Great Devide

Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout is a bold, inky-black American Imperial Stout brewed in Denver, Colorado at 9.5% ABV. A multiple Great American Beer Festival medal winner with a BeerAdvocate score of 94, Yeti stands out in its class for an exceptionally aggressive hop profile that balances its massive dark malt backbone.

Quick Facts: ABV: 9.5%  |  Origin: Denver, Colorado  |  Style: American Imperial Stout  |  IBU: 75  |  Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Co.

Production & Heritage

Great Divide Brewing Co. was founded in 1994 in Denver, Colorado by Brian Dunn. Yeti Imperial Stout is built on a grain bill that includes chocolate malt, black malt, and roasted barley, producing its near-viscous, jet-black body and layered roast character. What truly separates Yeti from other imperial stouts is the enormous charge of American Chinook hops, driving the beer to 75 IBUs — an unusually high bitterness level for the style that creates a distinctly dry, resinous counterpoint to the rich malt sweetness.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Roasty and immediate, leading with dark-roast coffee and bittersweet chocolate. Underneath, earthy char and a faint hint of smoke emerge as the beer warms.

Taste: The entry is dominated by massive roasted malt — black coffee and dark chocolate hit first, then give way to a mid-palate of rich toffee, burnt caramel, and subtle dark fruit reminiscent of plum and cherry. The 75 IBUs assert themselves toward the back, bringing piney, slightly citrusy hop bitterness that cuts cleanly through the malt weight.

Finish: Long and drying, with bitter coffee and dark chocolate lingering well after each sip. A touch of burnt sugar and resinous pine hop character stays on the palate, leaving a wonderfully dry close despite the beer's full body.

How to Drink Yeti Imperial Stout

Yeti is best enjoyed at cellar temperature, around 50–55°F, in a snifter or tulip glass that concentrates its complex aromatics. Pouring too cold mutes the roast and toffee notes, so let it warm slightly if refrigerated. While primarily a sipping beer, Yeti works in a handful of creative applications: a Black Velvet float with vanilla ice cream leans into its dessert-like chocolate and coffee character; a Stout Flip with a whole egg, simple syrup, and nutmeg highlights its creamy texture; and it makes an outstanding base for a beer cocktail with cold brew coffee and chocolate bitters, doubling down on Yeti's natural flavor profile.

Best For

• Cold-weather evening sessions when a high-ABV sipper is called for
• Gifting a craft beer enthusiast who gravitates toward dark, intense styles
• Pairing alongside a rich dessert course at a dinner party
• Building a vertical tasting flight with Yeti's barrel-aged and flavored variants

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Yeti Imperial Stout taste like? Yeti delivers a massive wave of dark-roast coffee, bittersweet chocolate, and roasted malt up front, transitioning into toffee, burnt caramel, and dark fruit before a notably dry, piney, hop-bitter finish. The mouthfeel is creamy and medium-to-full bodied with moderate carbonation despite the 9.5% ABV.

How does Yeti compare to Stone Imperial Russian Stout? Both are heavyweight American imperial stouts, but Yeti pushes hop bitterness considerably higher at 75 IBUs, giving it a drier, more resinous finish. Stone Imperial Russian Stout tends to lean more heavily into anise and dark fruit, while Yeti emphasizes roast coffee, chocolate, and piney hop character.

Is Yeti Imperial Stout good for sipping neat? Absolutely — at 9.5% ABV with a creamy, silky texture and complex malt profile, Yeti is designed to be savored slowly in a snifter or tulip glass at cellar temperature rather than consumed quickly.

Where is Yeti Imperial Stout made? Yeti Imperial Stout is brewed by Great Divide Brewing Co. in Denver, Colorado, a craft brewery founded in 1994 that has become one of the most decorated in the state.

What foods pair well with Yeti Imperial Stout? Smoked brisket or barbecue ribs complement the beer's roasty, charred notes. Dark chocolate truffles or flourless chocolate cake mirror its bittersweet malt profile. Sharp aged cheddar provides a savory contrast to the toffee sweetness. Espresso-rubbed steak echoes the coffee and roast character. Bread pudding with caramel sauce ties into the burnt caramel and toffee mid-palate.

What sizes does Yeti Imperial Stout come in? Yeti Imperial Stout is commonly available in 12 oz cans sold in six-packs as well as 19.2 oz single-serve stovepipe cans, though availability of specific formats varies by market.

Is Yeti Imperial Stout worth the price? Yeti positions as a premium craft imperial stout, and with a 94 on BeerAdvocate plus multiple GABF medals, it delivers strong value within its weight class — particularly given the complexity and intensity it achieves at its price tier.

Why Yeti Imperial Stout?

Yeti's defining characteristic is its unusually aggressive hop charge for an imperial stout — 75 IBUs of Chinook hops create a dry, piney bitterness that prevents the massive roasted malt body from becoming cloying, a common pitfall in the style. That balance has earned it three Great American Beer Festival medals in the Imperial Stout category (Silver in 2005 and 2009, Bronze in 2008) and placement on BeerAdvocate's Top 100 Beers on Planet Earth list in 2010 at number 36. The 94-point BeerAdvocate rating reflects consistent critical recognition over nearly two decades of production. For drinkers who want an imperial stout with genuine backbone and hop complexity rather than sweetness, Yeti remains one of the benchmarks of American craft brewing.