Great Divide Hades

Brewed by Great Divide Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Ale
Denver, Colorado USA

12oz bottle from grape & gourmet. pours a very clear, very light, gold with a thin, white head and solid lacing. aroma is very nice but mild with notes of belgian spice, wheat, dry grass, banana, green apple, and a touch of soapy, floral hops. flavor is quite good with bright, fruit notes of banana, apple, pear skins, and a touch of lemon citrus, sweet yeasty notes, a touch of nutty malts, and a mild, spicy cloves on the back end with a dry, slightly sweet finish. palate is light bodied, crisp, and well carbonated. overall, a nice belgian ale.

Bottle from BeerRun in Charlottesville, VA. Pours a lovely gold with thin but lasting head. Loads of Belgian "funk" on the nose but once it’s been in the glass a while some grass, citrus and stonefruit aromas come through giving it an almost acid scent. Very yeasty flavor with some cinnamon and bananas but not all that much depth. Moderate mouthfeel with a slightly acidic finish. Not my favorite "Belgian-Style" but still enjoyable.

(bottle) Pours gold with a thin white head that leaves moderate lacing and eventually dissipates to nothing. Floral aroma of rose hips, pepper, orange, but there is an underlying scent here that’s a bit off. When cold, the scent is similar to Imp Jester, and I now believe that off scent is some ketchup. Further warming improves the smell, yielding a scent of banana and clove, but the alcohol moves in and clashes with these otherwise pleasant scents. Taste has some sweet banana, spicy pepper, a hint of coriander, and some dry, bready yeast in the finish that’s coupled with a subtle bitterness. Mouthfeel is medium.

Pours a clear golden color with about 1.5 fingers of foam, and a little bit of lacing. The aroma matches the taste which is of sweet wheat, citrus, and alcohol notes. There is a slightly bitter aftertaste due to the hops. Clean and crisp mouthfeel, with a clean finish. Good beer.

Thinning white head, unimpressive yellow color. Earthy alcoholic smell, light nuttiness. Nuttiness remains in flavor along with notes of bitter hops that stays through finish.

12 oz bottle from Siciliano’s (Grand Rapids, MI). Pours a bit of a hazy straw yellow, light and well carbonated with decent bright white bubbly head that quickly dies down to a thicker film, laces a bit. Aromas are apparent pretty quickly with pear, banana, and Belgian yeasty spice. Faint vanilla and soap on top, a bit sweet. Initial is light bodied, fruity and sweeter than expected with pear, apple, banana, a touch of bubblegum candy appeal, less spice than anticipated but it does appear further in and towards the back. The flavors are sufficient, fairly fruity and almost a little forced. Smooth creamy finish with light yeasty spice, largely a rounded out sweeter and lighter bodied Belgian Ale. Different, not really my thing though. I appreciate a Belgian going lighter on the spice, but this beer is a bit confused, fairly fruity but lacking a good back up flavor, lacking a bitterness to balance, and lacking complexity. Ok, overall.

Great divide taproom...golden yellow orange pour with a soapy white head... aroma of pear and crystal malt, light banana.... Crisp light fruit and banana with a dry finish.

12oz bottle into a pint glass. Pours clear yellow with a huge but loose white head. Aroma is musty champagne with a dash of sweet fruit esters. The flavor is sweet fruit esters all the way with a fresh grain finish and a touch of metal. Medium-high body and medium carbonation.