Vanilla Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout by Great Divide Brewing

9.5% ABV April 2018
Beer Advocate score - 3.86/5
Untappd score 3.85/5

20C. Imperial Stout

Look who I found hangin' in the backyard!

An intensely-flavored, big, dark ale with a wide range of flavor balances and regional interpretations. Roasty-burnt malt with deep dark or dried fruit flavors, and a warming, bittersweet finish. Despite the intense flavors, the components need to meld together to create a complex, harmonious beer, not a hot mess.

Aroma: Sweet malt on the nose that flows into a chocolate aroma laced with a dose of vanilla.   8

Appearance: Roasty black darkness that of a fine coffee. Has a milk chocolate head that last for days. Quite a bit of lacing.  8

Flavor: Upfront is of bitter chocolate that gives way to sweet malt and an Oak wood flavor w a good dose of vanilla. A bitter roastiness to balance it out at the end.  8

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with medium carbonation. Definitely a sipper.  8

Overall: I have had the regular Yeti by Great Divide. While that is a solid brew, the oak aged version is definitely better. It has a balance to it that makes you want to sip it all day long. Not a good idea, as it is quite high in the ABV, but I wouldn't tell if one decided to do it. No judgement here.  The flavor profile makes this a nice fall/winter warmer.  8

Matt's mark: 4/5

It seems like I am always doing something in the brewing world. This weekend, I needed to get my blackberry wine bottled (24 bottles, some for drinking and some for aging... if the missus allows anyway) and also wanted to get a squash brew in. I love squash brews and didn't want to be left out of the making of one. I am partial to the Blue Hubbard and decided to use this variety for my brew. It is a brown ale base with cardamom pods, nutmeg, star anise, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Heavier on the cardamom pods for a unique take on a squash brew. I am bouncing around with a few names for it but I am leaning towards "My Boy Blue Hubbard Ale" (a nod to the movie Old School). As for the Oak Aged Yeti, my score is higher than both Beer Advocate and Untappd. Not by much, so I don't think I would pull the score higher than what it is. This beer is perfect for sipping while brewing. You wanna take your time with this one because the flavors get more intense the warmer it gets. It is sooo yummy. This weekend as a whole was a nice diversion to the hard to watch Oregon Duck football game... the worst road team in the Pac-12. Now it's time to finish of the Yeti and take my honey out to dinner for a well deserved date night.