Props to The Beer Store: A Hibernation Story (Great Divide's Hibernation Ale)

A few weeks ago I saw a review on YouTube of a beer called Hibernation Ale, a Christmas brew from the Great Divide Brewing Company (Denver, CO). I was so intrigued that I decided to call The Beer Store (Locust Ave, Washington, PA) and see if they had it. I was told to call back in ten minutes, and upon speaking with the manager I learned that they didn't have it, but his beer rep could track it down.

After failing to receive a call back from the manager to say "Hey, it's in," I decided to call again after a few days (I was told that the beer would be in by Wednesday, two days from the day I agreed to the special order). The manager informed me that it would be in the following day. At that point, I decided on waiting until the following week to pick it up because I had already spent enough on beer the current week (Hibernation Ale was going to cost me around 41 dollars).

So, just this past Monday, I drove to The Beer Store in Washington, PA to pick up my special-order case of Hibernation Ale. "Sorry, we still don't have it." I was then told to expect a call the same day for more details, and that hopefully he would get it in on Wednesday (kind of like a repeat of the previous week).

I answered my phone on Wednesday, when a number I didn't recognize showed up for the second time in two days. It was the manager from The Beer Store: "Hey, man, I couldn't get the beer you wanted, but I tracked down a place that has it. They won't sell it to me, but you can pick it up yourself."

To my surprise, the distributor that had one case left of Hibernation Ale was just 6-7 minutes away and called Route 19 Beer & Cigar (McMurray, PA). Speaking with whom I would guess was the manager, I learned that he received the brew on accident, and to top it off, it was a vintage case, originally intended to be sold back in December of 2007! Mind you, this beer has a high ABV rate (8.1%), so "hibernating" for 2 years actually improves the beer. It doesn't render the beer undrinkable like a typical light beer. I left the store happy, even paying a little less than 41 bucks (Props to Route 19 Beer & Cigar for having this rare find, and props to The Beer Store in Washington, PA, for following through and respecting the culture of folks that appreciate beer, even though the task didn't directly improve their bottom line).


Not my pic, oh well :(


I shared the brew with a friend that night. We both were instantly impressed. The following is a summary of my thoughts on Hibernation Ale, which was poured into a pint glass:

Hibernation Ale is dark, dark beer. At 8.1% ABV, you have to watch out! Honestly, I drank 5 of these over the course of 6 hours, and I felt like crap the next morning. But, that's my fault, not the beer's. Respect beer, and respect yourself. I'd say 2-3 of these in one night and you'll be happy you stopped the following day.

A lot of dark coffee flavors show themselves in this brew, from the smell to the taste. Dark chocolate is very pronounced as well. I'd say that there is more of a dryness to this brew than a extremely showy bitterness. If you've read my previous post on Christmas brews, DO NOT practice my sure-shot method of tasting for alcohol. You'll regret it. But, a regular search for flavors and alcohol in this beer should suffice, albeit the alcohol taste isn't too overwhelming.

This beer almost smells of a sour, fancy coffee. There is a very odd malt character that hits my sense of smell, but I like it. From what I've read, this beer tends to be characterized as an English Strong Ale, or an Old Ale. It's won several awards, and from my own judgment, I'd say this beer deserves that kind of attention. If you find it, try it, but bare in mind it is only available from November to the middle of December, every year. Good luck, and cheers!