Great Divide Hades

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

Draft at the brewery tap room in Denver. Poured a clear, very pale light golden color. Head was two fingers high, fluffy, and white. The aroma was subdued overall consisting of light banana and some clove. There was also a hint of something strange that I can only describe as air-freshener-esque. Dry and bubbly on the tongue with cereal grain and clove accented by a citrus note.

Bottle... Poured clear orange with a white head. Aroma seemed a little off, like sulfur water and hard candy. Smooth palate with some zesty citrus notes, cloves and mild bitter hops. A little alcohol was noticeable in the finish. I thought this was under par for a Belgian Ale.

Funny. All the beers I drink that use Hell, Demons and the Netherworld as a thematic motif tend to be brutally dark beers. Hades Ale? Not so much. It’s colored like white grape juice, with a diminutive head that’s quick to retreat. Same with the aroma - white grape juice, apple juice, soapy cleanliness, wheat, and a little grapefruit. From here the flavor gets a little more intensely bitter and a little more sweet, with an additional touch of kettle corn, caramel, a squeeze of mango, and a good, healthy dose of alcohol. The flavors are on the weaker side, but still a nice medley - like a low grade Duvel.

22oz bottled the first week of June, 2007, per the notches. Clear pale golden--not quite to the point of straw though--and a minimal white head. A small fizzy head does rouse, though not for long. Belgian yeast, light pepper, hints of orange and fainter orange rinds, and light bready malts. There is also a light soapy smell. Where the aroma only hinted at some bitterness, it shows up front in the flavor somewhat strong, if only for a moment, and then turns to some herbal notes and spicy pepper and alcohol. Some Belgian yeast and citrus is still evident. Dry finish. Low carbonation with a thin medium body. Of their two new beers (I’m not sure if they’ve released any more), I’m unimpressed so far. It is nice to see them taking a stab at a different style, though.

Bottle. High and fluffy white lasting head. Clear yellow body. Fruity barley malt aroma. Not especially complex but good. Pleasant smooth and well rounded fruity barley malt flavor without much bitterness, actually it is pretty sweet. Low carbonation. Short sweet and fruity aftertaste. Alcohol, though, is well hidden.

Bottle. Golden, white head. Yeasty, sweet aroma with a little citrus. Sweet flavour with traces of yeast and a nice freshness. Slighly bitter and with a little alcohol going out. Passable, but it didn’t do much for me.

Bready belgian aroma. Body is a bit thin and not very complex. Some spicy yeast, some wheatiness.

Draft at Beveridge Place Pub. Pours crystal golden with a few rising streams of bubbles and a thinnish, semi-fizzy white head that leaves minimal lace. Huge green apple nose; seems like it might even be a room-filler. Might also be bolstered, unfortunately, with a white sugar addition that’s a bit on the unsubtle side. Medium bodied, softly fizzy attack. Seems very restrained, even the mid-palate has relatively little flavor. Soft, lightly sweet finish.