Great Divide Rumble
From Dogfish Head’s Burton Baton to Stone’s Oaked Arrogant Bastard and Great Divide’s own 16th Anniversary Wood Aged, oak aged IPAs are well represented on this site. The combination of piny hops, wood and vanilla (more so from French oak) all seem to play well with one another. Great Divide’s Rumble isn’t quite on par with those mentioned above, but man, is it a tasty brew.
Brewed with Pacific Northwest hops and a combination of American and French oak, Rumble has set up shop in my fridge for the past couple of months — the wife, who generally doesn’t go for anything wood aged, really loves this beer. At 7.1% ABV, it’s a relatively easy drinking IPA that has just a hint of the wood and it’s vanilla traits.
Appearance
Rumble pours a deep amber in color with an off-white cap that dropped slowly to decent lacing.
Aroma
Earthy, piny hops and a hint of grapefruit dominate the aroma, as a healthy dose of wood joins in.
Taste
Toasted, caramel malt quickly gives way to a strong hop presence complete with pine resin, grapefruit and a decent level of bitterness. The oak aging imparts a moderate level of wood and vanilla on the flavor profile as it heads into a slightly dry and lingering finish. The alcohol is masked well.
Overall
Rumble has a nice blend of all the flavors that the hops and wood aging bring to the table. It’s deceptively smooth drinking and even as the weather has turned cool, it is a great brew for sitting on the deck with a brew after a long day’s work.
Rating: 4/5