Hercules Double IPA - Great Divide Brewing Company

Danny1217

Florida

4.03/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Cigar City snifter glass. Nice orange color. Small head with some soapy bubbles. Smells like citrus, hops, and a bit of alcohol coming through. A nice hop kick in the taste, with some citrus and pine. A little bit of alcohol on the finish, but mostly overshadowed by the hops. Good, smooth mouthfeel. Leaves a good aftertaste.

A good DIPA. One of the best I can get here year round.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 04:10:03 | More by Danny1217

mikeborglum

Missouri

4.88/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured 22 oz bomber in pint glass; definitely fits the commercial description pours a deep amber orange color, big head with lot’s of lace; hop aroma full of pine, floral, and citrus and bitter hop flavor and nutty, toffee-like malt character; nice full and creamy body and great lingering bitter finish. Fantastic brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 00:38:35 | More by mikeborglum

MatthewWilde

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Sample: 1 bottle 2012

A: Dark orange in color, moderate internal carbonation, pours a moderate off-white head, translucent

S: Reminiscent of DFH 120 minute ipa, moderately fragrant, strong citrus notes, definitely heavy apple notes as well, quite apparent alcohol notes

T: Much akin to the nose, citrus, tropical fruits and apple, some alcohol to finish, well balanced sweet and bitter elements, powerful flavor

M: Despite its high abv and intense flavor, very smooth and drinkable, even refreshing, mild alcohol/citrus aftertaste, only slightly lingering, not overpowering and surprisingly not very drying

O: All elements are in sync, great flavor, smooth and balanced, a must-try, perfect example of the style

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 18:44:00 | More by MatthewWilde

wembly13

West Virginia

4.2/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Amber and copper color. Very little head.

S: HOPS and lots of it. Citrus hint mixed in with more hops. Little earthy.

T: Very strong, the hops jump out right away. If you like double IPA’s, this will hit every taste bud. You can taste the alcohol but it’s not overbearing. Again citrus kick mixed in with all those hops.

M: Full body, but smooth. I feel like I could drink a few of these in one sitting if they weren’t 10%.

O: I love double IPA’s and this one ranks up at the top of the list. It’s one of my new favorites. Like I mentioned above, I could drink a lot of this if it weren’t 10%. Everyone must try this beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 22:42:15 | More by wembly13

bump8628

Oklahoma

3.98/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bomber with a bottled on date of 2 months ago. Pours a clear copper-amber with a great, sticky head of foam that drops a few rings of lace. Aroma is fairly muted considering the freshness of the bottle. Things pick up on the palate with a punch of dank herbal hop flavor with a resinous hop oil texture. Malt is big too. Thick caramel and bread crust with a more than balancing sweetness. Almost more Barleywine than DIPA. Still a really nice beer. A little dryness and some more hops would put it more in line with my preference in this style.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 20:26:30 | More by bump8628

yamar68

Minnesota

3.73/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a nice looking, hazy amber gold. A boozy white finger of head settles to a collar that lasts through the last drop.

The nose is pretty basic... burnt sugars, subtle citrus, leafy hops, pretty clean with minimal booze.

Oh, there's the booze. Not too overpowering but I can see how this may be a deterrent for some. Sharp citrus underscored by bits of pine. Nothing groundbreaking.

A bit harsh on the tongue, even for a big IIPA. This does have about 4 months on it though... to be fair. Will review a fresher bottle sometime.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 03:49:10 | More by yamar68

RCK86

North Carolina

4.6/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured a translucent deep caramel with some auburn notes into my Victory tulip. Fairly effervescent with a thick light caramel head that dissipates quickly (less than a minute) and leaves lacing about half as high as the head was.

S: Sweet and hoppy with some orange-y notes. Alcohol comes in at the end, but only faintly.

T: Quite hoppy, but not in an overpowering way. The citrus in the smell didn't really come through in the taste as much as I was expecting. There's a smokey note in here as well, but it took me a few sips to pick up on it. Maybe I've trained my taste buds to ignore booze, but I barely tasted any alcohol here; it only registers in finish, and certainly not in the way most 10%-ers do. The sweetness hits you a second or two after you finish your sip and stays with you for a while.

M: Oh, man is this stuff smooth. Wow. Goes down easier than about any beer I've ever tried--certainly easier than anything of similar gravity and style. The brew coats your tongue and lingers in the same way as scotch or bourbon.

O: Awesome stuff. So, so, so smooth. I can't stress that aspect enough. But for the buzz I had after one glass, I'd have had no idea I was drinking a 10%-er. I could session this, no joke. I'll be recommending this one to friends who want to try a "bigger" beer but aren't ready for some of the more overtly alcoholic offerings out there. That's not AT ALL to say that this is a "rookie" beer, though. It's quite complex and includes a lot of flavor notes that I can't properly articulate. Excellent stuff.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 18:18:00 | More by RCK86

BDIMike

Ohio

4.48/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark golden color in its thin parts and a burnt orange hue at the main part of the body. A good amount of carbonation but a thin white head. The head does have a nice fluff to it that covers the brew throughout the drink.
Smell has a nice citrus hop dominance to it. However, there is a good amount of nutty and sweet smells as well, giving a very intriguing aroma.
Taste is very nice on this beer. A backbone base taste of nutty malts and sweet sugars. Overtaken by a very nice citrus hop, but the two combine for a very nice balance.
Mouthfeel is awesome. Very silky and smooth, but with a nice thickness, making it almost syrupy.
Drinkability is unbelievable for a Double IPA. Great tastes but a very nice balance making this one of the most drinkable and best double IPAs I have ever had. One of those beers you use to judge all other beers of its style against.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 23:52:51 | More by BDIMike

BostonHops

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle served in a snifter.

pours a beautiful burnished copper tone; a moderately vigorous pour yields 1" creamy/foamy light tan head that dissipates fairly quickly... some lacing but below average for the style. nose is surprisingly malty, even for a DIPA with a malt backbone; there is a citric/pine presence but it's almost relegated to second fiddle; definitely not an aromatic hop monster.

flavor profile follows suit, to the point it's reminiscent of a barleywine and i'm questioning the freshness (can't find a bottled date even though my understanding is there should be one; was told at the store it's fresh.) don't get me wrong, it's drinkable and reasonably tasty, just nowhere near a top flight double IPA (at least by my own personal standards). medium-full mouthfeel with average carbonation.

overall i have to say i feel hercules was a bit of a letdown. the thing is, i remember having it a year or two ago on tap and REALLY enjoying it; our renewing of acquaintances hasn't gone so well, unfortunately. don't get me wrong, i'll happily drink this any day; it's just that i could easily rattle off a couple dozen DIPAs that i'd prefer. will have to get my hands on some where i can guarantee freshness and have another go-round.

originally reviewed: 04-10-2011

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 21:49:36 | More by BostonHops

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a hazy golden orange in color. The beer has an eighth finger tall soapy beige head that reduces to an extremely thin film with a slightly thicker patch and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate lacing is observed.

S: The aroma starts with some caramel malt sweetness which is followed by the smell of the hops - grapefruit/citrus dominates with lighter notes of pine/resin and floral hops.

T: Upfront this beer has a definite malt sweetness with light notes of caramel and some nuttiness. After that, the flavors are all hops - aggressive grapefruit/citrus with lighter amounts of pine/resin.

M: Slightly heavier than medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Slightly sticky.

O: Easier to drink than I expected with the higher ABV but still an amazingly good beer and one for sipping. Alcohol is well hidden and there is a nice complexity to the flavors and aromas. Very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 18:58:59 | More by dbrauneis

metter98

New York

4.08/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer is hazy copper orange in color. It poured with a thin off white head that gradually died down, leaving delicate lacing covering the surface and a collar of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are moderately strong aromas of grapefruit hops in the nose along with hints of pine resin.
T: Like the smell, the taste has flavors of grapefruit and is accompanied by hints of caramel and nutty malts.
M: It feels medium-bodied, crisp and a bit sticky on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer has great drinkability and no traces of alcohol are present in the taste despite its strong strength.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 23:25:58 | More by metter98

KajII

North Carolina

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

[Best served in a Tulip glass]

The pour was a murky medium copper orange with a large (2-3 finger) rocky cream colored head that had decent retention, finally reducing to a thin layer of residue with some excellent sheeting of sticky lacing.

The aroma was of a toasted grain malt, pine and floral hops and a mildly sweet yeast with notes of citrus (grapefruit / peel), toffee, caramel and a mild alcohol tinge.

The taste was bitter sweet and a tad malty with a hint of toffee early on, with the taste becoming a bit hoppier and having a strong grapefruit presence and a mild citrus peel bitterness towards the end. The flavor lingered for a good while with the taste of citrus and hops settling nicely on the taste buds, meanwhile a mild alcohol warming sensation just added to the enjoyment of this tantalizing brew.

Mouthfeel was almost medium in body with a dry oily texture and a good lively carbonation.

Overall a DIPA with a well balanced blending of flavors that created a smooth sweet bitter taste, which made this a very enjoyable and drinkable brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 16:41:43 | More by KajII

rickyleepotts

Arizona

3.13/5  rDev -24.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I played 18 holes of golf today, so I wanted to celebrate. Nothing beats celebrating with a BIG bottle of beer with a TON of booze. This beer is 10% ABV, and is just loaded with flavor. I have had it before, but it was a LONG time ago. Why am I using so many CAPITAL letters tonight? Who cares. I am ready to drink.

In the Glass: This is a healthy looking IPA. It is rich in copper color and produces a very thick head. The head is white, and sits on top for a LONG time. There I go again with the capital letters. I will stop. No more. Anyway, this looks like a good strong IPA. A double IPA perhaps! (It is fair for me to put IPA in all caps… that is the point!)

Nose: For a beer that has this much booze and is loaded with that many IBUs, I expected a more overwhelming nose. But it is weak. Their Titan IPA smells a lot better. But I am hoping the aroma starts to come out when this beer heats up. We pulled this from the fridge, so it is ice cold.

Flavor: The flavor is also not what I expected. As the tasting notes say, it is very well balanced. The flavor is never overwhelming and slides from the front of the palate and into the aftertaste without much focus on hops. I am surprised that this beer is just exploding with flavor… but maybe that is the point. They focused more on the overall enjoyment rather than making this a “knock your socks off” kind of beer.

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel is quite boring. There is a subtle hint of hops on the back of the palate, but is is quick and isn’t obvious. You can smell as you drink to get more of the citrus notes that you expect… but the flavor is just polished (it makes sense when you drink it) from the start to the finish. This is like a domestic for a fan of IPAs.

Aftertaste: There isn’t much of an aftertaste. It is smooth all the way through, and the aftertaste is pretty boring. Now, having said all that… the beer is good. It is solid. It is… you got it, polished. It doesn’t have to be a big punch of hops that knocks me over. I wanted that, but the beer is good. The booze isn’t obvious either.

I like Great Divide, and while I had higher exceptions, this one is still a good IPA from a great portfolio of beers.

Hercules Double IPA - The bottle says: “HERCULES DOUBLE IPA is not for the faint of heart. It is, however, fit for gods. HERCULES delivers a huge amount of hops from start to finish. Its hefty backbone of nutty, malty sweetness balances its aggressive hop profile. 85 IBUs.”

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 03:19:17 | More by rickyleepotts

Sunnanek

Sweden

4.63/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: A generous warm orange slightly hazy pour with a large compact tan head that takes quite some time to dissipate, nice lacings.

S: Tropical and citric fruits from the floral hops; pineapple, grapefruit and lemon. Nice balanced sweetness in the rich malt.

T: Sweet molasses-like malts, some caramell balances the awsome hops, both bitter as well as floral. Lots of fruits.

M: Body is syrupy and full, almost heavy. Carbonation is really low. Aftertaste lingers with sweet bitterness. Warmth from the high ABV.

O: Very complex and well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 18:16:51 | More by Sunnanek

Cold

Pennsylvania

4.65/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Dk. Amber/Orange, modest, but dense tan head
S: Sweet, toasty malt over strong piney hop
T: Intensely bitter piney, floral, perfume-y hop, barely balanced by light malt sweetness and graininess as well as thickness and body from aggressive carbonation.
M: Surprisingly thick, given the color and taste.
A: Piney hop bitter, slightly astringent, and clean.

Overall: Here's a beer that lives up to its double IPA promises proudly displayed on its label. Hop profile kicks off in a burst of pine with each sip, introduces other, well-layered notes of citrus, perfume, and floral, but comes back to the pine in the end. Manages to showcase the intense hops while still maintaining its own version of balance. It's 10.0% ABV is incredibly well-masked, so proceed at your own risk, and the advertised 85 IBUs seem accurate, and possibly even a bit modest.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 02:51:29 | More by Cold

tylerprince

Colorado

3.53/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle dated 2/7/12, admittedly a tad older than ideal.

A: Quite a bit of yeast floating around the bottom of the bottle - pour this one very softly. Pours a beautiful hazy orange-copper. Unfortunately, no head or lacing whatsoever, and yes, my glass was clean.

S: A well balanced citrus/grapefruit with a caramel/biscuit malt profile. Well balanced. Some yeast throughout. Wish this had more of a head so I could describe it more accurately.

T: Yummy. Starts with gobs of citrus, clear grapefruit and lemon zest. Not a heck of a lot else going on here. A nice round malt finish, but very weak and hardly noticeable. Yeasty, non-bitter finish. Citrus lingers.

M: Crisp, albeit a tad watery. Resinous. I don't say this much, but this could use a tad more carbonation.

O: This is disappointing - I'm a huge fan of GD and was really looking forward to trying their DIPA. I'll have to try a fresh batch to see if it lives up to the hype.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 02:19:16 | More by tylerprince

DM1293

California

3.85/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The taste of this Double IPA is like my tongue being suplexed right from the word go. Malts and piney hops slam the tongue here. This beer is a 10% and its not afraid to show you it is. The afterbite isn't too bad though, so while this beer has plenty of punch its not going to wreck your palate, and it'll go down fairly smooth.

While the initial taste is fine (and what I've come to expect from most IPA's or DIPA's), I can't help but feel that for a beer to have such a strong initial punch, the finish goes kinda dull and boring.

Aside from the odd finish, its an otherwise fine drink.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2012 19:32:56 | More by DM1293

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3.88/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hazy copper amber colour with tinges of orange. A half centimetre tall, foamy head that fades to a thin lacing after about 30 sec.

Malts and a strong helping of hops that make for a bitter sweet aroma with plenty of pine notes following this up. Great fruity notes and even some mango follow this up along with citrus and a touch of pineapple and caramel finish.

Lots of hops and malts as the nose suggested with lots of sweet fruits and a touch of citrus too. There is a huge amount bitterness to this one and some mango along with strong grapefruit flavours.

Smooth with a medium body and moderate carbonation. There is plenty of bitterness to this one and a touch of sweetness in there too.

Good and very drinkable although the huge amount of bitter to this one is pushing it for me. It was still a beer that I enjoyed and the mango on the nose was a particularly nice.

1001 Beers Blog:
http://abarwithnoname.wordpress.com

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 17:51:15 | More by flyingpig

LeeryLeprechaun

Colorado

4.43/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

An excellent Double IPA from one of my favorite breweries.

The appearance is golden and hazzy. A nice sticky head sits atop the beer and forms an excellent lace on the glass.

You can smell the beer as soon as you crack it open and it makes itself known from across the table. Floral and citrus hops greet the drinker. A strong malt backbone is also present with some hints of the underlying alcohol in this beer. I also pick up esters, pineapple, and some grapefruit.

The first sip is malty with a toffeeish backbone. Bitter hops round out the sip and the beer finishes with an alcohols kick.

The medium body and nutty malt taste help to balance out the hop profile of this medium body and somewhat sticky beer.

This is an awesome double IPA that more than lives up to its name. The malt backbone supports the hops without overpowering them. Beware of the 10% ABV that is almost undetectable.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 23:22:11 | More by LeeryLeprechaun

draheim

Washington

3.9/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle (bottled 11/7/2011) into a tulip. Pours an orange amber w/ a 1-finger off-white head, some chunks floating about. Better let this settle for a bit.

Aroma is lots of caramel malt and sweet mango and other fermenting fruit. Hops are there too, but either this one is showing its age or it's a malt bomb.

Taste is plentiful caramel malt and lots of bittering hops to balance things out. Not as sweet and caramelly as the nose, but not a super-hoppy beer either. Bold and assertive.

Mouthfeel is slick and coating, a little chewy.

Overall this is pretty good beer, but it wouldn't make my top 10 list of DIPAs.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 21:39:28 | More by draheim

grannaniwa

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Brewed Nov 2011, tasted Apr 2012.

Hazy golden-amber color, with tons of particles floating around. Nose has some citrus/orange hops, some piney hops, and something much sweeter. Hops are definitely not overpowering on the nose.

Hops and malts race to make the first impression on the first sip. Obviously heavily-hopped, but has a more complicated set of flavors than many of the hop bombs out there. Carbonation holds up well in the middle. Leaves a sour tang in the back of the throat, while tongue is covered in bitter aftertaste. Not as bitter as I expected, though, at 85 IBUs. Alcohol is a little jarring on the first few sips, but less noticeable afterward and sneaks by despite the 10% ABV.

Overall: B+/A-, fits together well

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 00:42:08 | More by grannaniwa

spunionring

3.83/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is a delicious dipa, yet a bit unusual in its flavor. The smell of this beer doesnt seem to quite match the taste, being quite a delicious piney ipa smell. I have to say that the taste distinctively resembles the Yeti (stout from the same company). I can only assume they share some malt/hops combo that are not commonly used in other ipa's. Its not necessarily a bad thing, but it is an overwhelming flavor on the end swallow.

On the whole this is a delicious and well balanced beer, you will definitely want to try it if you've grown bored with "typical" ipa's.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 00:14:41 | More by spunionring

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

4.53/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 Oz bomber poured into a tulip glass

A- Pours ultra hazy burnt orange, cant see anything through it. A one finger of quickly dissipating head with some pretty good lacing. A dank looking IPA, just what I love to see.

S- A well balanced and pungent smell. Overly ripened grapefruits, some old fruits like pineapple and some figs even. A sweet maltiness here. A little caramel and a good deal of breadyness. A tiny touch of alcohol. Very fruity and rank, an awesome smelling brew.

T- The taste really reflects the smell. A heap of funky fruits up front like that old grapefruit, figs and rotting citrus, I mean that in a good way. Sort of stings the tongue with bitterness and carbonation, a really live beer. The hop profile in this beer is complex, funky and bizarre, it changes with every sip and keeps me guessing. A caramel breadiness lies beneath the crazy hop profile but still has a strong presence in the beer. A fantastic and very interesting tasting beer.

M- This beer is not lacking in the flavor department and is far from watered down, but having said that, this brew isn't too hard to get down, not a daily drinker but not quite a sipper. Leaves the mouth with a robust bitterness and a funky fruit aftertaste. A creamy feeling beer but isn't over bearing.

O- This is an amazing DIPA, A dank appearance, a pungent and funky smell and taste that is very complex and ever changing. Its fairly easy to get down yet wont gonna make you sick. I recommend this to all my friends who like a good hoppy beer, this is a real winner. Reminds me a bit of Stones 14th, as good if not better.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 01:26:55 | More by TwelveOunces

cooler4life

Quebec (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Poured a deep hue of sunset burnt orange. Half finger head that settled to a few bubbles around the middle. Some carbonation can been seen speckled through the cloudiness. Appears heavy and viscous. Little to no lacing.

S: Light pine, fruitcake, orange zest, molasses. The nose is rather subdued even after the beer has warmed.

T: Begins with a twinge of malty fruitiness then transitions to a fusion of molasses, grapefruit, tangerine, and aged pine. The bitter and sweet flavors intertwine fantastically.

M: Thick and chewy. The carbonation is just a tingly afterthought. This beer is incredibly smooth, the ABV is expertly masked by the delicate flavors.

O: Another smooth sippin' DIPA. When life takes you to the open range, better saddle up with some Hercules....and bring a partner.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 18:44:02 | More by cooler4life

jhtipton

Spain

4.5/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Great find in Madrid. Tad steep in price, about 5$ but hey I've paid $10 for bombers of less ambitious beers. Pours a deep golden in my wine glass with a one inch beige head. Realitively clear with some sediment. Bold smell; malt and heavy pine presence. Powerful hop presence and some malt but the alcohol does shine through. Mouthfeel is medium hop oil presence gives it a syrupy feel. Overall a great DIPA and will try again. Not sessionable. Two of these is like drinking a whole bottle of wine.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 17:23:33 | More by jhtipton