January 2011

Last year saw a great influx of products from some of the most revered microbreweries in the States as they finally reached the shelves of Scottish shops. For the most part, these beers are in the modern American style; strong, heavily hopped I.P.As. These are beers that burst with life and freshness, managing to be exceptionally flavoursome without sacrificing an iota of gluggability.

Much as I enjoy them, they are (whisper it!) a little bit samey and can be prohibitively expensive. They are also not quite up to the job of warming my cockles, after a long walk home through the Edinburgh permafrost.

But America is a big country and there are brewers there who can pretty much turn their hand to any style of beer you could name.

The Great Divide Brewery of Denver, Colorado has got itself a bit of a reputation and more than a handful of awards for its stouts. They produce a selection of high-end, barrel -aged, limited editions, but their simple, entry level Yeti Imperial Stout is among the finest in the world. It has a typical American strength (9.5% a.b.v.) and a few more hops than your usual stout, but there is little else to suggest its providence.

It is an absurdly viscous, black-as-sin beer topped with a rather fluffy half inch head; the foam is an attractive magnolia flecked with hints of purple. The nose is exceptionally expressive, with suggestions of roast coffee, buttered toast, shoe polish, rye bread and liquorice. It is a very full-bodied stout that delivers a huge quantity of dried spicy fruit, given zip with tangy notes of ginger snaps and tart, citrus acidity. It lingers very pleasantly on the tongue, the alcohol making its presence felt in a wave of warming cuddles.

It has a lovely, vinous texture and really slips down a treat despite its strength.

Right now, as our weather takes a decidedly Himalayan turn it's hard to think of a better beer to keep Jack Frost at bay.