Hercules Double IPA - Great Divide Brewing Company

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.35/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Stunned to see this on cask at Max's today.

The beer pours an amber orange color with fairly decent head retention and fair lacing. On the nose... mmmm.... this beer is all DIPA goodness, with considerable pine, orange citrus, jelly bean and light white pepper. The flavor profile replicates the nose in this well crafted DIPA. There's something of a honey and sweet jelly bean finish in this beer, which marries incredibly well in this otherwise hoppy, citrusy DIPA. The sweetness blends incredibly well with the hoppy bitterness, and at no point was the malty sweetness excessive or over the top. Mouthfeel is medium bodied to full, with a long, soft, orange candy and bitter finish. Drinkability is good to the point of danger. There is nothing hot or heavy about this beer, though you can tell the alcohol is up there.

Wow! Stunner. mmm...

Serving type: cask

03-25-2011 22:03:49 | More by johnmichaelsen

Rayek

Colorado

4.18/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On cask at the brewery. Served into a snifter via the vintage hand-pump they just installed.

A: Deep amber with lots of cloudy yeast on board. The soapy beige head is short lived and leaves only a little lace.

S: Lots of citrus and pine, with less grapefruit than in the past. A bit of caramel sweetness is present in the background. A light whiff of alcohol rounds things out.

T: The overall picture is smoother and less rough around the edges in this form. A rush of bitterness hits right away. The bitterness isn't over the top, but does have a bit of bite. Grapefruit, lemon and pine make up the bulk of the hop flavor. I tasted a bit of pepper too. Malt is there with a toffee sweetness that helps offset all that bitterness. I even picked up a hint of oak. Finishes with an extreme puckering tartness and light warmth.

M: The medium body is slightly doughy and has very little carbonation.

D: I generally avoid reviewing beers twice, but the cask conditioning really changed Hercules' for the better in my mind. Hopefully Great Divide's Tap Room will have it on cask again.

Serving type: cask

09-06-2010 18:47:34 | More by Rayek

bret27

California

4.33/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Had on cask at brewery 2009. Had previously on tap @ Oregon beer festival

A: Cloudy, dark amber, little foamy head.

S: Rich! Hops, piney, cedary, resiney, grapefruit. deep sweet malt

T: Same as above, w/malt coming through more than in smell to balance

M: Much thicker and 'stickier' than regular availability.

D: The extra thickness add a little something extra, but may reduce drinkability for some.

Overall: This is normally a really good beer, and the brewery makes really good stuff. No doubt. But if you can get ahold of any of their stuff fresh or on cask, highly recommended!

Serving type: cask

10-30-2009 15:42:16 | More by bret27

ColoradoBobs

Colorado

4.45/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Reviewed this previously from the 22-ounce bomber. This time, Falling Rock Tap House had it ON CASK, and I couldn't resist.

Really, this is everything on cask that the bottled version is, only smoooother in every way. So sticky-thicky chunky-chewy, with a huge walnutty-malty-thick backbone, and the monstrous citrus-metallic-pine hops load. Aromatic to the max, this is like baklava in a glass for nutty-sweetness, with a boat load of hops bitterness for balance.

If you ever get a chance to have this on cask, don't miss it.

Serving type: cask

03-22-2007 03:16:49 | More by ColoradoBobs

William85

Texas

4.03/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

In the glass, this one looks great: deep copper color, 1-2 finger head which settles gradually, but not too gradually (i.e. not over-carbonated).

However, the smell is a surprise. Predominantly yeasty/malty, the smell is not exactly bad, but I wouldn't describe it as a good DIPA aroma, either...unusual.

Unlike the smell, the taste is very crisp and hoppy -- much closer to what I was expecting out of a DIPA from Great Divide (Old Ruffian is one of my favorite beers of all time, so I bought this bomber with high hopes).

Overall, this is a better than average DIPA, but I found the smell to be very surprising. With most of my favorite DIPAs (e.g. DFH 90, Saint Arnold Endeavor), there is a very close correlation between taste and smell, but I had to enjoy this one in spite of its smell (again, it worked very well once on the palate).

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 04:37:19 | More by William85

BarryMFBurton

Indiana

4.16/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

I always seem to find this waaay past its bottled-on date. This is a relatively new bottle (BOTTLED ON: MAR 29, 2013), so I guess it’s my lucky day. Cheers!

A: For an IPA, this is a near-perfect look. The body is thick with fizz as I pour, bubbles rising through the bright, crystal-clear amber to form a frothy head – and a thick one, at that, as it takes minutes to finally condense down. Complex webs of lacing cover the glass’s interior.

S: Aromatic hops with a unique aroma, spilling out of the glass with big scents of berry: cherry, lime, grape, and blueberry notes that remind me of Crunch Berries cereal. This nose is absolutely bursting with sweet, fruity hop textures. Some grains to the malts beneath, with some wheat and warm biscuit notes.

T: An intensely different experience than the normal IPA palate: Hercules is a combination of aggressively roasty malts and deep, satisfying hop bitterness. Meaty, honey-glazed sweetness melts into a nutty, oven-baked taste of burnt biscuit and toasted rye bread, creating one of the darkest, most interesting malt experiences I’ve tasted in this style. Hop bitters don’t choke up on the roasts; rather, the two play quite well together, with hops adding a sticky pine resin and citric oil flavor to it. It ends on a note of hefty breads, with only a marginal dryness from the hops and roasts.

M: While bone dry at the beginning, the crux of this beer’s texture is thick malts that end up a little frothy with the carbonation. The body is light for a 10-point beer, but for a DIPA, it’s just a little syrupy.

O: Hercules takes the typical American Imperial IPA formula of layering a shit-ton of hops over sugary caramel syrup (i.e., the remnant of caramel malts) and puts it in its place. It’s hard to believe that a grainy, rich DIPA was hiding right in front of me for so long; in fact, I might grab a couple of those older bottles to see how this monster ages. A unique palate thick with roasts sends Hercules to the top of my recently-sampled DIPAs list.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 02:59:38 | More by BarryMFBurton

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.03/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a befutiful amber with less than one full finger of slightly off-white head. The foam settles quickly into a thin frothy ring along the edges of the glass. Minimal lacing as it drinks.

S: The nose is malty with just a dash of pine hops. There is way more malt than I would have wanted in an DIPA.

T: It starts off with a mix of sweet caramel malt and a nice spicy pine note. The spice lingers from first sip to finish. As the beer transitions into the middle and then into the finish, I get ever developing floral earth notes. I actually like the back end of this beer more than the start. The alcohol is present once the beer is gone from the palate.

M: Medium bodied beer. It's sweet, spicy, floral, and boozy. Not exactly a fast drinker. It's a touch syrupy, but I'm ok with it.

O: Nice beer. Not what I was expecting for a DIPA, but I kinda like it. The taste is much better than the nose. I don't know if I'll be buying this beer again, but I enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 20:26:25 | More by trxxpaxxs

Lee45102

Ohio

4.66/5  rDev +12%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

This beer is overall a wonderful sipping beer. It has a strong taste but not nearly as strong as most other DIPA that I have had in the past. The smell is not a good indicator of the taste at all. The taste begins with a smooth citrus feel and ends with a strong grapefruit taste. This is one of my favorite DIPA. It is a little pricey but worth the money.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 23:04:27 | More by Lee45102

YieldToNothing

New York

3.71/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

12 oz bottle into a pint glass
copper orange, smell is like a good DIPA, heavy on the citrus notes.
not overly carbonated. grapefruit taste is noticable.

very good beer, but for the price ($5 for a bottle at whole foods), i won't be purchasin this regularly. many beers in the same league can be found for much cheaper

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 02:24:35 | More by YieldToNothing

ForesterMatt

Washington

4.29/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Copper to amber color. Very clear and inviting.

Sweet malty aroma with solid hop scent

Muted sweet malt flavor with strong hop flavor/bitter and subtle leafy and citrus tones.

Excellent mouth mouth feel on the lower end of the carbonation spectrum. Soft and substantial and very enjoyable.

Overall, a very good Double IPA. It's well balanced but the hop is definitely the star of the show. A great beer for this cool, rainy afternoon

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 03:42:43 | More by ForesterMatt

BlurryVisi0n

New York

4.29/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Served in snifter glass.

Appearance: Clear amber, pours slightly hazy in the beginning clearing up after a quick settle. Head slightly off-white rising to maybe a 1/4" settling fast.

Smell: Light malty feel, but light...you feel the hops but they disappear rather quickly

Taste: Very citrussy not too bitter, with a smooth grapefruit notes. I love the heavy malts and to tell you the truth one of the most addicting tastes I have had. I had to slow myself down to finish the review.

Mouth: Sitcky for sure and maybe and just maybe the smoothest DIPA I have had. Medium carbonation and loving it.

Overall: Money well spent, seriously I got a lot more than what I was asking and beyond what I was expecting. Love the smooth complexity and would gladly pick up another four pack once I see one. Drink up fellas....Salud!

Mouth:

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 03:19:04 | More by BlurryVisi0n

jjboesen

Maryland

4.48/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

This Herculean adventure begins in spongy froth, one which slowly subsides to form a marshmallow crown. While not a student of mythology, I don’t believe Hercules was a king of anything. Anyway, the copper colored body is somewhat cloudy and imbedded with wayward carbonation bubbles.

As to the aroma, honey, peach and mango ruled this day; as for the taste: upon the first sip, the palate becomes awash in a complex potion of fruit and toast, both of which drift away in a smooth and hoppy finish.

Hercules had me fooled. Despite the label reading “… not for the faint of heart” as well as the intimidating 85 IBUs, I assumed it to be a hop bomb; strangely enough, it was not; it was pleasant enough and proof of what a great brewer can do.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 01:18:45 | More by jjboesen

Jacurdy60

Alabama

4.56/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a golden brown color with a thin, carbonated, white head with poor retention. Almost no lacing coats the glass. Smells of hops, hops, and more hops. The hops are in your face but the nose is balanced well with a very malty sweetness, perhaps caramel and brown sugar. The caramel is balanced perfectly with the bitter, astringent hops. I'm also sensing some fresh baked bread and yeast. Tastes a bit oaky at first with a strong boozy bite. The hops fade a bit in the transfer from the nose and the sweetness takes over on the palate. Yeast hasa strong presence in the finish. Very, very complex but I like it. Mouthfeel is crisp and refreshing, but also has a thick, malty backbone. Absolutely exceptional. Great Divide, please make at least one bad beer. Y'all are too good of brewers. Hercules is top 2 best DIPA's I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 00:58:42 | More by Jacurdy60

Greywulfken

New York

4.25/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: clear amber orange body in a pint; couple of fingers of pale beige head, some arms and flecks of lace behind

S: wet piney hop aroma, caramel sweetness underscores

T: big malts and chewy caramel, pine resin hops and bittering close

M: slightly tacky, medium-full body, moderate carbonation, some coating

O: I love Great Divide (bias revealed) and this is a very good DIPA. This beer will hit every point you look for in a DIPA, but it might not "wow" you... This beer is, however, on-point style-wise, and you will enjoy it. Its a DIPA I would put into my rotation (so to speak). Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 22:28:51 | More by Greywulfken

Doc_Hops

Pennsylvania

4.24/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A- Hercules Double IPA pours a beautifully deep orange/amber color with some interesting sediment floating around in there. The head is a slight off white that billows at first our and is slowly receding.

S- Oddly, I get sweet apples in the beginning, something I'm not used to nor expecting for the style. This is giving way to some rich malts with, again surprisingly enough, not a whole lot of hop aroma or citrus notes.

T- Wow, this is different. Very interesting. It's all malt in the beginning. It's sweet- almost fatty in a way with a good amount of caramel flavor. As i sip some more the citrus begins to come through, mainly with oranges. Finally, there is a good twinge of hop bitterness on the back end.

M- Quite smooth here. Very drinkable given the style. It is every bit as full bodied as you'd expect but still very smooth....which could get dangerous given it is 10.0%.

O- A great brew from a great brewery. I think I would have liked a bit more hop bitterness but I always appreciate a good malt backbone, so I can;t really complain. This is delicious and I would absolutely drink it again.

Serving Type- 12oz bottle poured into an IPA glass. Thanks for reading.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 04:25:53 | More by Doc_Hops

dar482

New York

3.76/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours in a wonderful ruby red color with a slight bit of head with a decent amount of lacing.

The aroma has a bit of fruitness, some grapefruit, some caramel, dank and spiciness.

The taste is pretty similar. You first get a kick of grapefruit and hops, then a push towads a bitter hoppiness. Then it goes towards a good malt finish of caramel, grassiness, and round mouthfeel. It really is a malt bomb of a Double IPA.

The piney bitter finish and malts reminds me a bit of Hop Wallop, however with a better balance and bigger malts. I’m a big malt head, but there’s something about the bitter finish and the grassiness that doesn’t quite do it for me. It’s good still. I even had this fresh as it was 3 weeks old, but still mediocre.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 02:58:34 | More by dar482

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled on Feb 09 2013. Into a snifter.

Hazyas dark honey amber with sunken floaties. Not much in the form of surface carbonation.

Big maltiness. Almost the nose of a barleywine. Caramel, orange, light pine, light syrup, cardboard, and pith. Not my kind of DIPA nose.

Flavor is bright and hoppy with a slight underlying sweetness. Generously toasted malts with their caramel, toast, and treacle notes balance off an earthy pine and dank citrus hop bomb waiting to explode. But, it never climaxes. Too heavy with the malt bill, and the way that the sugars have all dried up, leaves me wanting something fruitier. Actually, it'd probably be worse off if it were sweeter. The dryness, especially in the finish, is a nice touch.

Drinks with that typical booziness. Maybe a little too long-lasting. Feel is nice and expansive. Body is thinner, but in a deceptively simple way. Treated like a heavy-handed hoppy amber ale.

A classic. One that I enjoyed much more with a younger palate. A great DIPA, but 180 degrees from the direction I like them to take.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 04:32:13 | More by thecheapies

Cubatobaco

Virginia

4.23/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Beautiful reddish/amber color with a considerable amount of sediment. I didn't notice, but this is an eight month old bee (7/10/12). A very thin, fine knit, head and decent carbonation is visible through the fogginess. Faint lacing.

Smell: I'm picking up aromas of bananas, mead, and some undertones of cloves. A tad bit muted, but that could be to the beer being cold at the moment. A very light smell of hops. Will update if other aromas emerge. Noticed a "booziness" that comes along with a 10% DIPA

Taste: Very hoppy upfront, weighing in with 85 IBU's, but it does not get in the way of other flavors such as: sugar sweetness, malts, nuts, and cloves. Very complex with a stern backbone.

Mouthfeel: Oily/viscous, very concentrated, leaves your mouth feeling clean

Overall: This is a great DIPA! Definitely glad that I picked up a 6pk yesterday. I don't know if this would be one that I would seek out, but if readily available (and it is not in my area), I'd drink this above a lot of other DIPA's.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 22:31:33 | More by Cubatobaco

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.43/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Jay for the 12 oz bottle! Poured into a generic tulip.

A: Pours a reddish copper color. The head is a one finger offwhite shade. Definitely an attractive DIPA with a nice amount of lacing left on the glass.

S: There is a lot of caramel, plummy expressions, and faint pine on the nose. Surely, this one is past its prime.

T: A sweet caramel opening gives way to plenty of earthy, boozy, and piny qualities on the finish and aftertaste. Past its prime? Yeah - even still, I'm impressed by how balanced and mellow this one comes across. The boozy notes in no way ruin my moderate enjoyment of this one.

M: The texture is medium, and thankfully isn't too syrupy or boozy either way. It also lacks some of the sharpness some DIPAs develop - but to be fair, this IS an older bottle.

O: Quite good, considering its advanced age. Fresh, this is one to keep an eye on.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 22:56:29 | More by ThisWangsChung

gpogo

California

3.96/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A- Hazed red amber body with a small white head.

A- Sweet malt aroma. Quite a bit of alcohol. Not much in the way of hop aroma.

T- Sweet malty alcohol with a nice bitterness throughout. No real hop flavors, but this was an aged bottle. Superbly alcoholy aftertaste.

M- Somewhat thick mouthfeel, but the moderate carbonation doesn't make it feel so thick.

D- I imagine this beer is much better fresh. That said it was enjoyable, but I'd be wary of drinking too many of these back to back.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 20:53:18 | More by gpogo

hoppytobehere

Colorado

3.49/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

22 oz, bottled on Jan 10.

A: Hazy copper body, with nice head that sticks around a while. Not much for lacing.

S: Malt dominates the nose. Sweet rolls, very similar to their Titan. Alcohol. Hardly any hop aroma, which is troubling.

T: Hop flavors are subdued. I've had this on tap at their brewery and I remember it being better. A double IPA less than 2 months old shouldn't have a hop profile so diminished.

M: Could maybe use a little more carbonation, but otherwise it's fine.

O: Great Divide's IPAs just don't age well at all. I think from now on, I'll only buy bottles I can find that were bottled less than a month ago.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 01:05:46 | More by hoppytobehere

patre_tim

China

4.15/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A: Copper, quite clear, almost no carbonation evident, foam is yellowish.

S: Carmel, malty, grainy dog food like, sweet, slight citrus hops.

T: Caramel, malt, smooth, creamy, again dog food, sweet backbone, slight pine and citrus hops.

M: Medium syrupy resinous body, almost no carbonation.

O: Smooth, balanced, my first by Great Divide brewing co. Highly rated and I like this, not rocking my world, but a delicious great beer. Not sure that the cost is worth it for this beer when there are many other examples that are better in my opinion, but cheaper.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 18:01:12 | More by patre_tim

JMScowcroft

Vermont

4.35/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Hercules Double IPA

Look - Pours copper and amber with minimal head. Unfiltered with minimal carbonation. If you don't want to see sediment, make sure you get this relatively young. Either way it does not take away from the quality.

Smell - Sweet apple, malt, and hops.

Taste - Sweet immediately followed by hops and then abruptly drops off followed by bitter hop leftover.

Mouthfeel - Aggressive but welcome, gave me a slight case of the puckers, warming to the cheeks and stomach.

Overall - Great brew, does not present as a 10%.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 12:44:05 | More by JMScowcroft

AmitC

Indiana

4.45/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle dated Jan 23 2013.

Pretty fresh. Poured into a snifter. Very neat amber golden color. Extremely clear. Less than a finger thick white colored head that settles into a thin white layer very soon. Stays very long. Excellent lacing on the sides. Very few bubbles.

Aroma is hoppy and very full of weeds and flowers. Lemony, citrus and piney. A bit floral. A lot of raw grape fruit. Some hidden spreads of malt sweetness. Overall, it gives an idea of things to come. No alcohol whatsoever. Strength is moderate to slightly strong. Not one of the aromas that i like but still very good. Complete;y different kind of hop profile i would assume.

Taste starts with palate surrounding bitterness and is complemented very well by the good profile of malts in between and ends with a bitter note. Will wreck the palate for no other drinks for some time. Though not one of the highest IBUs at 85 but still good enough. Dry hopped. Aftertaste and finish are bitter.

Mouth feel is medium to slightly full. A little of oily touch that i enjoy very much in an IPA. Moderate carbonation. No astringency. Very much at par with and similar to hopslam. I would call it an Hopslam alternate though the hop profiles would be different and this one does not use honey.

Style Rate: 4.25
Personal Rate: 4.5

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 23:28:20 | More by AmitC

hardy008

Minnesota

3.61/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Bottled on January 10, 2013.

Pours dark amber with a very thin off white head which disappears quickly, leaving no lacing. The aroma has Grapefruit, citrus zest, pine, and caramel malt.

Tastes sweeter than I expected, with some light bitterness for balance. Has grapefruit, pine, pineapple, and caramel malt. Makes for a nicely balanced beer.

Medium to full bodied with very low carbonation, and a sweet aftertaste. Leaves a bit if a sticky feling in the mouth. The alcohol is well disguised for a 10.00 % abv beer. I would have scored this higher, had there been proper carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 03:02:16 | More by hardy008