Hercules Double IPA - Great Divide Brewing Company

notchucknorris

California

3.7/5  rDev -11.1%
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 -2.6%
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 -3.1%
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 -6.3%
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 +5.8%
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

HOPPYKC

Kansas

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

Ha this on tap at the flying saucer in downtown kc. Amazing place!!

A- looks like a nice amber brown. Transparent. About half inch of head. shows nice carbonation.

S- malts and hops combined perfectly. Fruits and grain. Roasted. Grapefruit and maybe pineapple.

T- hops right in the front massively. not too bitter though. A nice mix of hoppy bitterness and malt character. Then end is dry and give a nice full finish.

M&D- a bit fuller than I like most of my brews. a great feel on the pallet.

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2011 02:27:53 | More by HOPPYKC

beersensei305

Florida

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

Notes: On tap World of Beer tampa Palms

A- Amber in color, fairly merky..off white head good rentention

S- Piney citrus rind malty nad of course robust floral hops

T- starts off malty sweet, middle is the hop slam, then bitter from grapefruit.. well balanced

M- Bitter and medium bodied sticky/syrupy average carbonation

D- this is a big flavored DIPA really good and balanced none of the flavors get out of control it is a great one

Serving type: on-tap

02-11-2011 02:14:30 | More by beersensei305

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

4.35/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a hazy copper amber. A small billowy white head that creates 3 round mounds and stays throughout. Very nice lacing patterns.

S - Grapefruit, sugar candied bready caramel, mango fruit and rind. Has a green hop bitterness to it. An orange peel resin sticks to the tongue and adds huge hop flavor. The malt has a dense doughy character but not too heavy. Finishes with a long green pine and moderately bitter.

M - Medium to full bodied, medium carbonation, slick.

A full 3 C hop profile backed by an excellent sweet doughy malt. Plenty bitter and full flavored. Well done.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2011 21:56:46 | More by StaveHooks

ictmattb

Kansas

4.97/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I'm sitting in Great Divide Brewery in Denver, CO as I write this. This beer is exceptional. I was expecting it to have a really thick hop bitterness, but it actually goes down very easy. This beer is amazing! I've always enjoyed Great Divide, but visiting here has made this beer even better. Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

12-16-2010 21:03:38 | More by ictmattb

beagle75

Iowa

2.68/5  rDev -35.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Draft pour into a half-pint goblet at Whole Foods in Tustin.

A: Clear, light amber color with one finger of off-white foam head. Moderate lacing remains on the glass. Bubbles are visible rising in loose streams from the bottom and sides of the glass.

S: Toasted bread, earth, and dark vinous fruit constitute the bulk of this beer's smell. Occasional whiffs of pine foliage, caramel, and fusile alcohols break through (the latter dissipating after a few minutes).

T: Begins sweet, with intense pale and caramel malts soon joined by dark, treacly citrus hop aromatics. The middle remains hoppy, but some astringency and cloying soapiness also emerge. The finish dries out somewhat, with moderate bitterness and grapefruit peel lingering. The flavor of pure alcohol never really stands alone, although it may play a part in creating some of the less desirable qualities found here.

M: Medium viscosity, syrupy on the palate, with moderate carbonation whose presence is felt too noticeably.

D: This DIPA has a lot going on, but some of its sensory qualities are problematic. Flavor-wise it is big but not satisfying--the kind of strong ale that fatigues the palate almost after a single sip. In its defense, it probably pairs with savory food better than some other more noteworthy examples of the style. Within its style Hercules treads near to the barleywine border, cultivating dark flavors over bright--it will not be mistaken for a West coast IPA. It is similar in this sense to Ninkasi Tricerahops or Avery Maharaja, although both are superior efforts to this.

Serving type: on-tap

12-14-2010 06:07:18 | More by beagle75

csiewert

Oregon

3.75/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer pours a orange amber color with small head that retains very well. Unfortunately it was poured to me in a just cleaned glass and ruined the aroma. The taste has a generous hop note with a good balance of malty sweetness. The mouthfeel is the biggest detractor with me feeling like I need to continuously lick the roof of my mouth. Overall I think you should definitely try it.

Serving type: on-tap

12-10-2010 19:41:07 | More by csiewert

Chadpaq

North Carolina

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

On tap at The Pizza Peel. Let me just say: This local establishment has stepped their game up, big-time.

Fairly big head. The beer itself resembles some sort of crystalline-amber color that's allowing minimal amounts of light to penetrate. One of the prettier DIPAs I've seen. The head's very resilient, and hardly wants to recede at all! I can't tell if that's a good thing or not. I'm getting a little impatient. I'll settle for a frothy mustache I suppose...

I can hardly take a full inhalation of this beer, it's so darn floral. That's a good thing, don't worry. I'm nearly knocked back in my booth from all of the hops entering my nasal cavity. Let's taste her already!

Oh yeah. Just as I expected. A nearly-perfect balance of hops to carbonation, with only minimal malty traces, something that is crucial for me. Granted, this is a double, but the malt is still very discreet. At 10%abv, I have no idea how Great Divide pulled it off...then again, this is why they're one of the big guns in the microbrew industry.

I could literally session this stuff. I think this is the best Double IPA I have ever had. I haven't had Pliny, but man, I feel like this could give it a run for its money. Props to The Pizza Peel for keeping this baby on tap!

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2010 00:17:21 | More by Chadpaq

SurlyMe

Minnesota

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

A - Golden honey color, thin white head with not much lacing, lightly carbonated

S - Bright citrus notes, sweet, very hoppy

T - Sweet citrus hoppiness up front with a caramel/butter toffee finish

M - Perfect smooth feel, just the right amount of carbonation, not too resinous like many DIPAs, hop and caramel/nut tastes linger in the mouth nicely.

D - Extremely drinkable which was surprising for 10% alc. the lingering taste makes you want to sip more and more.

Overall, a very well rounded DIPA, nothing was too over the top.

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2010 21:04:25 | More by SurlyMe

nezelrac

New York

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

Serving type - on tap, then I brought home a growler, review based primarily from draft observations supplemented with growler notes

A - Served/poured into a regular ol' pint glass. Orange tinged amber with a near 2 finger white creamy head. Good retention and decent lacing.

S - Caramel and sweet malts surround lightly piny and citrus hops with an interesting focused note of baked pineapple. A whole lot more malt on the nose than many DIPA's

T - Plenty of bitterness and hop flavors, but they are deeply embedded in a big malty body. Toasty, caramel maltiness and gentle nutty notes with hints of fruity esters hold a lot of hops in balance. The bitterness is evident on the palate and builds through the finish.

M - Deliciously smooth and creamy. Hops give some nice structure. Stops just shy of being a truly 'big' beer.

D - Dangerously drinkable. I will be filling the growler again soon. The 10% ABV is well-hidden.

Serving type: on-tap

11-18-2010 15:17:48 | More by nezelrac

philbe311

Pennsylvania

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

A - A copper tinged light to medium gold color... No head, just a veil of splotchy lace and a thin color... Still with no noticeable carbonation... Rather pedestrian given the large nature of this brew...

S - Hops are first and foremost which should be no surprise... Mostly pungent citrus with a tinge of mild pine hops... Cracker and biscuit buried beneath the surface... Quite appealing...

T - Hops, hops, and more hops with a bit of crackery malt unertones... A potent DIPA that is a little bit of a one trick poney which isn't necessarily a bad thing... A subtle kiss of spice adds some much needed dimensionality to this offering...

M - On the lighter side of full bodied... Minimal carbonation... Consistent sip after sip... Hefty and sturdy... A minor touch of lushness... A bit of chalky finish...

D - An above average, but not steller DIPA that is unforgiven and packs quite the wallop... Would gladly drink again, but the 10% ABV makes this one a little rough around the edges...

Serving type: on-tap

11-13-2010 00:00:31 | More by philbe311

mithrascruor

California

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

On-tap at O'Brien's, San Diego.

Pours a slightly hazy amber-orange color with a light white head. Nice, mild grapefruit aroma. The flavor starts off with citrus and a bit of sweetness, and finishes with a bit more spice. Medium-bodied with mild carbonation. Hard to believe this is 10% ABV! It is very mild for a double IPA, but in a good way, as there's no harshness in either the bitterness or the sweetness. Not the most exciting DIPA, but definitely enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

10-20-2010 01:14:35 | More by mithrascruor

charlzm

California

3.48/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Consumed October 7th 2010 at Lucky Baldwin's, Pasadena.

Beer is a clear burnished copper color, very deep and rich color. Plenty of active carbonation. Head is thick, luxurious, cream colored and quite sticky. A winner in the glass.

Aromas are a bit wanting, however. Almost nothing but a faint whiff of pine.

At first sip, the flavor seems brutally skewed towards hops. Resiny, piny hops with a middling bitterness. After a few sips, the caramel flavor of the malt begins to peek through and provides some welcome balance. Traces of citrus in the hops as well, but hardly a major flavor component.

Mouthfeel is somewhat dry which does not quite cut the oily feeling left behind after each sip.

Overall, while this doesn't bring anything new to the DIPA table, it is utterly a joy to drink. And at 10% ABV, one must watch one's intake!

Serving type: on-tap

10-09-2010 02:08:44 | More by charlzm

gregshead

California

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

A: Reddish/Orange with a brown hue as well. A very foamy head with good retention to it.

S: Pine hops and sugary sweet malts.

T: Lots of floral tastes followed by pine hops with a caramel/brown sugar sweetness. The caramel sweetness makes it unique for a double IPA

M: Nice carbonation feel. Pretty thin feel for a DIPA w/ this much sweetness/balanced of taste. Was expecting something more surupy but pleasantly surprised at the thinness.

D: I definitely don't taste the 10%abv. It has a really nice balanced taste. It has a distinctly different flavors than the Titan IPA which I appreciate from a brewery. Also the first DIPA I've had with the caramel taste in it.

Serving type: on-tap

10-03-2010 06:22:25 | More by gregshead

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-Tap at the Memphis Taproom in a cute little tulip glass on Sunday afternoon.

Hercules looks like a double IPA, a deep orange hue with some faint traces of well orange, it looks real pretty. A nice white head above as well, how about that!!! Faint traces of falling lace, not that sticky. Smells include your standard tropic fruits with some grapefruit, mango and papaya. Taste include a layer of hop resin oil with liquid grapefruit a enormous amount of malt, without the over sweetness sometimes accompanied by it. It seems well balanced but the tropics don't hit me as hard as the malt backing, it's a double I so take that for what it is worth. Feel is a big medium and oily, slick with a small sting of alcohol at the end that fits quite nice for this 10% beast. I would not drink this all day but would go for it on tap again. Worthy of the double title, this is big and it will lay you out son. It does not seem as big as it is, caution while drinking.

Serving type: on-tap

09-20-2010 22:45:38 | More by onix1agr

BuffaloTapHugger

New York

3.6/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Dark brown in color, fluffy off white head and lacing to tell all the time.

S: Earthy tones, chocolate, with a musk sense of hops thrown in the back.

T: Nice hop in the front with the back lined up with burnt malts.

M: Thick in texture, ABV noticed with some concern, moderately carbonated.

D: If you like hoppy beers with a lot of malt, this is the beer for you. For the style, I prefer all or nothing.

Serving type: on-tap

08-27-2010 02:48:30 | More by BuffaloTapHugger

glid02

Georgia

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

On-tap at the Brick Store.

Pours a slightly hazy copper color with a one-finger off-white head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of robust caramel malts with good amounts of pine and citrus hop aromas. Hints of bready aromas waft out as the beer warms.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Sticky and moderately sweet caramel malt flavors kick things off with hints of biscuit flavors. Joining in shortly thereafter are solid amounts of citrus and pine hop flavors, in that order. Midway through the sip the hops fade a bit and the malt flavors sweeten, carrying through to a moderately bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is very good. It's got a smooth thickness with grainy carbonation.

Drinkability is good. I finished my glass without any problems and could have another.

Overall I was expecting an amped up version of Titan but instead got a mix between Titan and Old Ruffian. More malt-forward than I was expecting but still worth a shot.

Serving type: on-tap

08-13-2010 14:11:50 | More by glid02

Brewmiser

Pennsylvania

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

I had this @ the brewery

Appearance: A light golden color

Smell: Hoppy, but not as strong as most double IPAs I've had.

Taste: Hoppy but not as bitter as I was expecting.
Mouth: kind of a oilyness to it but not in a bad way.
Drinkability: I could drink it all day.

Serving type: on-tap

08-02-2010 15:52:39 | More by Brewmiser

JTahoe

California

3.83/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

on tap at Uber Tavern in Seattle serevd in a standard pint glass.

A - glowing copper--an extrodinary color--with nice off-white head leaving really nice patchy lace all over the glass.

S - Peppery with sweet floral hit followed by toasted grain.

T - Fairly restrained for a DIPA, more in common with a common IPA in many respects. Bitter hops exhibiting white and black pepper with some pine sap spice with pithy citrus rind bitterness. Roasted malt foundation is surprisingly present for the style. As it warms more juicy citrus pops through with orange and grapefruit, and a squeeze of lemon.

M - fairly rich, though not overwhelming. moderate carbonation, bist right with a bit of drying on thw finish.

D - Pretty drinkable for a DIPA, the alcohol is well integrated...which necessitates a note of caution. To me it was fairly tame at first, this one seems pretty subtle for the style to me, but it reveals itself more and more as it warms.

Serving type: on-tap

08-02-2010 06:08:28 | More by JTahoe

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

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

A-Nice lacing from this dark amber beer.

S-Malty hops are present but not overpowering.

T-normally I am dissappointed when I drink an IPA and its not super hoppy. This beer is more malt than hop. Almost not an IPA but... Still delicious. Has its own specific taste. hops come through in the end but definately a different take on the IPA style.

M-Pretty thick and chewy. Alcohol makes an appearence.

D-quite drinkable. 10.00% is high and somewhat noticeable but the brew is unique and tasty.

Serving type: on-tap

07-30-2010 05:16:11 | More by VelvetExtract

TeeCee

Louisiana

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

Quick review - lives up to his name and not even Hercules will stand up to several of these.

My Hercules was poured into a 10 oz globe with not much head. The head I get from swirling the beer is light colored with tight bubbles that don't stick around, but leave a foam lacing. In the dim light of the Saucer, I see a reddish transparent beer. In good light, this beer is probably more of a deep amber.

Smelling this beer, I get an interesting hop note and some black pepper which is a first for me. There's some malt in there also, but not a lot that I can detect. Overall, this beer does not have a strong scent that I can detect. Might be my sinuses though.

The taste is hard for me to describe. While it's between an American Strong Ale and a double/imperial IPA, there's something catching me off guard as much as that black pepper on the nose. Plenty bitterness almost in a Czech pilsner way, but not as malty as I like my double/imperials (Harpoon Leviathan, Breckenridge 471). The flavor itself is rather strong, much stronger than the nose.

The mouthful is somewhat rich. As the pour was light, there's lots of bubbles when I swish. This beer holds its CO2 well.

Drinkability is good for the style, but you won't be throwing back a bunch of these on a hot day.

Serving type: on-tap

07-30-2010 03:37:47 | More by TeeCee