Hercules Double IPA - Great Divide Brewing Company

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.85/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Copper appearance. Very slight chill haze. Slight off white head. with little retention. Not many signs of carbonation upon viewing. Lacing is sporadic, but nice. The nose has got it all. It's dominated by the hops with their pine sap, lemon rind, grapefruit and citric attributes. But there's also some caramel dripped sweetness and light bready tones as well. This beer has the perfect mix of bitter hops and sweet malts for an IIPA. The hops are bitter, but fairly clean that way. The hops are juicy. This is perhaps the quality of this beer that I like the most. Like juicy pink grapefruit pulp. With the slightest coating of sugar to keep it in check. The malt backing has nuances of toffee and caramel. The body is round and damn near full. Carbonation is in check. And this is one helluva an Imperial IPA.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2004 04:44:33 | More by Bighuge

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

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

First had: bottle from Pinocchio's beer garden, Media, PA

Poured a hazy orange-brown with a healthy white head. Fruits and citrus hops in the nose. Very tasty, with citrus and piney hops, smooth malts in the background...surprisingly fruity. Some bitterness in the aftertaste. Medium bodied, with a bit of film in the mouth from the fruitiness and alcohol, but overall nice and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2011 14:06:31 | More by Rifugium

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

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

Pours deep orange. Aroma, lots of hops and alcohol.

Taste, bitter, a little thick, not quite syrup, but I would have preferred a smaller malt bill and some more dry hopping (if any). Its a big beer, but the big is accentuated on the stuff I'm not necessarily the biggest fan of in a DIPA. Not that it makes this a bad beer, far from it.

Mouthfeel, dominated by the bitterness. It makes me think I may have gotten an old bottle, it has that 9 month old dipa feel to it, which can be great with some dipas (Pike Double IPA for instance).

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2010 19:50:28 | More by Beerandraiderfan

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.95/5  rDev +19%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours anice cloudy amber/orange. Aroma of hops (of course) with a slight floral and malt scent. Very impressed with this IPA. Although very hoopy, there is a nice balance of slight sweetness that rounds out this beer. Highly reccomended for hop heads.

Serving type: on-tap

12-01-2008 08:56:32 | More by corby112

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.95/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep golden bronze colour, with a thick, fine-bubbled head of white foam. Lacing is excellent, and the retention of the head is good, staying as a fine film of bubbles right down to the bottom of the glass. Fair amount of tiny carbonation. Pretty nice.

Big and pungent nose of fruity and resinous hops. Notes of peach and pine resin, with lots of cut grass as well. Not quite the tropical notes of a big c-filled IPA - it actually reminds me of a US-brewed ESB. The hops are slightly sharper and more resinous. Still, it's a powerful nose, and bursting with flavour. Very nice.

Taste is initially smooth, with a welling of medicinal hops, and a slight butterscotch character on the back that stays around a little too long, leaving the finish slightly cloying. Fortunately, the hops are sharp enough to counteract this effect, leaving a big, biting bitterness slicing through the center. By the time the sweet finish has been subdued, there's still a decent dollop of hop oil sitting on the tongue. Mouthfeel is slick and smooth, with just a slight aeration from the carbonation giving it a little levity. Very nice indeed.

Yes, a very tasty brew. Heaps of character, and although the balance and integration is slightly off, the amount of craziness makes up for it. I enjoyed it a great deal.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2009 22:34:21 | More by lacqueredmouse

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

DoubleJ

California

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

12 ounce bottle with a bottled on date of 10-23-08...let's hope it's not too late to taste the hops. On to the beer:

Dark, ruby orange color, hints crimson if you squint hard enough....with a creamy, froathing head on top. A little nutty yeast in the aroma, to go along with the powerful, yet fading hop aroma. A zest of squeezed citrus makes it interesting. To the taste...it's a good one. Pretty well balanced, hidden alcohol = potentially lethal. Faded, but resinous hops start off the journey. Burnt caramel and pinneapple notes add pieces to the overall flavor. Leafy. Some dry malt tastes of dried bread. It hints wood and tobacco flavors. Feels lighter than the listed 9.1% ABV, quite smmoth with an occasional zip of carbonation bubbles.

Hercules DIPA is not for the faint of heart (as the label says), but it is fit for me and most left coast beer geeks.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2009 06:02:10 | More by DoubleJ

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

wl0307

United Kingdom (England)

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

Purchased from a very good Britain-based beer shop, "Beers of Europe", through on-line order. Coming in a light brown, 355ml bottle, BB 03/2009, served cool in Tripel Karmeliet's branded long-stemmed, bulb-shaped goblet.

A: pours a dark reddish amber hue with plenty of tiny cottony bits of yeast sediments and a constantly-flowing but fine carbonation, topped with a moderate layer of dark beige frothy head that lasts very decently.
S: the nose is dominated by a dense composition of oily hops, richly apricot- and lychee-ish as well as flowery, on top of a decent backbone of brown-sugary (a bit like Chinese white-gourd candy) maltiness, creamy lychee syrup and random honey. The balance is certainly retained, but gearing towards the sweet side of maltiness, for sure.
T: a lubricating, rich swallow of mild alc., spicy-fruity hoppiness as of lychee fruits, pines and tannic Chinese teas comes on top of really juicy pale malts (with touches of burned sugar and white gourd candy), which prolongs the mid-taste for a good while until the underlying impact of hop resins and bitterness manifests itself in full swing, rendering a deep and moderately bitter finish ("moderate" as opposed to the Stone Ruination IPA at 100+ IBUs consumed yesterday...). As the tannic bitterness expands on the palate, the aroma of hops seems to penetrate through the thick malty body as well, revealing a complex, aromatic aftertaste of overripe red-grapefruits, lychee-fruit stems, prunes, and a bouquet of hop juice.
M&D: super fine fizziness pairs with the rich but not heavy body just well, making this really flavoursome and thick ale ever lighter and more drinkable. Overall, the taste is really remarkable in a sense that all the hop flavour and bitter impacts are harmoniously balanced by a considerable yet soothing malt backbone, allowing for smooth manifestation of hop complexities. This is a highly drinkable DIPA to me, without any "sharp" or overwhelming characters that one might usually relate to this beer style.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2009 18:57:33 | More by wl0307

Gusler

Arizona

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

The beer after evacuating the 22 ounce brown bottle set up residence in my glass a slightly hazy burnished copper color, the head is Brontosauric in size, semi-creamy in texture and a toothsome light tan color, the lace forms a tight seal around the glass to conceal its charms. Nose is blessed with a hop floral spiciness, sweet malt at the back, citrus like in its crispness, fresh an appetizing this noise, start is sweet, nice malt profile, the top is middling in its feel to the palate. Finish has a benign acidity, the hops wallops your palate to full attention and it stays that way to the very dry and sweet finish.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2004 23:09:45 | More by Gusler

beerthulhu

New Jersey

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

A: Poured a slightly cloudy amber with light orange hues and a pillowy white head that was moderately lasting leaving a sticky film lacing.

S: fresh pine and citrus hop flowers with grapefruit notes.

T: The initial flavor was malty and sweet yielding to a nice sticky grapefruit lacing and lingering citrus fade. A pungent dry hopping is found on the finish but was surprisingly smooth.

M: medium body and carbonation with some stickiness on the tongue.

D: Great drinkability per style with only the high abv limiting this from an all night drinker you can enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2008 22:41:11 | More by beerthulhu

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

DrJay

Massachusetts

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

Deep orange colour, a little hazy, with a creamy off-white head. The foam just didn't want to subside right through to the end and coated the glass quite nicely, forming rings of foam that indicated the size of each sip. Very pretty. Aroma was a nice combination of malty caramel and prominent grapefruit hoppiness, with some orange fruitiness thrown in for good measure. The flavour had plenty of hop bitterness and citrus flavour, balanced nicely by a big malt backbone. Lots of caramel in there. Some similarities to a barleywine. A bit of alcohol warming showed up towards the finish and complemented the full, rich body very nicely. Very tasty and balanced, making it an easy-drinking double IPA. I'm glad I gave this one another try... the first bottle I ran into must have been past its prime.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2005 01:27:51 | More by DrJay

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

4.53/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Wine drinkers will recognize this orangey colour from the label of the illustrious Veuve Clicquot champagne; beer drinkers know it best as the American IPA. It is a toasty golden tone that welcomes the light with open arms, becoming a much brighter, much glassier (and slightly more transparent) tone. A sandy brushing of head blankets the surface and cakes the glass in layer upon layer of droopy, eccentric patterns of lacing.

The aroma is certainly Herculean. The way this thing smells it sends out a message saying: 'I am; I am here; I am now'. It doesn't so much as say 'hello' as it does smack you upside the head. It is a budding orchard, it is fresh cut citrus fruit, it is mysterious herbals, it is nectar serum, it is... an utmost amazing, tantalizing thing.

With Hercules DIPA you start to see hops, I mean really, literally start seeing hops. Your field of vision goes green, your eyes water up with resins and your tears taste of a stinging citrus. The malts may also be deserving of some mention, but with a hop spectacle such as this there just really isn't the room to spare to write about them.

I find Greek mythology pretty interesting to begin with, but find a way to write Great Divide somewhere into that lore and hot damn sign me up for that class (it would certainly be a popular course)! I'm sure Greeks everywhere have already started claiming credit for this beer; certainly it is worthy of its own saga and mysticism.

I swear, one day they'll find something in the water in Bolder, something that should account for why every Great Divide beer drinks with such polished finesse and unequaled quaffability. Even with all its backbreaking bitterness (85 IBU) and almighty alcohol content (10%) this drinks with an intense level of gratification and refreshment.

Hercules has a gargantuan hop profile, colossal strength and mighty character - it is well deserving of its namesake. The write up says something about this beer not being fit for mortals, but suitable for the Gods. And once you finish it, you do kind of feel like one - either because you made it through a titanic 9.1% bomber or just because the 9.1% itself! Whatever the case, this is certainly a heavenly, divine experience.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2009 23:42:22 | More by biegaman

stakem

Pennsylvania

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

It appears a clear orange color with a finger of yellow stained head. Sticky lace clings in patches to the glass. Aroma is mostly citrusy hops mixed with a bit of herbal grass hop characteristics. Smooth medium bodied beer is mild with carbonation and a nice balance of malt sweetness verse hop bitters verse the alcohol bite. The high abv accents the hop bitterness and flavors quite well with an extra kick of spice. Quite warming overall which is to be expected from 10%. Lingering hops make themselves known long after the last sip. Overall quite good however nothing overly exciting that jumps out as making this beer remarkable. As it warms, a mild piney character comes out in both aroma and taste.

Serving type: growler

04-15-2010 02:21:08 | More by stakem

Brad007

Vermont

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

Pours a light copper color with a one-finger head into my Piraat glass. Looks good.

Aroma is full of floral, grassy hops with a good amount of biscuity malt in the nose as well.

Taste is also full of floral, grassy hops that give way to a buttery, biscuity malt underneath that is pretty decent. Hops don't seem to be the focus here but this bottle is nearly 6 months old (forgot to read the date when purchasing). Still pretty decent hop kick.

Mouthfeel is full of lingering floral, grassy hop flavor and biscuity malt flavor. Feels well balanced, even if the hops aren't as strong.

Well, I'm positive that this would have more of a hop kick if it were fresh. Still, I can't complain because it's still delicious and easy to drink. I'll definitely check the bottle next time but otherwise, I like this.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2009 03:24:09 | More by Brad007

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Copper-bronze, a little darker than some. Tons of fluffy, rocky white head, insane retention, Beautiful lace. The cream of the crop! If I could give this a 5.5, I would!

S: Clean hop smell, with a little bready malt.

T: Sweet, bready and caramel malt is detectable up front... then the hops take over! Very citrousy and piney Pacific Northwest hops. Good bittersweet balance, isn't as bitter as some.

M: Rather full, creamy and slightly syrupy body. Moderately high carbonation (keeps producing head!).

D: Big, bold and heavy... drinkability suffers, but the flavour is great, so I'll still put it above average.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2005 03:24:53 | More by Derek

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours amber with a decent head and nice lacing. The smell starts with a little graininess and progresses to clean hops. The taste starts with bitter fruity hops with a late grapefruit hit. There is also a solid malt background that is nicely balanced with the hops. The mouthfeel is a little grainy that makes the beer slightly heavier than I'd like, but nice balance of creaminess and crispness.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2007 18:03:41 | More by Georgiabeer

mactrail

California

2.98/5  rDev -28.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Dark coppery amber in the Leffe tulip. Moderately sudsy with pleasing carbonation in the mouth. It's hard to get a read on the smell, which is more medicinal than beery. Hugely hopped, and leaves a woody, astringent taste on the tongue. Kind of a candy flavor, a Sugar Daddy dipped in quinine. That sweet and bitter combo is not too pleasing after a few sips. This one will have to go into stud service, goosing the hops on some less well-endowed ales.

This is my least favorite offering from this brewery, and I'm a big Great Divide fan. My favorite Colorado brewery, in fact. Label says bottled on Oct. 18, 2011.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 06:16:39 | More by mactrail

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

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

Had a pint of this at Stub and Herbs

Pours a small layer of white head. Color is a slight hazed dark orange copper.

Aroma: Floral pine hops up front with some bready malts and citrus blend. Nothing over the top.

Taste": Very interesting DIPA. Floral hops but a ton of caramel malt with some alcohol.

Mouthfeel: Bitter, dry, relatively smooth. Medium bodied with a lower amount of carbonation. Ends sweet and sticky.

Overall, not a bad ipa, but I have had better for the style. Not something I want more of if something else is available.

Serving type: on-tap

04-02-2010 18:19:44 | More by mothman

Dogbrick

Ohio

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

Pours a deep copper color with a thin and fizzy beige head that burns off quickly. Thin rings of lacing on the glass. Citrus and floral hops in the nose. Medium-bodied and moderately bitter with floral hops, grapefruit and earthy malt flavors. The finish is hoppy with some citrus and pine aftertaste that lingers awhile. Pretty solid IIPA all around.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2008 20:11:13 | More by Dogbrick

JohnGalt1

Idaho

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

12 oz picked up at Belmont Station over the weekend... poured into my Chimay goblet...

1" head drops very fast.. some ribbons of lace.. and the cap is pretty nice... but what catches the eye ... is this is one dark DIPA.. very amber.. with deep orange highlites when held to a lamp.

again.. even the nose smells dark... caramel... toffee... toasty grains... maybe even some nutty/cocoa components.. west coast hops.... grapefruit and pine.. but the malts seem way out of whack in my mind.

big bitterness moves quickly into the expected darker malt components.. nutty.. caramel.. and again darker toffee.. too sweet IMHO (for the style) .... resiny pine and lemon zest hoppiness.... some yeasty fruitiness.... and then a looong piney and bitter finish.. the body is fairly thick... and carbonation levels are pretty much spot on... the bitter finish would probably get to me after more than one glass.

despite my above negativity.... this brew is pretty damned tasty... I just prefer DIPA's that have more of a singular malt bill.

3.5/4/4/4/3.5

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2008 07:45:10 | More by JohnGalt1

tavernjef

Minnesota

4.8/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

By far one of the best looking double IPA's I've laid my eyes on! Absolutely gorgeous glowing cloud of orange, deeper in color towards the top then at the bottom where it keeps some golden highlights. Massively stacked inch high head of dusty yellowed whipped froth that becomes crusty and lumpy as it muddles down to a thick haze remaining present. Lace in thick globby ink blot sheeting and strings.

Aroma is redolent with highly sweet citrus and soft dry pine, a bit juicy and oily thick with some resinous qualities, but set back some and moderately present on the nose. Lots of alcoholic vapors seep through like volcanic gases about to rupture the top of a fault-lined island of hops.

Taste is wowfully juicy with citrus flavors, fresh, clean, with a good load of skins and pulp of every kind play softly in the front but gain a huge acidic return at the finish. Nice bitterness of orange and grapefruit acids and hop oils coat the end for a good long while along with a finespun slow drying pulpy action. Slight sticky toffee-like malts way in the back. Floating pineyness vapors and alcoholic esters pass into the finish as well. Uff-da - yum! There's no doubt that this has a Herculian amount of hops. Quite complex and full of citrusy things including the flowers and blossoms too. Akin to Dreadnaught in its hop profile. A yummy puree of hops are to be enjoyed and awed upon while trekking up this mountain.

Feel is quite smooth for the seemingly end of hoppy citrus thats been given. Big full body with fluffy edges. Thick, fat, juicy, super fine citrusy bitterness. Oily but dry finish thats incredible to undertake. Yum!

The name "Hercules" fits this well. It grew on me, sip after sip, I kept entering that dreary bewildering state of hoppy glee and nirvana that hopheads search for. Much like the myth of Hercules itself, the myth of a hoppy dreamscape can be accomplished with the right amount of imagination and desire to make it come true. Thanks Great Divide, you've opened my eyes anew.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2004 02:02:42 | More by tavernjef

Cyberkedi

Georgia

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

Aroma is richly hoppy and promising. Color is a beautiful dark amber with a nice thick head. Flavor is seriously hoppy and has a piney tone, as well as some hoppy bitterness, but not so much as to be unpleasant. I highly recommend this beer to all hops fanatics.

Serving type: on-tap

01-24-2008 20:44:41 | More by Cyberkedi

ccrida

Oregon

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

12 ml bottle poured into my Gulden Draak tulip, Hercules DIPA is a is a dark garnet with a very large khaki head that leaves heavy, very attractive lace. This is actually beyond red IPA like, the dark cola notes, not my favorite, but great head and I prefer them darker.

Smell is strong, big west coast hops but such a rich, caramel backbone, it's more like a DRPA, which I love!

Taste is good, like the nose, loads of hops struggling to balance the huge crystal malt bill...only here, the scale is tipped away from the hops, which are still very citric and bitter, with a dry, resiny bitter finish. I've had this only a few times, but over the years, on draught or bottle, my impression is always pretty much, "eh, this is a pretty sweet DIPA, but eh." Very scientific, the framework dictates a 4.0.

Mouthfeel is chewy and thick, with a heavy body regardless of how red a DIPA it is.

Drinkability is pretty good, as readily available and affordable as this is, it's not one I ever gravitated to, but I'm not really sure why - this is a hop lovers dream!

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2008 07:08:27 | More by ccrida