Great Divide - Orabelle

I have tried almost all of the offerings from Great Divide and they make one of the best Imperial Stouts available that is named Yeti.  When I saw that there was a new offering named Orabelle (8.3% ABV) a Belgian-style Tripel, I wanted to try it.  One of my favorite Yeti varieties is Belgian Yeti, and I was thinking Great Divide is probably using the same yeast strain for Orabelle.  Orabelle is a seasonal offering that is available January – March.  Great Divide adds a two word descriptor on each bottle and the ones for Orabelle are Beautiful and Golden. 

Tripel - http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/58 – BeerAdvocate

Appearance – Just like the bottle descriptor, Orabelle pours a golden straw color that is a bit hazy and has a small two-finger head that quickly dissipates. 

Aroma – Belgian yeast, peach / apricot, a touch of lemon and biscuit.

Taste – Very similar to the smell with a subtle touch of warming booziness.

Overall – “A” – This is a very good offering from Great Divide and a very good Belgian-style Tripel.  It is only here for a short time, so pick some up and enjoy.

Orabelle description – “ORABELLE is brewed with barley, wheat, oats, and rye.  This Belgian-Style Tripel is a golden beauty.  Its two yeast strains, orange peel and dash of coriander impart surprising complexity and richness to this delicate ale. Don’t let Orabelle’s demure nature fool you; this is one flavorful pour.  Watch out, she’s a charmer – one sip and you’ll be in love.”  Great Divide Website

URL – http://greatdivide.com/beer/seasonal/orabelle/

Lugene - Chocolate Milk Stout

Odell is a great regional brewer based in Ft. Collins and I stopped by the tasting room with Tibor and Dennis in early November.  Odell recently released a new beer in their 4-pack series call Lugene (8.5% ABV and ? IBU) a milk stout or sweet stout. Lugene is only available January – March.  The other offerings in the 4-pack series are Double Pilsner, Myrcenary, and Mountain Standard.  I have enjoyed, really enjoyed the other offerings in the 4-pack series and I added Lugene to my list.

Milk / Sweet Stout - http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/82 – BeerAdvocate

Appearance – Lugene pours black with little to no head.

Aroma – Sweetness, chocolate, perhaps a touch of coffee and smoke.

Taste – One first tastes sweetness then chocolate and vanilla notes.  It has a finish with perhaps a touch of smoke and coffee but only a hint.  There is no bitterness with this beer.

Overall – A really nice milk stout and this would go great with deserts.  I think it would be fantastic with a fruit desert.

Lugene description – “If you’ve ever been to our brewery, you’ve likely seen the old, beat-up truck that hauls away our spent grain. That truck belongs to Lugene who’s been feeding his dairy cows the hearty malt for over a decade. Named in his honor, Lugene Chocolate Milk Stout is brewed with milk sugar and milk chocolate. The rich and creamy brew reminds us of a cold glass of chocolate milk and our hometown “Aggie” roots.”  Odell website

URL – http://odellbrewing.com/beer/lugene-chocolate-milk-stout/

Two from Dry Dock Brewing Co.

The Dry Dock Brewing Co. is located in Aurora, CO and the brewers have won a number of awards for their beers over the years including Small Brewery of the Year.  Dry Dock is expanding and they are starting to offer their beers in cans.  I recently picked up Hop Abomination (6.5% ABV and ? IBU) an IPA and Amber Ale (5.8% ABV and 49 IBU ) a British-style ESB that is also known as HMS Victory ESB.  There are other varieties available in cans and distribution of Dry Dock beers should increase as the larger brewery comes online.

American IPA - http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/116 - BeerAdvocate

Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB) - http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/66 - Beer Advocate

These beers are excellent to try because each is highlighting a different ingredient.  Hop Abomination focuses on bitterness from the hops used in the brewing process, while the Amber focuses on malts bread notes with more subdued bitterness.  I liked both beers and I favored the Amber over Hop Abomination.  I like hoppy beers and was somewhat surprised by my choice, as the Amber is not hoppy.  The Amber is just stunning with sweetness of honey and caramel with bread and biscuit.  I can see why it took a gold medal at the 2006 World Beer Cup.    

Dry Dock Brewing Co. – http://www.drydockbrewing.com/