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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Bottled June 2007, Sampled April 2009
A solid pour into my 25cl tulip glass produces a three finger thick, slightly meringue like, off-white colored head that leaves some nice lacing on the sides of my glass. The beer is well carbonated with lots of bubbles rising up through the murky, orange-gold colored beer. When held up to the light the beer shows a white-gold color that is similar to a Wit because of the haziness. Fruity aromas of pear and green apple subtly perfume the aroma along with a spicy, almost pepper like character. The finish has some cracker-like grain notes to it that can be somewhat pronounced at times. There is perhaps a touch of herbal honey aromatics here as well. Not a bad aroma, I find that it is pretty nice too. Coming back to the aroma after drinking this for a bit, it can be quite aromatic; spicy, herbal and with a solid fruit backbone, it is really starting to grow on me a bit more than it did initially.

The first sip is lightly sweet tasting with a fruitiness that accentuates this. The beer finishes with a touch of a carbonic bite as well as some lingering, light, but biting bitter hop notes. There is a touch of metallic character here, some touches of white pepper, a definite ginger note and some lingering, turpene driven clove like flavors that lingers on the tongue. The fruit notes remind me most of pears, but there is also a touch of sweet green apple. The hop character is pretty subdued, but there is a touch of herbal hop character that goes along with the more apparent hop bitterness.

Quite a bit fruitier than Duvel, and it is also a fair bit sweeter too. It is quite a bit different than Duvel, but it similarly needs to be enjoyed with a dedicated full bottle and a bit of time as it starts to grown on you if you spend some contemplative time with the beer. But this is quite a bit better than the beers reputation had me thinking. This is definitely an enjoyable beer that is a bit too easy to drink given the beer’s strength.

Pretty standard belgian flavors, but lacks fullness, almost water for the abv. Not bad though.

Pure golden color. Wit aroma with hints of coriander. Very well carbonated bottle. Classic belgian flavors. A good beer but not my favorite

Pours a hazy and light amber beer with a white head. The aroma is malt, sweetness, fruit and apples. The flavor follows the nose with additional alcohol. The palate is sweetness with alcoholwarmth. Overall this is an average beer.

Pours yellow with a white head. Aroma is malt, fresh apple, fruit and light yeast. Flavour is malt, citrus, light apple, alcohol and light yeast.

Aroma is yeast and grain. Pours a golden yellow with a thin white head. Tastes yeasty with some malt and fruit. Not bad.

Bottled, 355ml from Burg Bieren, Ermelo, Netherlands. Cloudy gold with white head. Yeasty beer with a big dose of sweet pineapple flavour, very ripe. There is a mineral saltiness in the background, but the dominant flavour is the sweetish fruitiness. Lasting on the palate, heavyish, disguises the alcohol. Overall fairly decent.

Thin bright white head of fine bubbles which does not last long. Fruity aroma with some white grape, cheese, light malts and a hint of corn. Crystal clear medium gold. Soft malts and kind of bland flavor. All of the nice fruity aromas are absent. Mostly just some flat malts, corn and grains. A hint of lemon and some straw but rather bland. Finishes soft malts and herbal flavor. Bit disappointed in this one.

Pours a golden yellow with a thinning white head and aroma of yeast and fruit. Taste is sweet and yeasty, of spices, alcohol, and fruit with a bitter finish. Solid belgian ale but nothing more

Pours a hazy rusty gold color. Nose is yeasty and fruity, with some hay and grass. Taste is sweet and fruity, balanced. Finish is bitter and somewhat long. Hard to rate as a hop head and stout lover but drinkable nevertheless. Quaff score 6/ 10

Darn good beer. Spicey I wouldn’t call this a traditional belgian but tastes great, is refreshing, good aftertaste. Suprisingly crisp and balanced.