Hercules Double IPA - Great Divide Brewing Company

ZenAgnostic

Texas

4.18/5  rDev +0.7%
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 -19.3%
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 -3.6%
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 -16.1%
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%
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

kylehay2004

Florida

3.78/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed at the brewery

A: clear and amber with golden hue. quarter finger head with lots of lacing left behind.

S: pungent and musty hops with some pine and citrus.

T: grassy hop bitterness with citrus sweet finish. roasted caramel malt in background throughout.

M: moderate carbonation and medium body.

Overall: A very drinkable DIPA especially for 10% ABV but not as complex as the top reps in this category.

Serving type: on-tap

10-01-2011 22:48:54 | More by kylehay2004

gueuzer

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap

App- Reddish amber with a minimal head but great lacing. Constant spider legs down the glass.

Sm- Piney hops backed by caramel and a little heat.

Ta- Powerhouse of grapefruit, pine resin, caramel and more pine resin. Intense, but in a good way. Booze is there, but not in the forefront.

Ov- I like the slightly more roasted character that this has as compared to other DIPA. Excellent, excellent beer.

Serving type: on-tap

09-22-2011 18:28:14 | More by gueuzer

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

on tap at irish pol in philly

Pours a clear golden copper color, nice layering of white head, filmy retention, curtains of lacing everywhere.

One-two punch of staunch hops and sweet malt in the nose, pine and caramel with bitterness and a kick of alcohol.

Intensely bitter up front with a smack of grapefruit and citrus rind. Touches of pine bitterness, light fruit sweetness as well. Impressive caramel malt backbone, sweet and burly underneath the hop attack. Finishes bitter, dry, and boozy.

Fuller medium body, nice carbonation, sticky and tingly on the palate. Drinks nice despite the high abv, great example of balance between extreme hops and malt.

Serving type: on-tap

09-16-2011 01:22:59 | More by xnicknj

CrazyOtto623

Alabama

4.4/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Dark copper color with about a finger and a half of head that disappears fairly quickly. The smell is very hoppy with a little bit of fruitiness.The taste is similar to the smell with lots and lots of hops and some citrus flavor.

A great IPA overall.

Serving type: on-tap

08-28-2011 21:23:12 | More by CrazyOtto623

MrDonQuixote

Colorado

4.22/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

10 oz pour at Great Divide Tap Room

A- Dark amber look, white head about half an inch

S- Floral smell, with light malt notes

T- hoppy, but really smooth, intense hops for two seconds or so with a really nice finish; great aftertaste

M- Goes down quite smooth for an ipa, much less a double ipa

O- great for an intro to double ipa, much less intense then similar of its style; very enjoyable

Serving type: on-tap

07-31-2011 21:01:16 | More by MrDonQuixote

roodie

Texas

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed at The Petrol Station in Houston, TX

Poured into a pint glass

A: pours an orangish brown with 1 finger of frothy white head that retains for a while. Nice lacing

S: a nice blend of hoppiness, resin and pine, with fruit mixed in, mostly mango/citrus. You can smell the sweetness of the malt, well mixed bouquet.

T: follows the nose, though the hops are stronger than expected, initially bitter and resiny, but the fruits and sweet malt follow at the end. very nice

M: a mix of bitter and sweet lingers, the beer is very smooth, but a bit grainy, though it was clear, go figure.

O: an enjoyable brew, one I have had many times in bottles and on tap and would seek out occasionally when on tap. Better on tap, would love to try it casked!

Serving type: on-tap

07-31-2011 19:30:18 | More by roodie

AMoriarty

Florida

4.6/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A nice amber colored beer that is served in a snifter with a small frothy head that dissipates quickly, often by the time I get it from the bartender.

The taste is a little malty/sweet right off the bat followed by a strong bitter taste of fresh piney and citrusy hops that lingers. The beer is only lightly carbonated and is very smooth.

At nearly 10% you might expect a strong alcohol flavor but I think it is well balanced by the hops and isn't readily apparent. I always get to the bottom of my glass wishing there was more in it, but knowing that I've drank more than a traditional beer's worth of alcohol

The smell of this beer is probably my favorite part. You get the aroma of the hops mixed with a mild sweetness and the combination I love.

A local bar with 40 taps and over 500 different beers usually has this one on tap and every time I go I try to get something new but I always end up getting one of these before I leave.

This is probably one of the beers that made me fall in love with Imperial IPA's so if you're a fan of the style definitely give it a try.

Serving type: on-tap

07-13-2011 09:10:48 | More by AMoriarty

womencantsail

California

3.1/5  rDev -25.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On-tap at Eureka!Burger Claremont

A: The pour is a clear amber color with a creamy off-white head.

S: Definitely on the sweet side for an IPA with lots of caramel and toffee aromas. There's a mild citrus hop aroma along with a fair amount of pineapple. Some other sweet fruits also make an appearance.

T: Like the aroma, the flavor is also quite sweet. Plenty of brown sugar, caramel, and toffee are prsent. There is a fairly mild hop character and very little bitterness. Minimal citrus and fruit flavors wth a bit of grass and alcohol.

M: The body is medium to full with medium carbonation.

O: Overly sweet and not all that hoppy. That's not a combination I look for in an IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

07-05-2011 15:02:06 | More by womencantsail

stercomm

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap in a pint glass

A - Coppery, hazy hue, slight head, medium lacing

S - Pine, some orange and lemon, very good aroma profile

T - Very nice, what I liked most about this beer is the fact a hop junkie will like yet at the same time it tastes well balanced; notes of pine, citrus, and some malty sweetness

M - Medium bodied, nice carbonation

D - Very good, would definitelyhave this again, lots of great taste here

Serving type: on-tap

06-24-2011 23:08:17 | More by stercomm

BeerBuckeye

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at BoHo in Hollywood 6/1/2011

A - Pours a hazy orange with puffy, white, 2 finger head.

S - A bit underwhelming for a DIPA. Lots of flowery, earthy hops.

T - The power from the earthy hops carries over into the beer. It has plenty of those piney, bitter hops. A bit of sweet malt, but certainly weighed towards the hoppyness.

M - Pretty standard, left the mouth fairly dry.

Overall - A pretty decent DIPA. I wouldn't consider it world-class, but it did the trick. Sort of a lesser version of the world-class ones out there.

Serving type: on-tap

06-01-2011 20:31:23 | More by BeerBuckeye

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

4.28/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap, served in a snifter

Sits with an orange hue and a thin, one finger creamy, yellow-infused cap. Some spider web lacing.

The aroma is a nice balance of pine resin and grapefruity goodness. Clean and only an inkling of clean pale malt underneath.

Resiny, oily hops burst onto the palate with grapefruit and tangerines quickly in tow. There is a little bit of malt holding down the back end, but the hops really shine. A nice bitter kick mingles with some faint alcohol for the finish.

An oily feel, medium to full body with a good dose of bitterness. This does everything very well and is a great example of the style. Not as clean as the most elite of the style, but this has its charm. A solid, well-enjoyable DIPA that is welcome in my glass any day.

Serving type: on-tap

05-19-2011 14:12:42 | More by ColForbinBC

celticfutblclub

Massachusetts

3.28/5  rDev -21%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

on tap at redbones

A - nice orange body to this with a powdery white head that has good retention and quality lacing.

S - nice grapefruit citrus smell to this and some hops. its not bad but it certainly isn't standing out for me.

T - again grapefruit citrus and a good hop bite at the back. mild alcohol finish to it as well. its tasty but really isn't doing anything to stand out from the crowd.

M - good carbonation. sticky and dry on the mouth but not too much.

O - not a bad brew. its not doing anything wrong but its kinda forgettable in its straight-forwardness.

Serving type: on-tap

05-03-2011 15:14:39 | More by celticfutblclub

Cylinsier

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

tap

Pours a somewhat hazy reddish amber color, no real head to speak of.

Smells strongly of pine hops and maybe a bit of citrus.

Tastes of piney hops, hints of citrus and noticeable honey sweetness. The hops are very strong but not super bitter, mostly just floral.

Decent tingly carbonation, medium but slightly sticky feel.

Very delicious flavorful strong IPA. Good mixture of flavors with exactly what you would expect and also just a bit of surprise in the honey sweetness and citrus notes. Too strong to session but would love to enjoy one again as a sipper.

Serving type: on-tap

04-26-2011 00:53:24 | More by Cylinsier

JM03

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Mad Mex in Cranberry Twp, PA

Pours amber with a hint of orange highlights. Minimal head with decent lacing.

Aroma hits you with hops. A bit of sweet caramel.

Taste is hop forward, as a DIPA should be. Less hops than the aroma led me to believe. A sweet caramel maltiness is present with a bit of warming alcohol. A small amount of bitterness in the aftertaste.

Overall a nice smooth DIPA. Less bitter than I was prepared for which makes it go down really smoothly. Alcohol is present, but not overpowering.

Serving type: on-tap

04-22-2011 18:54:33 | More by JM03

Preismj

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

a: rich red/amber with a quarter inch head, good retention and nicely sticky.

s: smells of hints of floral, though I am getting a lot of malt in here and a bit of a turn off as I wasn't expecting nor was I in the mood for it.

t: more of a combination IPA and Red if you ask me. I get a tremendous amount of nutty toffee and the thick syrup taste...considerably more than any hops I taste. I am not a fan of reds and this reminds of a red with it's strong malt profile.

m: nice feel in the mouth, coats the palette and finished dry enough for me to be satisfied. good fizz to it too.

o: won't actively search this out again, again the malt was too strong for the style and not something I was in the mood for.

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2011 20:25:11 | More by Preismj

notchucknorris

California

3.7/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pretty dark in color. A clear coppery color with a massive cream colored head that takes forever to go away.

S: Pretty solid hit of pine hops with a little overripe mango and a hint of banana.

T: I hate to say it, but I was a little disappointed by this one. The malts completely overpower the hops. There's a lot of caramel malt sweetness and a bit of pine hops, but the malts ride right over the hops. It's still a good beer, but far from being one of the better DIPAs I've had.

Serving type: on-tap

04-10-2011 05:53:37 | More by notchucknorris

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had this on 2011-03-14 at Rivermont Pizza in Lynchburg, VA.

A - Slightly hazy copper with a short tan head and good lacing.

S - Caramel malt with some pine, citrus and yeast.

T - Big chalky and sweet malt, moderate caramel, pine, and citrus. The alcohol is well-disguised. More hop bitterness please.

M - Creamy with medium body and light to medium carbonation. Not prickly.

D - Very drinkable. Glad it was available at this pub tonight.

Serving type: on-tap

03-15-2011 22:59:59 | More by Tucquan

MattAtAmeriCraft

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Got it on tap at American Craft in Brookline, MA.

Appearance- Nice Amber Reddish hazy beer. Good foamy head that left lacing on the glass.

Smell- Fragrant hoppy with a tinge of citrus in the nose.

Taste- Awesome. Really satisfying complex DIPA. Good hop character with a really smooth finish. A little sweetness on the finish with a hint of citrusy orange.

Drinkability- Very fun beer to drink. A little warmth on the finish due to the high alcohol content but the presence of alcohol was not harsh at all. Great with a burger or other food or simply on it's own.

Serving type: on-tap

02-28-2011 18:42:53 | More by MattAtAmeriCraft

thedoubler55

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - A slightly dark amber, with a nice finger of head at the top that sticks to the glass after each sip.

S - Lots of hops, as well strong hints of citrus and bits of caramel.

T - Bitterness is king on this DIPA! Great tasting hops and a bit of caramel at the tail end.

M - Dry and medium bodied, some slight carbonation

D - Very drinkable even with the high alcohol content.

Serving type: on-tap

02-27-2011 23:46:15 | More by thedoubler55

mdunman

Texas

4.4/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Hazy amber with a tick head and a lot of linger.

S: Hop bomb, with a bit of spice and malt.

T: Again, a hop bomb. But this one was complemented with a lot of good spices and some citrus notes to make this IPA a bit more unique.

M: Medium body, plenty of carbonation.

Very enjoyable beer. This beer stands out in the world of hop bombs in it's own way. I would gladly come back for another round.

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2011 00:58:03 | More by mdunman