Great Divide Hades

Bottle. Deceivingly blonde beer, but the fruity aroma gives it away. Very nice Belgian blonde pastiche beer, I’d be happy to swap my Duvel for this.

On tap at the brewery. Nice banana aroma. Yellow color. Easy to drink. Probably better because it’s very fresh.

Bottle. Unappetizing yellow body with a thin ring of white head. Smells like corn on the nose, sweet with a little grainy malt, slight yeast aromas. Slightly sweet with some yeasty notes in the flavor a slight bitterness comes through at the end. Finishes a semi-dry, thin but with decently soft carbonation. Blah.

From a twelve ounce bottle . Gold with 1/2 " of white head and good lacings. Aroma was strong cider-like scent. Sour, bitter, slight amount of malt, and plenty of alcohol. I detected no spice notes or anything complex or interesting at all. I had a hard time drinking the entire bottle.

Bottled. Average, rapidly dimishing white head, with some lace. Poured clear yellow. Nose was lemon and a little horse blanket, vanilla, and coriander. Medium palate, with lively carbonation and a pleasingly dry, almost funky finish. I liked it, though I thought it was more saison-like than the describption’s "Belgian ale," which is strikes me as overly generic given the wealth of Belgian ale styles. Kind of like calling something a "German beer."

12oz bottle from Kingdom Liquors (Tampa, FL). Pours a clear bright yellow color with a small foamy white head that settles quickly. Some lacing of the glass. Aroma is wet sweet malt, honey, some hints of flowers, spice and yeast. Flavor is somewhat disappointing. Mostly notes of wet hay, sur malt, and some faint nuts, caramel and honey overtones as well. Generally light to medium body with a quick, slightly bitter finish. Disappointing for a belgian style.

Bottle. Pours a crystal clear golden with a small white head that leaves good lacing. Aroma is alcoholic with spicy yeast and citrus. Tastes is much the same. Medium thin mouthfeel with a mild amount of bitterness and warm slightly hot alcohol. Nothing special.

Bottle. Pours an average yellow with a decent head and a lively body. Aroma is very pungent alcohol, with notes of Isopryl coming through like a Mack truck on a menthol high. Also has notes of yeast, sweet grapefruit, and a touch of dough. Flavor is off-floral, with bits of grassy hops and lawn clippings. Bitter finish that leaves a thin film. Not bad, but Great Divide has made much better.