After working for a company building farms in developing countries and then earning a master’s degree in environmental policy, Brian Dunn was flying to interview with an agribusiness company when he decided to scrap those plans and open a brewery instead. He grabbed a loan from the city of Denver to open up in what was then a desolate Ballpark neighborhood, and he would begin brewing at 3 a.m. before heading out to peddle his new product to local liquor stores and bars. The year was 1994. The product was Great Divide Brewing Co. That one-man operation grew as American drinkers expanded their palates in the late 1990s and early 2000s and began to flock to Great Divide’s big beers, from its Yeti Imperial Stout series to its hoppy monsters like Titan IPA and Hercules Double IPA. Today, Peaks and Pints offers a sampler flight of the brewery in what we call Craft Beer Crosscut 9.6.18: A Flight of Great Divide Brewing.
Great Divide Roadie Grapefruit Radler
4% ABV, 16 IBU
Maybe you don’t like radlers (a blend of fruit juice/soda and beer). That’s cool. No harm, no foul. But if you’re looking for one radler to try, give Great Divide’s Roadie Grapefruit Radler a shot. Rolling down the canning line is a beer created for a cruise down the bike trail. The Roadie Grapefruit Radler is a combination of two of Great Divide’s passions — beer and the cycling community. Inspired by the annual BoulDurango, where some of Colorado’s most tenured brewers join up for a 400-plus mile ride, it’s brewed with natural grapefruit puree. This easy-drinking ale pours a hazy sunrise gold, bursts with citrus aroma, dry and slightly tart and is a seriously refreshing beer that comes in at a miniscule 4 percent ABV.
Great Divide Wood Werks Barrel Series #1: Belgian Style Sour
9.3% ABV
Great Divide began barrel-aging beers around 2004 with very small releases and nearly all barrels coming from Stranahan’s Whiskey. In 2008 the program grew to three releases a year with Barrel Aged Yeti, Barrel Aged Old Ruffian and Barrel Aged Hibernation. All three of these beers were released as part of Great Divide’s original barrel aging program until 2018 when the brewery introduced Wood Werks, a new lineup of limited edition barrel aged and sour beers. Kicking off the series in style, this Belgian-style tripel is soured for 15 months in red-wine barrels and aged on plums. This rare spiced sour ale has notes of luscious stone fruit with a tart, dry finish and a hint of French oak.
Great Divide Claymore Scotch Ale
7.7% ABV, 21 IBU
Named for a medieval Scottish sword, Claymore Scotch Ale is Great Divide Brewing’s tribute to the legendary “wee heavy” beers of Scotland. This malty, deep-ruby beauty boasts a roasty, chocolate aroma with light peat smoke threads. Creamy on the tongue, this smooth beer delivers a wealth of toasted malts amplified by more peat. As the beer washes back, fresh plum peeks out from the smoke, adding a sugary-sweet element to this dark beer.
Great Divide HeyDay Modern IPA
5.8% ABV, 45 IBU
Apparently Heyday is an IPA for the modern bold character. It hits the nose with bright floral hops, including green tea, grass and lemon rind. Shining with notes of tropical fruit, berry, strawberry and melon, the complex hop profile is complemented with a crisp malt character for an approachable IPA fit for any occasion. It sports a lingering resin-like bitterness that lasts until the following sip. The finish is dry and a touch astringent. It’s subdued, but classic West Coast IPA.
Great Divide Velvet Yeti Nitro
5% ABV, 60 IBU
Great Divide has been fairly conservative over the years about messing with its signature Yeti Imperial Stout, adding only a few variations every couple of years or so; these have included Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti, Espresso Oak Aged Yeti, Oatmeal Yeti and the draft-only, lower-ABV Velvet Yeti Nitro. The surprisingly velvety and rich mouthfeel of the nitro pour rounds out the unmistakable roasty, caramel and toffee notes that you’ve come to enjoy in Yeti land.
