Hades Ale - Great Divide Brewing Company

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours very pale blonde, light haze, a little under a finger of white head, little lace as well. Smell is quite malty and biscuity initially, belgian yeast and banana follows, spicy and fruity, mostly apple, quite nice and better as this neared the end. Taste is spicy with clove and banana, yeasty and doughy flavours and a little bit of alcohol, fruity, some earthy hop flavours and a dry bitterness overtop of a light sweetness. Medium carbonation, medium bodied fairly nice feel. Solid belgian pale but nothing about it really stands out, still a drinkable brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 12:01:08 | More by peensteen

intensify

Colorado

3.93/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Yellow, golden colored body. Small soapy head which didn't stick around for very long. I expected this to be bigger on the appearance presentation.

S- Citrus fruit, orange peel, lemon zest, hops, honey and a piney lingering aroma.

T- Nice presence of fresh oranges, apricots and some zest to give it a nice balance. Not hoppy or bitter like your average Pale Ale. This one is definately on the sweeter side.Candy like taste.

M- Medium odied, semi-dry finish.

Unique taste to compared to others of this style. Stands out from the rest and is worthy of taking up a side shelf in my fridge.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 05:24:41 | More by intensify

KajII

North Carolina

3.23/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

[Suggested Glassware: Trappist Glass]

The pour was a clear medium yellow with a small (less than 1 finger) white creamy head that diminished down to a thin film with a small collar and had some excellent sheets of streaky lacing.

The aroma was of a grain malt and a soapy Belgian yeast with notes of banana, citrus (lemon), pears, apple, a bit of clove and a mild alcohol presence.

The taste was mildly sweet and lightly acidic with notes of banana, apple and maybe pear early on, becoming very yeasty with a good note of citrus and a slight spicy/sour alcohol ending. The flavor lasted for a decent while following the swallow, with a slight sourness left behind to linger taste buds.

Mouthfeel was light in body with a dry and slightly watery texture and a medium carbonation.

Overall a bold, tasty brew with a decent alcohol infused citrus/fruity taste. That blended along with a yeasty sourness, makes this a nice refreshing quite drinkable Belgian Ale...

http://www.facebook.com/KAJIIsBeerReviews

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 16:25:37 | More by KajII

Cylinsier

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz.

Pours a light clear lemon gold, two inches of sudsy white head dissipates slowly.

Smells of grassy malts, tart citrus, lemongrass, coriander, and champagne.

Tastes like slightly bitter grassy malt mixed with tart lemon citrus and semi-sweet white grape juice.

Medium body with a very light sting of carbonation over the tongue.

Great, light-feeling fruity saison-like brew. Has some unique elements to it and hides its strength. Memorable and worthwhile, would definitely have again.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 00:51:51 | More by Cylinsier

tdm168

North Carolina

3.55/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - bright yellow with a loose layer of white, bubbly head that fades quickly

S - yeasty, lightly fruity

T - lightly malty, fruity, a bit sweet, yeasty

M - medium bodied, smooth, well carbonated

This is a decent Belgian ale. Unfortunately, it's a bit one-dimensional and boring. Highly drinkable and smooth, it's worth a try. For me though I'll pass in the future.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 23:44:21 | More by tdm168

RickS95

Indiana

3.28/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 1.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Looks nothing like a Belgian, more like an overproduced American macro. Very light, straw golden color. Extremely clear. I'll give it an extra half point for the nice, bright white head. Fair retention, but no lace. Very disappointed in the look.

Good enough smell, with the standard Belgian spices, as well as the Belgian yeast and a good supply of malt. Slightly floral scent.

Lots of pepper spice. The malt comes through. Hoppy finish.

Somewhat complex in that you get a few different feels, mostly bitter and spicy. Mid sip produces a buttery feel. Medium bodied. A little heat from the alcohol.

Ended up much better than the appearance. Fairly drinkable, but not something I'd want to have again.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 02:05:32 | More by RickS95

JohnnyMc

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This pours out a really nice, bright and golden yellow with 2 1/2 fingers of fluffy white head.

The aroma is mainly coriander, citrus notes and Belgian yeast.

The taste has a lot of the coriander, citrus, lemon and Belgian yeast notes along with some nice spicy notes and fruits like apple and pear. Really easy to drink and very refreshing.

This is a good example of this style.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 20:28:55 | More by JohnnyMc

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.55/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served from tap into a Trappe Door tulip. Poured a nice golden color with a three finger pure white head that subsided to one finger very slowly. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, spices, fruit, subtle banana, and floral notes. The flavor was of sweet malt, spices, wheat, fruit, and banana. It had a light feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a pretty decent brew. Surprisingly this one was rather fruit forward upon investigation. While this is definitely good for drinkability it does wear on you after awhile as there was no real balance in it to counter-act this. I would have loved to see just a hint of citrus or bitterness going on to make this one a little more balanced. The alcohol is nowhere to be found though if that is more your thing. Worth trying if see it sitting around on the shelves.

Serving type: on-tap

07-06-2012 14:30:30 | More by thagr81us

BucannonXC5

California

3.75/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass at The Lincoln Room in San Diego on June 9, 2012. Had about a finger of head. Color was basically golden. Light gray lacing with good retention on the sides.

Smelled cloves, banana and Circus Peanuts, the usual for me and the majority of Belgian ales. Also got apple, pear, light lemon notes and some spices which I couldn’t recognize.

Tasted pretty similar to the nose. Got cloves, banana, Smelled cloves, banana, apple and pear. Nothing too crazy.

Light-to-medium body. Thin texture. Above average carbonation. Abrupt finish.

Ehh, nothing to great about this beer which is a bit disappointing considering Great Divide and what they put out there.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 06:39:05 | More by BucannonXC5

Philousa

California

3.03/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Imbibed on tap at Haven Gastropub on 6/9/12. Reviewed from notes.

Poured super clear with frothy, thin head. Golden like sunlight. Very floral Belgian yeast exhibits earthy spices. Not much citrus, but it's there if you look for it. Kinda buttery. Taste starts with light Belgian pale malt, then some cloves, allspice, and bitter Belgian malt. A little bit of nutty flourish with fresh berry. Fruit is faint, but there. Not much hops, but fresh grass comes to mind. Bitter cloves linger. Balanced mouthfeel with a dry aftertaste.

Solid American influenced Belgian. Not overly complex, but there's enough in there to keep it interesting.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2012 04:05:17 | More by Philousa

BlackBearForge

Florida

3.95/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bright, clear, light golden yellow with a small brilliant white head. Moderate oily lacing.

The aroma has a nice banana scent along with a rich bready malt.

The taste follows suit with the aroma, clear bready malts, what tastes like Euro pilsner hops and a nice subdued banana ester along with a mild spiciness.

Mouthfeel develops with warming and is full and very very smooth.

Very nice Belgian light pale ale, not terribly complex but very tasty and highly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 20:36:45 | More by BlackBearForge

Etan

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz into a tall tulip.

A: Pours a beautiful light gold with a decent white head. Small amount of lacing.

S: Sugary pale malt, stone fruit esters, banana, bubblegum, coarse grain, dry yeast.

T: Rich sweet pale malt, sugary white cake, mildly fruity estes (grapes, nectarine, banana), subtle pepper, soft yeast, hint of alcohol.

M: Light-bodied with some tingly carbonation.

O: Pretty good BSPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 22:00:40 | More by Etan

MeanMotaScootah

California

4.38/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I really enjoyed this beer. It has a perfect blend of Belgium yeast with bittering hops. It pours super clear golden color (a bit surprising for a Belgium.) Smell - crisp/bright/citrusy Belgium yeast. Taste is well balanced of pale ale meets Belgium ale. If you like pale ale you'll dig this. It's a good break from straight forward pales ales. If you like Belgium ales you'll dig this too. It's not too sweet and not overly bitter. Alcohol is very well masked, you can barely tell it's a 7+ abv. I love Great Divide beers - haven't had a bad one yet! Nice work GD!

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 16:47:05 | More by MeanMotaScootah

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Single bottle from Knightly Spirits in Orlando.

Poured into a goblet. Brilliant golden colour. Clear. Nice foamy head, good retention, some lacing.

Nose is quite pleasant and wild. Grain, apple, pear, spice, medicinal hops, floral notes, a bit of booze and funky Belgian yeast.

Tasty brew, similar notes as in the nose. Nice apple banana flavor, and the funkiness reminds me of many a Belgian ale. Grain to the finish along with some floral notes. Moderate to light body, carbonation is somewhat high. A bit oily.

A nice Belgian ale, light and flavorful. Would love this on draught.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 03:30:31 | More by JohnnyBarman

jtierney89

New Jersey

4.65/5  rDev +25%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours an incredibly crystal clear straw color with a bubbly bright white head. Faint earthy and barnyard aromas, some grassy notes a touch of pepper and clove.

Incredibly clean and crisp, medium bodied concise and extremely well blended flavors. Phenolic balance throughout in contrast to the sweeter Apple and pear undertones. Sweet fruity yeast floral flavors and earthy hops. Incredibly clean balanced and flavorful. Drinkability is dangerously high. Simply an amazing beer. Incredible subtlety. Would get straight 5's if it was a touch less medicinal. But an extremely incredible beer. This thing needs to be available in NJ more often.

All the flavors you want from a big strong Belgian pale ale with the drinkability of a smaller Belgian pale ale. Amazing.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 03:47:00 | More by jtierney89

CloudStrife

New York

3.58/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a chalice. Bottled on Jan 20, 2012.

A: Pours a clear light straw yellow with a 1 finger white had. Almost no visible carbonation and the head becomes a film within a minute.

S: A nice fruity yeast aroma. Some banana, hops and bread notes too. Slight alcohol on the nose. Good belgian smell.

T: Banana yeast flavor with hints of hops. Little bready on the aftertaste. Alcohol is very well hidden.

M: Light on the palette. Don't feel the booze till their in your stomach. Low carbonation, no real stickiness.

Overall not a super impressive beer. Good belgian qualities but there are better on the market. Very drinkable though. Great yeast strain.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2012 21:37:37 | More by CloudStrife

Murrhey

Montana

3.5/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured on-tap at Taco Asylum in Costa Mesa, CA. Reviewed from notes.

A- Thin white head. Clear amber color. No real lacing.

S- Golden malts and some light hops.

T- Very smooth flavor. Muted and yet flavorful. Hoppy and some wine notes.

M- Light bodied but too heavy on the carbonation.

O- Ok beer. Middling.

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2012 02:44:32 | More by Murrhey

ummswimmin

New Jersey

4.23/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I picked up this bottle in Florida. We get distribution of Great Divide in New Jersey, but I never saw this beer on the shelf at my normal stores. Although I took most of the last month off from beer shopping.

In my tulip I get hazy yellow coloring with a very light head (that dissipated immediately). Hades has a very nice Belgian sour smell. You can really breathe in this beer.

I like the taste of Hades. It was a pretty clean flavor, and the balance is spot on. I get some straw flavor and a little bitter effect. The after-taste was also pretty clean. I like how it eased off the tongue.

I would like to enjoy more bottles of this in the summer. Hades was a light feeling beer, which does a good job of hiding 7.8% ABV. I am going to look around for this in New Jersey to store for the summer.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 21:38:43 | More by ummswimmin

prototypic

Ohio

3.73/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Hades Ale pours a lighter straw color. It’s a little hazy and has more of a gold look when held to light. It’s topped with a very modest white head that rises just above the surface. It falls quickly and leaves a very light, spotty lacing behind. Not bad.

The nose is above average. It’s a little weak in the aromatics department. Needs more strength. Belgian yeast is noted initially. Not a bad place to start. It has a spicy scent, featuring clove and pepper notes. There’s an earthy, grassy scent throughout. Smells a bit like noble hops. Light fruit notes of apple and peach are secondary and subtle. Smells a little malty and sweet late. Alcohol is a little noticeable, but isn’t overly strong.

The flavor is a notch above the nose. The malt base is clearly pilsner. Tastes a little sweet. Belgian yeast adds some nice spicy notes that work well with the yeast. Clove and pepper are the most notable. Fruit flavors of apple and peach are noted, but they are subtle. There’s a grassy hop flavor that’s readily apparent throughout. Definitely seems like some form of noble hop. It’s a nice flavor that works well into the mix. Spicy notes take over on the tail. Alcohol isn’t overly strong. Finishes spicy and grassy.

Hades Ale has a body that’s on the lighter side of medium. Carbonation is active and quite crisp. It has a nice bite to it. I like it. It’s relatively easy drinking. I could go for a bottle or two. The strong spicy notes might be a bit much beyond that.

Great Divide did a credible job with Hades Ale. It’s pretty good stuff. It does have a few blemishes. The nose could use more strength and perhaps the strong spiciness could be toned down just a tad. It’s pretty enjoyable overall though. Worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 02:55:32 | More by prototypic

hopfacebrew

Colorado

3.9/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle to tulip the beer pours a bright yellow straw color with a minimal head, not much retention nor lacing. Average looking beer, very little carbonation noticeable. The nose is more impressive with a nice blend of belgian yeast, sweet malt, and earthy hops. The flavor is also pleasant, a mix of cereal bread malt character with belgian yeast esters and earthy hops, well balanced, easy to drink and not overbearing. Mouthfeel is medium with decent carbonation. Overall, a lighter take on a belgian strong, but sill good.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 13:25:48 | More by hopfacebrew

worta1128

4.43/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

First foray into Great Divide's catalog. Recommend that you pour it into a glass with a wide bowl and with room for a nice, foamy head. Bubbles disappear quickly, but go a long way in releasing all the bouquet and flavors. Smells almost like a white wine: a Riesling. Fruity and slightly sweet, but not overpoweringly so. In fact, the sweetness gives way to a nice hoppiness after a few moments. Nice aftertaste, i.e. no real bitterness. Very, very nice Belgian ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 00:26:34 | More by worta1128

biggmike

Mississippi

4/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer poured a light golden color with a nice white head that dissipated rather quickly. The aroma was fruity and biscuity and very pleasant. The taste was similar and very crisp. The mouthfeel was good. I guess I enjoyed this more than most as I was surprised by the mediocre ratings. I liked it a lot and will have again in the future. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 04:59:37 | More by biggmike

denver10

Colorado

2.8/5  rDev -24.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Had this one a long time ago and remember being indifferent towards it, but recently been in the mood to revisit it. Pours a yellow, golden color. Looks like apple juice. A little over a thumbs width white head. The yeast is the first thing I smell and it hit me the moment I poured it into my glass. As it settles the yeast maintains its strength alongside some breadiness from the malt. The funkiness of the yeast is definitely the most assertive of the features and I kinda wish they dialed it down just a tad. Same deal with the flavor, the yeast is what hits the hardest and I think it hit me way too hard. The yeast didn't hide the rest of the flavors though, which were bready, a touch of hops, and a peppery and fruity finish. A nice creamy, medium bodied mouthfeel with a nice dose of carbonation to keep it alive in your mouth. I definitely enjoyed it more this time around than the first time but not as much as I'd hoped to. If they could tone the funk down I think this would be much more enjoyable for me. I drank one bottle of this, I couldn't drink any more without taking a break.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 23:15:30 | More by denver10

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.73/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

good basic belgian style pale ale. pours a plain looking light adjunct lager color with a one inch white head. smells like german malts and belgian yeast. in your face and strong there. flavor is a little hoppy with a nice yeast crispness at the end. like a vienna lager in the finish. mouthfeel is too light for me, but plenty of bubbles and a nice sturdy abv for such a light feeling brew. dangerously sessionable. going to be good with some spice grilled burgers!

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 01:55:48 | More by StonedTrippin

CapitolCrusher

District of Columbia

3.05/5  rDev -18%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

picked this one up at the same time as the titan i love when brewers mix the belgian styles with the real hoppy beers

poured into my glass and this one had a nice monster head on it, but the bubbles seemed really fine and loose

smell was OK but did not get the big hops or spice i was expecting, but a lot of clove and vanilla in there, which was OK but just not that appetizing for me

mouthfeel was a bit chewier than i would have thought given the style. perhaps this one was just a different style i am not used to

overall this was an OK beer but not something that i would personally seek out

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 18:08:49 | More by CapitolCrusher