Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout
No ratings yet — be the first to log it.
Tasting Notes
The aroma leads with roasted coffee, dark chocolate, and a faint whiff of dark dried fruit — prunes or raisins lurking underneath. On the palate it's dense and chewy, with bittersweet cocoa and espresso up front, a moderate hop bitterness that keeps the sweetness honest, and just enough malt richness to carry the whole thing. The body is full without being syrupy, which is harder to pull off than it sounds at 9.5%. The finish is long, dry, and roasty, with a warming alcohol presence that creeps in at the back.
About the Brewery
Great Divide is based in Denver, Colorado and has been operating since 1994, making it one of the longer-standing craft breweries on the Front Range. They've built a reputation for big, boldly flavored beers — the Yeti line in particular has become a flagship franchise, spawning numerous variants aged in barrels or brewed with adjuncts. They're a reliable presence at festivals and in bottle shops across the country, known for consistent quality in the higher-gravity range.
Food Pairings
Barbecued beef brisket works well because the smoky char mirrors the roasted malt character and the beer's bitterness cuts through the fat. A dense flourless chocolate cake finds common ground with the cocoa notes and makes both taste richer. Sharp aged cheddar or a hard cheese like Manchego offers a salty contrast that balances the sweetness. Braised short ribs benefit from the beer's body and dark fruit undertones echoing the savory braise. Vanilla ice cream, if you're going the dessert route, softens the roast and lets the malt sweetness open up.
Style Guide
American Imperial Stout is the high-gravity, high-intensity evolution of the English stout tradition, pushed toward extremes by American craft brewers starting in the 1990s. Defining characteristics are intense roasted malt flavors — coffee, dark chocolate, char — a full, viscous body, and ABVs that typically run from 8% to well above 12%. Unlike Russian Imperial Stouts, which tend toward a more restrained Old World character, the American version usually features assertive hop bitterness and sometimes aggressive dry-hopping alongside the malt weight. It's a style built for slow sipping and cellaring, as the flavors evolve and integrate over months or years.