I don't get out much. My experience of American beers is consequently as limited as Matt's wardrobe. Some of you must have had more contact with it. Maybe you can help.
Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout - is it a typical example of an American strong Stout?
That's all I want to know. Thank you.
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17 comments:
Yes, I would say that it is a typical example of what American craft brewers mean by "Imperial Stout". It may be a little better than the average, but is otherwise typical, I'd say.
The oak-aged version is the best. Personally I think it's one of the top 10 beers I've had. If you can get your hands on it, do it.
Mmmm . . . . typical, eh?
That information could save me a whole load of money.
"save me a whole load of money" means you did or did not like that beer?
I disagree with lars, I think Yeti might only be typical of the American strong stouts available in Europe. About a month ago I was at a bar which featured three strong stouts: North Coast's Old Rasputin, Bell's Expedition Stout and Surly's Darkness. There was great variation between those three. Yeti as I recall was too bitter-chocolatey for my taste. The oak aged version smoothed that out some. But I think you could do better for an American Imperial stout.
Yeti has some reasonable bitter-chocolate flavour, but it's totally overwhelmed by citrusy hops. What I meant was this: is the use of cascade-like hops typical in American strong Stouts?
I had a similar experience with a dark beer from a new British micro (Tydd Steam)the beer was called Yooligan and was a dark red, going on black in pub lighting, with a guinness like creamy head but the citrus American hop taste completely jarred with the appearance of the beer!
It wasn't so much the flavour being out of sync with the colour that got me. It was the clash of dark malt and citrus hop flavours.
Im just trying another similar beer - Gonzo Imperial Porter - and it's another car crash, though not quite the head-on collision of Yeti.
I don't think the citrus hop is characteristic. I have not had Yeti but there are plenty of big licorice laden toasty Imperial Stouts in North American. Being the Ron-in-training (I want my RIT badge) I am, I better organized some posts over the holidays allowing me to provide you with my notes on stouts, many imperial and most North American.
We had some Yeti a couple of weeks ago and didn't notice the citrusy hops. We thought it was lovely.
Then again, we weren't noticing much by that point. We've vowed to try it sober ASAP.
Ron in general, not in every instance, the Western US brewers love their 'C' hops. The East Coast is more malt forward and the Midwest is a grab bag. But that is in general and do not hold my feet to the fire over it.
Brendan, ah, I see that both the beers I mentioned are from Colorado. Maybe I should stick to the East Coast.
Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter (iks that right?) is indeed laden with citrus flavours. Very strange.
I haven't had the Yeti, but Old Rasputin is my favorite Imperial Stout this year. That said, it is from California, so it might have Cascades (or similar) that slipped under my radar, or are in my comfort/pleasure zone.
You might like Brooklyn Brewery's Black Chocolate Stout. I really enjoyed it. Garrett Oliver makes very well-balanced beers and rarely goes overboard. And Alan likes it too.
Maybe there's a new beer style coming out here... American-Russian Imperial Stout ;) Like American Barley Wine vs. English Barley Wine - "American" as a code word for highly-hopped.
Keith, Imperial Stout (the English kind) is also very hevily hopped. Just not with "c" hops.
I've had Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout and I liked that. In fact all the Brooklyn beers I've had were good.
Alan, looking it your notes on Stouts it certainly looks as if not all have the citrus hop taste I dislike.
I'll have to check the label before I buy my next US Stout to make sure it wasn't brewed out West.
They should have warnings on the label.
They really should print warnings. Something like this:
"Attention Ron Pattinson: this beer contains cascade hops!"
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