We’re back to Great Divide—it’s been a while, but all good things come back around. Thus far, we’ve run through Samurai Rice, Hoss, Oak Aged Yeti, Fresh Hop, Double Wit, 15th Anniversary DIPA, and Denver Pale Ale, making Hibernation our 8th Great Divide beer.Hibernation Ale has a dry sweet nose with some chocolate aromas; it is a crisp, clear mahogany—a very nice color to look at—with a
light tan head. Hibernation begins with a dry, biscuit malt front, accompanied by chocolate and cocoa-like hints before moving into some bitterness with some lager malt complexity in the middle. It ends dry with a complex chocolate flavor—both cocoa and unsweetened flavors emerge, most specifically without any sweetness or lactose components—and some hop bitterness. There is not much is the way of fruitiness or the dark fruit flavors we’ve seen in other Old Ales (like Third Coast Ale, although that is a barley wine), and very minimal sweetness. The body is medium and well carbonated; some light warmth emerges as the beer warms. Hibernation seems a bit different from the standard Old Ale; while the dry biscuit and chocolate flavors create an interesting malt profile, it does lack 
some of the dark fruit and sherry-like complexity found in other Old Ales. Nonetheless, an enjoyable and interesting beer; we’re wondering if this could be seen as a more Americanized version of an Old Ale (and yes, we know it won GABF in 1997, and got second in 2003 and 2006).From the the Great Divide website: “Hibernation Ale has been our celebrated winter tradition since 1995. This robust, dry-hopped ale has a malty richness balanced with a complex hop profile and a hearty warming character.”
ABV: 8.1%
(11/1/2009)
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