October 11, 2010 (#8314)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 17 points

Appearance (3)
Amber. Very high carbonation. Thick head.

Aroma (3)
Earthy, resiny, woody hops.

Mouthfeel (9)
Medium body, creamy. Sweet malt and fruity hops, fairly bitter, with just a hint of oak. Fruity-hoppy finish.

Overall Impression (2)

Saint Bridget's Porter

Robust Porter

5.90% abv.

Date: June 18, 2008 (#7118)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 15½ points

Appearance (3)
Deep dark red. Moderate head.

Aroma (2½)
Smoky, sweet, and roasty.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium body, moderate carbonation. Big chocolatey maltiness, with a grassy hop flavor and finish.

Overall Impression (2)
Date: October 7, 1996 (#1875)

Package: bottled

Place: Willman's Bottle Market, Grand Island NE

Score: 14 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Very dark red, OK brown head. Sweet caramel aroma, with some black malt. Sweet and black, good roasty flavor. Sweet finish.

Saison

French & Belgian-Style Saison

Samurai

American-Style Lager

Date: August 18, 2007 (#6602)

Package: bottled

Place: Beertopia, Omaha NE

Score: 14 points

Appearance (3)
Golden, hazy. Moderate head.

Aroma (3)
Yeasty, some graininess.

Mouthfeel (7)
Light body, fizzy. Really sweet. Quite a bit of yeast. Big noble hop flavor, fairly bitter. Floral. Big sweet finish.

Overall Impression (1)
"Unfiltered lager beer with rice"

Samurais vs Unicorns

American-Style Malt Liquor

6.80% abv.

Date: January 29, 2018 (#9813)

Package: draught

Place: The Casual Pint, Omaha NE

Score: 14½ points

Appearance (3)
Bright pale yellow. Dense head.

Aroma (3)
Mild DMS, very mild sulfur.

Mouthfeel (7)
Medium-big body, smooth. Sweetly malty, grainy, sulfury, DMSy. Mild grassy hop flavor, low bitterness.

Overall Impression (1½)
Think malt liquor with body.

Smoked Baltic Porter

Smoke-Flavored Beer

7.50% abv.

Date: January 9, 2012 (#8702)

Package: bottled

Place: Hy-Vee Stony Brook, Omaha NE

Score: 18 points

Appearance (3)
Brown-black. Low head.

Aroma (3½)
Smoky. Chocolatey.

Mouthfeel (9)
Big and chewy, fairly fizzy. Nicely smoky,malty, nicely roasty. Grassy hop flavor, mildly bitter. Malty, roasty, smoky finish.

Overall Impression (2½)

Titan IPA

American-Style India Pale Ale

6.80% abv.

Awards:

Silver Medal, 2007 Australian International Beer Awards

Date: August 6, 2005 (#5725)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions, Tigard OR

Score: 16½ points

Appearance (3)
Amber, slight haze. Big dense head.

Aroma (3)
Piney, grassy hops. Graham cracker malt.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium-big body, fairly fizzy. Huge biscuity malt flavor with lots of hop bitterness. Big resiny hop flavor lingers a long time.

Overall Impression (2½)

Whitewater Wheat Ale

Light American Wheat Beer with Yeast

Date: September 26, 1996 (#1652)

Package: draught

Place: Great American Beer Festival, Denver CO

Score: 13 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Bright gold, low carbonation. Sweetish aroma. Sweet, malty.

Wild Raspberry Ale

American-Style Fruit Beer

Awards:

Silver Medal, 2021 Great American Beer Festival

Wolfgang Doppelbock

German-Style Strong Doppelbock

8.00% abv.

Date: August 5, 2012 (#8899)

Package: draught

Place: Lauter Tun, Omaha NE

Score: 17½ points

Appearance (3)
Beautiful bright burgundy. Huge dense head.

Aroma (3)
Roasty, hugely malty. Grassy.

Mouthfeel (9)
Big and smooth. Richly malty, grassy, with lots of dark caramel and toffee. Just a little alcohol flavor. Sweet dark-malty finish.

Overall Impression (2½)
More roasted malt flavor then most Doppelbocks.

Yeti Imperial Stout

Imperial Stout

9.50% abv.

Awards:

Silver Medal, 2009 Great American Beer Festival
Bronze Medal, 2008 Great American Beer Festival

Date: February 3, 2006 (#5825)

Package: bottled

Place: Liquid Solutions, Tigard OR

Score: 20 points

Appearance (3)
Pretty damn black. Thick dense head.

Aroma (4)
Richly malty and roasty, with vanilla and spicy hops.

Mouthfeel (10)
Massive. Black, roasty, and spicy and strong. Really well-balanced.

Overall Impression (3)
Phenomenally smooth and tasty.