Great Divide Hades

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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I’ve never meet a Belgian woman, at least not that I’m aware of, but if there are anywhere near as superior to other women as Belgian ales are to regular ales, my ticket for Brussels is already booked, or would be, if I didn’t spend all my money on new beers. Like this one! Anyways, the taste is definitely the standout feature of this one. Deliciously drinkable while still strong, it fuses the typical Belgian dulcitude with some fruitalicious yeast: citrus, and perhaps grape.

There is only a small head on this and it’s about as clear as beer gets. The nose is spicy clove and a bit of banana w/ a sort of grassy character in the background. This is a medium bodied beer and maybe slightly lacking in carbonation for the style. I’d say the texture of this would be more appropriate for an IPA or something but it works well enough here. There is a very mild tartness to this which brings out some sweet orange citrus in the flavor. This is a pretty typical American take on a Belgian style in that it is a bit more reserved in its yeast character and carbonation that you’d expect from one that was brewed in Belgium.

Bottle. Cleat yellow/golden with small white head. Flavour is malt, sweet, yeast, spices and hops.

Poured a clear yellow with minimal head. Aroma was faint, of Belgian yeast and a bit of sweetness; faint malt element was present, almost like corn. Taste was slightly yeasty, with an indistinguishable sweetness; not very pleasant. Body was thin with medium carbonation; not crisp as advertised and with a bad aftertaste, almost soapy (soap was not used on glass). Reminded me of an American Pale Lager; a friend I shared my bottle with felt the same way. I ended up happy that I split the 12 oz.

Bottle from South Bay Drugs: Created a fizzy layer of bubbly head that looked like the reaction between dish soap and water while the liquid was a golden blonde color with trails of sediment. As for the aroma, there is a delicate dash of spices greeting the nose from genuine Belgian yeast that smells similar to a farmhouse saison. The flavor is soapy and has a funky taste of yeast that doesn’t taste as authentic as my nose led me to believe, but the flavor in general falls shorts and isn’t to my liking.

Tap @ Great Divide brewery, Denver, Co. Pours hazy light yellow, no head. Nose of caramel, yeast, malts, stray. Taste is belgian yeast, honey, stray, grassy floral hops, caramel.Medium body, lively carbonationed. Little to sweet, but refreshing and easy drinking. 041210

12 oz Bottle. Pours a clear golden color with a short white head. Aroma is strong Belgian yeast, fruit notes, candy, and spicy/peppery notes. Taste is sweet malts, bread dough, peppery spice, Belgian yeast, dried fruit and candy fruit along with some grassy hops and honey as well. Body is light-medium with plenty of carbonation. Nice brew and a nice departure from the slew of porters and stouts I have been drinking lately.

Bottle. Clear yellow body with a small white head. Aroma is sweet honey, yeast, caramel. Flavor is honey, caramel, malt, spices, yeast. Well carbonated.

10/7/10 notes: on tap. Pours light amber with an average head. Aroma is bready, a bit spicy, with dried apple and pear. Flavor never really hits any notes on the head, there are Belgian yeast esters, breadiness, some biscuity malts. Soft. Interesting, I suppose, but in the end not particularly satisfying. Not one of Great Divides best.

Rating #435, bottle from Lagersalget

A pale beer with no head. Yeast, flowers and a bit smoke in the aroma. Flavors are flowers, hops, sweetness and a certain sourness to balance the sweetness. Finish is more bitter than I expected, but not overwhelming in any way. Medium palate.