Great Divide Brewing of Denver, Colorado announced yesterday that they’re making two of their big beer series ales available in 12 oz. bottles in a four-pack package. Initially, these beers were only available on draft and in 22 oz. bottles. But the big beers have proven so popular and demand for the beers in 12 oz. bottles so great that the brewery responded. The Hercules Double IPA is fine imperial IPA but the Yeti Imperial Stout literally blew me away the first time I tried it. I was so impressed by it that I shot off an e-mail to owner Brian Dunn to congratulate him as soon as I got home from the tasting.

From the press release:

“Hercules Double IPA, Yeti Imperial Stout, Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout and Old Ruffian Barley Wine have become a very large part of our family of beers, and we’ve had a lot of fun brewing and selling them. We chose Hercules and Yeti to put in 4-packs, so these two behemoths could raise a little hell together on the cooler shelf” said Dunn.

Hercules Double IPA is a brash but creamy wonder, delivering a huge amount of piney, floral, and citrusy hop flavor and aroma from start to finish. A hefty backbone of nutty, toffee-like malt character balances Hercules’ aggressive, punchy hop profile. Hercules is 9.1% Alcohol by Volume (ABV), and 85 International Bittering Units (IBUs).

Yeti Imperial Stout, Silver Medal winner at the 2005 Great American Beer Festival, is an onslaught of the senses. An almost viscous, inky black brew, Yeti opens with a massive, roasty, chocolate, coffee malt flavor that eventually gives way to rich toffee and burnt caramel notes. Packed with an enormous quantity of American hops, Yeti’s hop profile reveals a wonderfully dry, hoppy finish. Yeti weighs in at 9.5% ABV and 75 IBUs.

Four-packs of the Yeti Imperial Stout and Hercules Double IPA will be released May 1.