Great Divide Hades

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

Bomber, poured into a tulip a clear yellow gold with white bubbles, some effervesence, poured into a trappist (Gouden Carolous) it looks the same with a touch of haze, faint malt, malt sweetness, yeast, pear and apple fruit with some floral fragrances, some malt, fruit and sweet flavors, faint spice and pepper, with some citrus bitterness on the tongue that gives a medium dry finish, bubbly and light on the palate, alcohol is hidden pretty well in this brew.

(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.

This beer poured out a very pale shade of yellow and developed a steady head that was smallish when compared to the standard bearer Duvel which supplied the Tulip glass. The smell was clean, sweet, and floral. The hop notes typical in the other Great Divide beers were completely absent. The was too cloyingly sweet for a beer of this style. I prefer my Belgian Pale Ales bone dry, and the yeast strain they chose seemed not up to par to do the job needed. Pepper, vanilla, and pear notes were present, but candi sugar dominated them all. Mouthfeel was medium, but lacked that necessary crisp snap. Not a good choice if one needs to start on Journey towards Belgian style beers.

Draft sample at brewery Tap Room, Denver, CO, 8/12/08. Pours clear, urine yellow. Nose is alcohol, slight wheat, mild funk. Taste is bread and apple, dry and mildly fruity, maybe slight alcohol flavor and heat. Relatively tasty.

Pale yellow with a heavy white head. Flowery and hoppy tones. Yeast, malt and hops. Medium body with a bitter finish.

Hops, yeast and citrus aroma with a light malty character. Golden yellow with a white foamy head. Malty light citrus, hay-like qualities with good balance of bitter and sweet. Even carbonation with a creamy mouth feel and dryish finish. Pretty good overall.

Pale gold pour with a loose, 2-finger, white head that fades to a thin ring. Spicy and peppery phenol aroma with notes of lemon bread, clove, yeast, candi sugar, and bubblegum. Citrus and biscuit hit your tongue first followed by some banana and clove esters and finishing with some peppery phenols. Dry, slightly sticky body with a crisp finish but a bit on the thin side. Pretty middle of the road Belgian golden but makes for a pretty nice summer beer to go with lighter grilled chicken. I had it with some Hawaiian chicken kabobs and it paired pretty nicely.

Bottle. Golden straw color with an oily thin head. Spiced, sweet belgian nose with some definite yeast and light hops. Some fruit in there also - apples, pear. Shallow flavor and a really short finish. Drinkable, but not that great.