Great Divide Hades

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

Tasted 9/1/07. 22oz bomber. Clear with a golden hue. Moldy white head. Citrus and bready aromas. The yeast adds a banana aroma. Medium bodied with a big yeast note and citrus effervescence. Bitter with a moderate burn. Honeyish. Sweet and bitter dichotomy. Spicy and peppery. Gets better as it warms, but only to a degree. It still needs a slight chill. Borderline.

#666 22oz bottle bought just for this rating. Served in a Duvel glass @ 53.5°. This is sure the Duvel yeast, smells just like WY1388. Aroma is light pear/apple, light pepper, mild banana, candi sugar, earthy hops, and almost a hint of ginger? Brilliant golden color with a two fingered, billowy white head and vigorous carbonation. Great clarity. Initial taste is sweet malt, white pepper, pears, mild banana, and honey followed by lemon, yeast, more white pepper, some alcohol, and some mild to moderately bitter, earthy (more dusty than muddy), lightly floral hops. This is a well made Belgian Strong Golden Ale, easy to drink with a subtle complexity which I find to be the hallmark of the style. It reminds me greatly of my own BSGA.

Slightly hazy deep gold with small head. Aroma of a little belgian yeast and green apple. A little fusel alcohol in the nose as well. Similar taste of belgian yeast and light biscuit malt. A little bit of bitter hops in the finish. You can taste the alcohol, but it is not overwhelming.

Complete piss yellow with a little white head & nearly no lacings. Aroma is of straw, yeast & wheat. Medium bodied. Light alcohol sharp taste. Defenetly crisp - no doubt. But perhaps a rather boring Belgium ale. Not complex in any way. However the taste is powerfull enough & this is still very well made & enjoyable. Grainy, hoppy, alcohol, malty (wheat) & sligth spicy (coriander mainly)

hazy, bright straw gold color with a film head. aroma of hops, marshmallow, and grains, but just sort of wet and unexciting. flavors bitter hops, grass, grains, creamed corn, and alcohol. sharply carbonated. light bodied. palate is lacking.

Pours a clear gold with a slightly small and dissipating head. Aroma is of cloves, wheat, honey, and maybe some pineapple and pepper. Kinda like a tripel meets witbeer. Slightly grainy tasting at first with some honey, grass/hay, pepper, with a bit of clothes and a slight rotten fruit component (it’s not bad in this beer, but that’s what comes to mind). Finishes lightly bitter, and kinda chalky feeling. Bittersweet flavor lingers. Feels fairly thin and slick, while the carbonation is moderate. Why Great Divide would filter a Belgian ale moreso than their other beers doesn’t make sense to me....I see how this would be great with food, but on its own, there’s just not enough going on to keep me really interested.

Draft at Friscos Grille in Columbia MD. Pours a hazy pale golden with a white head. Aroma of belgian yeast and spices. Medium light bodied with a dry and fizzy texture Flavor of belgian pale malts and yeast, that transition to very strong clove notes mid palate. Finishes dry and peppery. Decent, but not a standout. Too much clove phenols on the finish for me.

Decent belgian golden ale with some nice wheat, bread and slight spice to it. On draft at the brickstore. Big white head clear golden yellow color. Medium bodied and quick to finish. There is something off about this one though, maybe the alcohol or bitter bite. I would look for this to be a little smoother and more mellow.