Great Divide 17th Anniversary Wood Aged Double IPA

3.9/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20

22 ounce bottle into tulip, bottled March 29th 2011. Pours clear red orange color with a 1.5 finger off white head with great retention that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap. Some decent lacing on the glass as well. Aromas of orange, grapefruit, caramel, oak, and a bit of vanilla. Nice aromas here with good strength. Taste of huge oak, with caramel, grapefruit, pine, and a bit of orange and vanilla. Nice strong bitterness on the finish that lingers with pine, oak, and citrus flavors. Decent balance of flavors, and nice balance of bitterness and sweetness. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied, almost syrupy mouthfeel. Alcohol is very well hidden for 10%, none in the taste and very little warming on the finish. Overall a very nice Double IPA, but it is a little over the top on the oak flavor.

Very nice oak aged DIPA, I think that some age on this would mellow out the oak flavor, as it does on Imperial Stouts.