Hercules Double IPA - Great Divide Brewing Company

brewsclues

Pennsylvania

3.84/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

On-tap at the Blind Tiger 12-22-2013

10oz. pour for $8. Nice appearance and a good nose of your typical citrus fruits and piney hops. Taste was good, not outstanding - it hid the 10% well, and the mouthfeel was surprisingly creamy. Plenty of malt backbone on this one, and a relatively unremarkable (not unpleasant) DIPA hop-feel. Lots of orange and grapefruit on the tongue.

OK, I get it. Nice beer, not sure if it was worth the money - wouldn't turn it down, not sure if I'm going to seek this one out though. Doesn't really stand out in the crowded world of Imperial IPAs.

Serving type: on-tap

01-08-2013 23:08:03 | More by brewsclues

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.48/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Off tap into a tulip glass. One finger of head on a dark copper body.
It has a strong smell of orange and lemon, which it nice.
The taste is solid bitterness and a little sour orange. Bold and in your face.
The mouthfeel is normal moderate carbonation and medium body.
Overall a nice drink and I liked the orange scent and flavor that came through.

Serving type: on-tap

12-28-2012 04:43:53 | More by Fatehunter

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Was tricked into paying 6 bucks for a 10oz pour. On tap at "The Library" in the south side.

A - Very carbonated and the pour gave me a nice 1/4 inch of fluffy sticky head. Color is a clear amber brown.

S - Very malty with biscuit and caramel but I am getting a good deal of pine and citrus hops.

T - Taste starts off bitter but unbelievably smooth for 10%. No alcohol taste is always good and the bitter hops do mend with the caramel/vanilla like sweetness to balance with a citrus zest. Tasty.

M - Oily, slightly resinous but again remarkably smooth. Even after it warmed up a bit I got no ABV in the taste.

Overall this is pretty much the only way I could have enjoyed this beer since most bottles are 5 bucks and bombers being 10, and all are well over 6 months beyond brew date. It is quite a damn good DIPA so it was worth the coin.

Serving type: on-tap

12-04-2012 02:56:37 | More by DrDemento456

SkeeterBoganski

Colorado

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

Love this in a bottle and on draft; pre-conceived notions of flavor; light head; significant lacing; exceptional bitter citrus on the nose; light lemon grapefruit notes too; the beer is very hop-forward, but retains good beer balance; a little nutty malted flavor here; easy on the mouth; could drink this all day; one of the boozier beers that hides his ABV content extremely well.

Serving type: on-tap

11-11-2012 01:40:27 | More by SkeeterBoganski

UCLABrewN84

California

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

On tap at Boneyard Bistro in Sherman Oaks, CA.

Pours a clear dark orange with a foamy khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Thick foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of citrus fruit, citrus zest, herbal hops, and alcohol. Taste is much the same with a malt finish. There is a fairly high hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty but strong and pretty intense with the hops.

Serving type: on-tap

08-19-2012 03:24:51 | More by UCLABrewN84

RBassSFHOPit2ME

California

3.58/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had this at the Pub along with some Pizza from the cart outside since they don't serve food there. :-(

Bready caramel malt, some grapefruit citrus, and almost a woody malt flavor. Coming from the west coast, I found this a rather lacking DIPA. Earthy, dry and a bit too malty.

Not a bad beer by any means but not memorable. The 16th anniversary wood aged DIPA on the other hand was much better.

Serving type: on-tap

06-09-2012 21:00:49 | More by RBassSFHOPit2ME

tdm168

North Carolina

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

On tap at the Biere Garden in Asheville

A - orange with a big, dense, white head that has great retention

S - bread, citrus, grapefruit, pineapple, oranges

T - bread, caramel, sugar, grapefruit, oranges, pineapple

M - medium to full bodied, warm, smooth, good carbonation

This is a pretty big, bold IPA. The alcohol is present but adds warmth and body. The hop character is not bitter and is very citrusy. It's malt forward and has incredible drinkability for the ABV. I will definitely have this again.

Serving type: on-tap

05-29-2012 08:14:15 | More by tdm168

Gatch

Massachusetts

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

On-tap @ Boulders On Broadway in Tempe, AZ for a Colorado Tap Takeover on 5/17/12.

A: Beautiful golden-amber with a fluffy, pillowy, white head. Hangs around for a long time and leaves behind a ton of lace.

S: Fruity, hoppy, malty booze.

T: Holy booze, Batman. Not a bad thing...just didn't expect it from this style and this specific beer. Sweet, sugary, roasted malt with fruity hops in the finish. More like an American Barleywine but hoppy enough to keep it a Dub.

M: Sweet and delicious malt and booze with a slight tingle from the carbonation.

O: A damn good beer whether you think it's a Double/Imperial IPA or an American Barleywine.

Serving type: on-tap

05-18-2012 16:46:34 | More by Gatch

Drinkerofales

California

4.28/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Golden orange in color, on tap, so not much head. The ring on the beer has a nice coating of lace however.

Smells of tropical and citrus fruits. A bit of malt as well, but the right amount for the style.

Taste follows perfectly. Plenty of tropical and citrus, with an excellent underlying(and sometimes powerful) bitterness throughout.

Plenty bite to the beer, a bit too much, me feels, but that is my only complaint.

Very nice and fresh, this is quite good on tap. Maybe a fresher bottle is needed for the old review.

DOA

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2012 20:40:17 | More by Drinkerofales

merc7186

New York

4.4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this beer poured on tap at Mr Goodbar, into a pint glass.

A: Deep Oranish/Amber Hue, Passes Mild Light, White Head, Good Lacing

S: Oranges, Sweet Malts, Belgian Sugars

T: Floral, Sweet Malts, Citrus

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Semi Sweet, Semi Drying

Overall, a really solid DIPA with a very sweet malty taste.

Serving type: on-tap

04-23-2012 02:24:56 | More by merc7186

Hopdaemon39

Massachusetts

4.63/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap at Lord Hobo- pours a slightly hazy orange/copper color with a finger head, nice retention, and pretty white lacing.

Smell is nice, hoppy and open. Kinda subdued but very attractive- floral and pine hop scents with a touch of malt sweetness.

Tastes excellent- moderate hop bitterness, good pale malt backbone, floral and pine hops well balanced with malt. Alcohol is extremely well hidden.

Mouthfeel is excellent as well- medium bodied with light carbonation. A decent amount of hop resin. Exceptional DIPA- seek it out!

Serving type: on-tap

04-08-2012 23:27:10 | More by Hopdaemon39

thegodfather2701

North Carolina

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

I had this on tap at First Street Draught House. It was served in a snifter.

A-A nice amber with a thin white head that dissipated quickly. No real lacing to speak of.

S-Hoppy and slightly fruity.

T-Very hop forward of course, citrussy, fruity, with some caramel malt in the finnish. It tasted more like an American Barelywine to me than a double ipa.

M-Thick and syrupy, which was great.

D-A sipper for sure.

Overall, this is another solid beer from a great brewery. However, to me, this drank more like a barleywine than a double ipa. I will drink this again in the future for sure.

Serving type: on-tap

03-11-2012 22:25:30 | More by thegodfather2701

One2Remeber

Florida

4.1/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass

A: Off-white, creamy thick head that stays put. Light copper color with an amber/orange hue. Transparent body. Head covers throughout entire drinking experience while leaving thick, sticky legs.

S: Citrus, tropical fruits, sweet malts, clean and crisp. Not too explosive in aroma. Faint smell of toasted grain.

T: Grapefruit, tangy, citrus hops come strong to be undercut by a hefty caramel malt backbone. Big one two punch of hops than malts compared to a graceful slide all the way down. Not crazy in complexity.

M: One of the smoothest IPAs. On feel alone the beer flows without any boozy burn (esp for Imperial IPA) and only a subtle hop presence lingers leaving a secured, satisfied pallet.

O: Does not blow me away in flavor but for style not much compare. Reminds me a 90 minute IPA with a more pronounced hop presence. GD knocks every style out of the park.

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2012 03:38:17 | More by One2Remeber

Hojaminbag

Colorado

3.48/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Hercules has a very hazy, orange-brown body with a thin tan head. The retention is great, and some pretty nice lacing is left behind as well.

The aroma is sweet and powerful. Lots of malt, lots of citrus from the hops.

The best way to describe Hercules is Big. It has a ton of everything. The hop profile is huge, with loads of citrus. The focus is on grapefruit, and there are loads of bitterness. The malt profile is at least as big as the hop profile. Hercules is really sweet, with lots of caramel flavors, as well as sweet bread. The finish has some more bitterness, and a good kick of warmth.

The mouthfeel is creamy and full, with a slightly oily feel from the hops. The bitterness is palpable.

Hercules has a huge hop profile, which is nice, but it is insanely sweet and a little bit boozy.

Serving type: on-tap

02-27-2012 21:03:20 | More by Hojaminbag

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.22/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ppoured from tap into pint glass.
Pours a hazy orangey golden. Thick sticky white foam and lacing.
Smells of sweet hops...a bit of candied sugar and slight banana.
Taste is again, sweet hops. Floral and citrus notes mixed with some tropical fruit and a slightly bitter pine finish.
This was a fantastic brew. So crisp and the slight sweet flavor really makes this stand out from other DIPAs. Im glad I got to have it on tap as well.

Serving type: on-tap

01-17-2012 13:09:44 | More by DrinkSlurm

kojevergas

California

3.4/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on-draught into a snifter at Great Divide's tap room in high altitude Denver, Colorado. Reviewed from notes.

A: Pours a two finger head of fair cream fair thickness, and damn good retention (especially for the ABV). Colour is a nontransparent copper peach.

Sm: A moderate strength aroma of hops and light cream.

T: Quite hoppy, with some cream. Fortunately, not too bitter on the finish. Balanced and subtle. Not complex, but featuring a sophisticated simplicity. No alcohol comes through, an impressive feat.

Mf: Smooth and wet, with some nice cream.

Dr: Drinkable for an IPA. Subtle and lovely. I'd have it again. Would pair well with spicy food.

B-

Serving type: on-tap

01-06-2012 00:23:50 | More by kojevergas

NittanyBeerFan

Pennsylvania

2.78/5  rDev -33.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Caramel amber in color, the pour yields a sticky head that produces some really solid lacing. Unfortunately, this is about where the highlights of this beer end.

The aroma and flavor are both incredibly disappointing, as sweet and cloying caramel malts dominate both the nose and the palate. It doesn't taste like an old IPA with faded hops, so I wonder if there ever were any hops in there to begin with. There is virtually no bitterness to balance the malt base. Luckily, the booze is subdued, otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to finish it. This is by far a better barleywine than it is a DIPA.

Just disappointing. I figured that out of a keg, the perennial disappointment of this beer would finally end, but it just didn't come together. I don't expect to buy this again.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2011 02:13:19 | More by NittanyBeerFan

nukem5

Pennsylvania

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

A: Poured a creamy smooth capped amber color, with the head sticking in there till the end. Some small lacing noted.

S: Aroma is of Hops ,Hops ,Hops.Nice citrusy grapefruity hops and yet sweetened by malts to a small balance.

T: The taste is a Hops explosion in your mouth with a slightly malty background.

M: Mouthfeel is smooth rich creamy and of medium body with good legs down glass.

O: Overall a great beer and the hit of dinner, I like everything about this beer except needed more balance with malts. IMO Thanks Great Divide

Serving type: on-tap

12-17-2011 03:25:29 | More by nukem5

garuda

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Well, the heads got decent retention, and it laces well, but its super murky, and deep orange in color. Not the most pleasant looking color I've seen for a DIPA, but the nice lacing makes up for it somewhat.

S - The smell is fabulous with juicy, piney hops up front with caramel malts, and a touch of booze.

T - Follows the nose, but the malt backbone really kicks in mid-palate, and is a little overpowering for my liking. Boozy bite in the finish, with a mix of lingering sweetness and bitterness battling it out.

M - Full body, viscous, chewy, with the hop oils just coating the mouth. Gets a little boozy as it warms. Definitely the most substantial mouthfeel I've gotten from a DIPA.

O - Nice hop character in the nose. I wish it carried through to the taste a little more, but the malts were just a touch too strong.

Serving type: on-tap

12-16-2011 13:49:56 | More by garuda

lukester

Washington

4.13/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Had a 12 oz serving at Uber tavern last night. This is a really big beer with an emphasis on malt and lesser so on hops as I prefer my IPA's. It drinks like a barley wine with a great syrupy mouthfeel. A bit too sweet for my tastes.

appearance: Nice deep copper color with slight head.

Smell: Big malty nose

taste: Lot of sweetness with minor amount of bittering hops with perhaps some floral that comes from dry hopping?

Mouthfeel: Fantastic, you know you've got a meal in your glass!

Overall: A nice beer if you like your beers big with a lot of malty sweetness. I would prefer something more aggressively hopped.

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2011 04:39:25 | More by lukester

ZenAgnostic

Texas

4.18/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Tapped into a tulip

Appearance - Hazy amber body. White creamy head with great stick and retention.

Smell - Light sweet malt balanced out nicely by the hop.

Taste - Great malt and hop balance. Mildly bitter throughout.

Mouthfeel - Smooth. Creamy. Some alcoholic astringency that works really well.

Overall Drinkability - Reminds me of why double IPAs are so awesome. A great but not excellent example of one.

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2011 03:38:32 | More by ZenAgnostic

rand

California

3.35/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From tap to delerium tulip glass

Pours amber-red in color, dense...viscosity suppresses the carbonation leading to a small head. Nothing lacking in nose though, as waves of ripe citrus notes and alcohol swarm. The taste is even more aggressive with bitter pine and citrus notes pressed up against sweet, chewy malts. Full bodied and complex, it takes a few sips before your palate can wrap itself around the astringent overtone.

Flavorful, but a little too big for its own good. The profile is layered but disjointed. I'd drink this again if it was offered, but there are a lot of more satisfying DIPA's out there.

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2011 23:02:43 | More by rand

LBHops62

Georgia

4/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This IPA was a stong bitter, pretty good brew.

Initial smell was hoppy with a hint of citris.

The hop resin was prevelant in the batch I had, which gave it an extra bite on the initial draw.

Overall the beer has a great smell and a solid mouth feel. Good Beer!

Serving type: on-tap

10-28-2011 14:42:21 | More by LBHops62

beerandcycling88

Washington

3.48/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the Collins pub.

A pours a deep copper with a nice white head that leaves a ton of lacing.

S some resin, a hint of pine, and some sweet malt.

T some resin and pine up front which is balanced out with a lot of caramel malt.

M very thick almost syrupy.

Overall this is a pretty good but not great dipa. However it OS enjoyable to drink and I would consider getting this again.

Serving type: on-tap

10-10-2011 19:21:36 | More by beerandcycling88

KDawg

Illinois

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

this was poured from tap and had a nice orange color with a foamy head.

Intense and rich nose with tones of citrus, hops, bananas and some oranges as well

Medium bodied with a really smooth feel and mostly hop tones with some citrus as well

While this was big it didn't show any booziness and wasn't too hoppy.

Serving type: on-tap

10-03-2011 15:17:56 | More by KDawg