Grand Teton Brewing Company's Lost Continent Double IPA

I've liked everything I've had from this brewery, so I hope this hasn't been sitting in the cellar too long. From what I remember, I got it in Nebraska about a year ago.

Pours a cloudy deep amber with a pillowy light tan head that thins fairly quickly to a sheet. Big grassy hops smell, with a sweet malt and a slight hint of alcohol. 8% ABV is bigger than most, but not too big for a DIPA.

Whoa. It has such a big scotch hit to it that I had to look this beer up and see if it wasn't barrel aged. It wasn't, as best as I can tell. And the description from the brewery throws in just about every fruit they can think of as taste descriptors, and I just don't get it. I can taste the grapefruit in the mid-aftertaste, but the biggest thing about this beer is the oak taste, followed by the solidly bitter hops.

Good beer. Wish I'd had a warning about the scotch, but it's pretty good nonetheless.

Great Divide Brewing Company's 16th Anniversary Wood Aged Double IPA

This is one of the first breweries that I remember being different. And although I traditionally don't like wood aged beers because they're overdone with scotch, I'll try everything Great Divide makes.

Pours slow, with a ton of body. That's a good sign. Deep amber with a huge tan head and a great smell. Slight vanilla that comes from the oak, but mostly floral hops and a slightly sweet malt.

Tastes about the same. Solid body and a great bitterness that isn't affected by the oak, which isn't too scotchy like some brewers try to make it. Good stuff, and another reason this brewery has set itself apart from the start for me.