Great Divide Brewing Hibernation Ale - From One of Denver, Colorado Microbreweries Finest!

I've really, really been wanting to try Great Divide Brewing Company's "Hibernation Ale" for many a year now. Problem was, there was just no way of locating even a lonely 12 ounce bottle of it anywhere near Western Pennsylvania (having had to survive the long trip from its native Denver, Colorado). Many thanks, however, go out to Stella's Beer Barn where I finally found my way to not just one, but a virtually unlimited supply (as long as it holds out I guess) of Hibernation Ale.

I've heard some good things about this microbrew from some of my friends in the know. Hibernation Ale didn't really disappoint me either.

I had picked up a few bottles in advance, thinking this would be a pretty good beer.
Cracking open the first chilled bottle of this "winter warmer" , I anxiously poured into a 12 ounce unchilled beer mug. Head was prominently evident and dominated. A two finger head shot up and would not be denied as it stayed present a good five minutes and beyond (but I couldn't be denied either and I wasn't going to just sit there for an hour watching how long the head held up). I needed to drink this beer!

Color, dark, dark ruby red almost a murky merge to brown. Effervesence was prevalent and all about, bubbles going crazy everywhere here.

Aroma presented a high sweet acidic cherry and molasses scent with the high level of malts standing in reverie. A bit of alcoholic burn was prominent and sensed in the scent as well.

Sip number one brought a sweet, and yet sour undertoned, flavor to my palate. While I'd smelled a molasses type aroma initially, the tasting didn't prove me entirely wrong. This craft beer is sweet (for the most part), sticky and strong. While I poured this beer somewhere around 45 degrees temperature, the alcohol burn was imminently present. And that alcoholic burn of the 8.1 percent acohol by volume rating only got stronger as the beer warmed. This was a sipper. I would not want to be rapidly quaffing these at a Christmas party, Superbowl Tailgate party or in the backyard after a hot day lawn mowing. Sit by the fireplace on a cold winters eve to enjoy this one responsibly and to it fullest.

One thing that I would have liked in Great Divide Hibernation Ale is a more formidable balance between the malt and the hops. While the bottle label boasts a complex balance between the two factors, I just didn't quite get any respectable props from the hops. A past maturity issue? I don't think so. I may be wrong (and I often am) but only a few short months past this beers prime intended presentation period should not throw off kilter a hoppy presence as much as I've been able to detect in this micro brew.

In my humble opinion, I like Great Divide Hibernation Ale. I really do. I want to like it more however. It just didn't "complete me" I guess. It certainly was rich in body, I'd go so far as to call it thick in mouthful. But the complexity promised just wasn't altogether there. The warming effect of the relatively high alcohol by volume makes it a sipper. So any imperfections become drawn out over an hour or so. It's definitely worth a try for microbrew enthusiasts though. Give it a shot and I will again too (if I find it again) come the winter months of '07-'08 when the next generation of Hibernation Ale will be in it's prime. Like I said, I've heard great things and I want to really like this beer. I want to want it come hibernation time next winter.

Read more reviews of microbrews at Microbrew Review or My Squidoo Lens.

Microbrew Review of Great Divide Brewing Company's St. Bridget's Porter

Great Divide Brewing Company's St. Bridget's Porter

I've sampled a few craft beers over the past year produced by the Great Divide Brewing Company which is a microbrewery based way out in Denver, Colorado. Typically, I've enjoyed what I've found locally in Western Pennsylvania from these folks, so I was a little excited to find a new and untried offering from this brewery in my local haunt's coolers last weekend.

I spied a 12 ounce bottle of Great Divide Brewing St. Bridget's Porter and quickly grabbed one along with their Hiberation Ale (a seasonal brew to be reviewed later). It sat in the fridge a few days but the lure of trying something new brought this one upstairs to the sampling room this evening.

Upon inspection of the somewhat bland bottle label design, I'm impressed to read that this beer is a 1996 World Beer Cup Gold Medal Winner in the Robust Porter judging category. Well, we're off to a pretty good start knowing that I guess. Brewed date of third week of November (2006 I assume) is notched on the label edge. This is good too, because although it's not brewery fresh, just knowing how old it is is a far cry better than many microbrews I've tried, where you just don't know how old what you're drinking really is. It's hard giving a beer a bad review if you're not sure whether or not it's maybe just past it's drinkable prime. Label describes this beer as "an elegant, smooth porter" and does give a little interesting history of the real life Saint Bridget, the microbrew's namesake. You'll have to pick up a bottle if you want to know the rest of the story behind this beer's name.

I poured this one carefully into an unchilled 10 oz. mug and noted only about a half finger cocoa butter colored head that hung out for about a minute or two at best and then split. Not an overall opaque appearance sitting in the glass itself but I would compare the sight of this one pouring into my mug as the same similar thin impression I'd gotten recently while pouring a Yuengling Black and Tan. Not real thick.

First sip to my lips brings a watery feel. Thin I guess is the word to describe. I experienced a fairly strong coffee presence, but not a lot in the way of "chocolate characteristics of dark barley malts" as the label touts. I may have picked up a bit of toffee mixed into the porter-like bitterness but, flavor wise, I just wasn't picking up on a whole lot else. Maybe it's just a bad night for the old taste buds, but I really tried to pick up on all the nuances that makes Saint Bridget's Porter what it is...or should be.

Overall, I can't say that Great Divide Brewing Company's Saint Bridget's Porter is a badly put together microbrew. I just can't say it's one of the better porter style beers that I've personally tried. I supposed, having tried some other numbers from this Colorado microbrewery, and liking those very much, my hopes and expectations may have just been set too high for this. And that's really not a good habit to fall into if you're a microbrew enthusiast. I shouldn't have gone in with any expectations, just an open mind and a clean palate. My bad, but something easy to fall prey to as everyone has their own favorite breweries based on past experiences. On the other hand, the label did boast of it being a 1996 Gold Medal winning microbrew. But then again, it's 2007 now.

I'd best describe this beer as an average robust porter. Nothing to turn your nose up to, but nothing to sniff out at any and every cost either. Being on the somewhat watery and thin side in my opinion, it would be a beer that one could easily down several of in a session without becoming a slobbering fool. If I see Great Divide Saint Bridget's Robust Porter somewhere locally here in the future, I may give it another shot just to be sure. Maybe it's just that I'd like to erase the disbelief that it wasn't more than I imagined it'd be. But you need to be the judge. It's worth a try, especially if you're into the porters. Let me know what you think and be sure to try other great divide brewing company products if you do get a chance. It's rare to go wrong with what they typically brew so right.

You can check out more reviews of new microbrews and fun microbrew and craft beer related info at Microbrew Review or My Squidoo Lens. Check out Summer Microbrew too!