Hercules Double IPA - Great Divide Brewing Company

ledzepp817

Maryland

4.65/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Very excellent beer. Poured from a 22oz beer bomber in from a Tampa bar. Deep amber, reddish color. Solid, taste with a slight hoppy taste from your typical IPA but also offered a full, malt body. I am unsure of what a "double" IPA actually means, but its a fuller body than a normal IPA for sure. This was one excellent beer. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2010 16:12:50 | More by ledzepp817

Bitterbill

Wyoming

4.65/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

'From my notes of Jan 9, 2007

It poured a reddish brown with a small head of foam that didn't last too long but had some good lacing.

The smell had citrusy hops and a good amount of sweet malts and came across as very balanced..which I loved.

The taste was of extreme hops and extreme malt sweetness which made for extreme balance. Good lord, this is fantastic.

Bottom line, this is a world class beer to my palate. Wonderful stuff!

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2011 22:14:33 | More by Bitterbill

jtierney89

New Jersey

4.65/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Was able to smell this beer right away when I opened it, and in a good way. Even from a distance the hop scents are abundant. Lots of citric oily ho scents and some dark fruits. Some pines scent's sting the back of the nostrils.

Raisins and other dark fruits up front. Some slightly spices hops in the middle. Not too much lingers other than some fruit taste and a slight alcohol presence.

All I can say is wow! I feel like this is how dipa's should taste. I thought 90 minute was fantastic but this somehow goes far beyond it. Super balanced, thick yet smooth, decent carbonation, and lots of hop presence. I love it! A very dangerous brew

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2011 22:12:11 | More by jtierney89

Cold

Pennsylvania

4.65/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Dk. Amber/Orange, modest, but dense tan head
S: Sweet, toasty malt over strong piney hop
T: Intensely bitter piney, floral, perfume-y hop, barely balanced by light malt sweetness and graininess as well as thickness and body from aggressive carbonation.
M: Surprisingly thick, given the color and taste.
A: Piney hop bitter, slightly astringent, and clean.

Overall: Here's a beer that lives up to its double IPA promises proudly displayed on its label. Hop profile kicks off in a burst of pine with each sip, introduces other, well-layered notes of citrus, perfume, and floral, but comes back to the pine in the end. Manages to showcase the intense hops while still maintaining its own version of balance. It's 10.0% ABV is incredibly well-masked, so proceed at your own risk, and the advertised 85 IBUs seem accurate, and possibly even a bit modest.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 02:51:29 | More by Cold

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

Crosling

Colorado

4.68/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

I am sitting here sipping on this along with another bomber of Avery Eleven. I am comparing the two.

Hercules pours a dark reddish brown. The head is large, dense, diminishing but does leave a very solid lace.

Very spicy and enjoyable aroma. It's very spicy (cinnamon,salt), very citrusy (lemon, grapefruit, slightly sweet (cinnamon rolls and cherry pie). Still, it's very soft and mellow and begs you to take a sip.

Resinous start. Pine, floral and woody notes. Sharply acidic. Creamy and full mouthfeel. The finish is full of marijuana notes.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2004 06:12:47 | More by Crosling

kmpitz2

Tennessee

4.68/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours an orange copper: Head is about2 fingers that falls quick. Nose is nice sweet grapefruit hops. This one has a very mellow flavor. The malts and hops dance together very well and intice me to drink more. For a double IPA, the hops are nicely subdued and rounded out well by the sweet malt. I like it a lot. The mouthfeel is nice and thick. Drinkability on this one is the best I have found in a double. I think I will be getting a few more of these to keep around for a rainy day.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2004 01:41:27 | More by kmpitz2

Boilermaker88

California

4.68/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served on-tap at The Public House Brookline.

Deep coppery coloration and lots of fine carbonation crawling up the sides of the glass. Thick, dense off-white head that was present throughout, start to finish.
Nose just reeked of hops aromas; big-time pine sap and needles, grapefruit and tangerine rinds. Malt base is evident thanks to the light caramel and faintly earthy notes.
Taste had a solid sweetly malty platform that stood up well to the incoming onslaught of citrus and pine flavors. Hercules seems to pack in just about every kind of flavor there is in terms of describing hops. Sappy, resinous spruce, a torrent of juicy grapefruit pith; you name it, it's there. Let's not forget the alcohol, just barely registering against the 600lb gorilla hops load. It's there, just behind the veil.
Well-carbonated, Hercules has a full, lush and velvety feel.
Even wieghing in at 9.1%ABV, Hercules is dangerously drinkable, to the point where coordination may be compromised. Hercules is a stand-out double IPA. One of the best there is and worth seeking out.

Serving type: on-tap

06-23-2005 20:59:44 | More by Boilermaker88

ski271

Pennsylvania

4.68/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: From a 22 oz. bomber. After cleaning up the mess this bottle made when it overflowed as soon as I popped the cap, this beer poured a medium-dark, murky copper with a medium-sized, antique white, frothy, slowly diminishing head.
Smell: Marvelous. An excellent balance of citric hops and sweet caramel malts. Also scents of pine, alcohol, herbs and pineapple are present.

Taste: Big hops of course, but far from being a one-dimensional hop-attack. Rather sweet and tea-like. The initial bitterness backs off a bit to let the solid, sweet, bready malt backbone make its presence known, but the mix of fruit flavors stick around. As the beer warms, the bready malts really start coming out. Lots of orange on the finish, along with some alcohol spice and warmth, pine, resin, and a lingering sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full body, slightly oily/slightly creamy texture, moderate carbonation

Drinkability: For as huge as this beer is, it goes down dangerously easy. I was very nappy with the balance and depth of this beer. Too often these beers end up being all about the hops and very one-dimensional. This one I truly enjoyed and will have to pick up more when I find it. I highly recommend this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2005 16:10:52 | More by ski271

ChrisA

Florida

4.68/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hop bomb exploded in my house tonight. 22 ounce bomber poured a bright orange copper. Nice two finger head. Citrusy hop nose offing magic aromas. Super bitter. A hophead's dream. I'm glad I have been working out my palate this past year. Otherwise this would be too much. The piney hops really come through in the aftertaste. Nice lacing. I wanted this to be the best beer I have had in the past year. I may still have to defer to Great Divide's Fresh Hop Ale. Double IPA's are enjoyable but may still be way too much. Who am I kidding, this is amazing!!! Bomber really settles in nicely on the palate after about a half a pint. The hops really hide the high ABV%. Great way to start the New Year.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2006 01:59:25 | More by ChrisA

Reidrover

Oregon

4.68/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I cant believe I have never had this baby before. served in a British Imperial Pint mug from a "bomber". Very very lovelly, attractive beer to look at, dark burnt orange in colur ,very attractive innthe sunlight. Attractive light tan head. Perfect presentation. A really gorgeous fresh "piney" aroma with hints of lemon grass ans pepper. Great bustin’ with fruitiness flavours ..piney, lemon, floral,creamy toffee and caramel malts.I also get some faint hints of liquorice and some traditional marmalade ( zesty) flavours. Very very good palate to this beer for something so packed with flavour, some of them conflicting, the mouthfeel is almost silky smooth. A great brewer has managed to meld these clashing profiles into cream like smoothness in the finish..excellent. Overall a terrific DIPA the best I have had of this genre. One to visit again and again and again.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2006 18:23:55 | More by Reidrover

JudgeRoughneck

Louisiana

4.68/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

App- There is a huge, sheberty head on this beautiful beer. Crystal-clear amber color, respectable lacing, even on my family's head-hostile glassware.

Nose- Extremely inviting cinnemon, deep beady malt, and grapefruit.

Taste- Ballanced, mellow. Begins with hop bitter, juicy crystal malt, and slight yeast bite all stacked. Big hop bitter slowly cascades over other flavors, but never quite suppresses the exceptional malt character of this beer. It is a great, robust, toffee/ bready malt flavor. I get slight spiciness as the beer warms. Aftertase is strongly resinous hop bitter, pehaps with a wisp of alcohol. Moutheel is perfect wieght and has a nice level of sticky.

If you are looking for a double IPA that blows your mind with a spectrum of hop characters, this is not your beer. However I can not think of a Double IPA I have had that brings, bigger, fuller, flavors, foregounds the bitter, achieves balance, and maintains drinkability better than this beer. While it is by no means the main character, the malt flavor here really makes this beer stand out among others in its style. The only thing keeping me from giving this a 5 for taste is I would like at least one identifiable hop chaacter besides straight bitter.

This is an exceptionaly well-built beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2007 19:09:54 | More by JudgeRoughneck

gbontrag

Colorado

4.7/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I LOVE this. Bricks of beautiful herb in the aroma and flavor. It brings back memories of the ganja trade. Drizzle that bric-a-funk with malt syrup, and put it under a bell jar on a hot tin roof -- suck the condensation!!! This is like taking something as fresh as a crate of Hawaiian pineapples, 6 Mexican limes; puree and let sit in a china cap on a warm shelf for a coupla days. Watch it drip-drip into your cup. Spicee!!

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2005 02:57:44 | More by gbontrag

trumick

Michigan

4.7/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear medium amber color with a 1/2 inch head and lots of sticky lacing all around after each sip.

Scent is very nice with a piney, grassy hop aroma and just a hint of sweet, bready malts.

Taste is outstanding a very well balanced beer. Sweet biscuity malts for just a second then the piney, citrus hops takes over in force, but the sweetness still mingles there along side. It finishes with a dry grapefruit that stays with me for a bit. Wow!

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, smooth and creamy. This beer has just the right amount of carbination to compliment the flavor.

I give this beer a high mark for drinkability. I would come back to this again and again. This goes down easy, almost too easy. The abv is well hidden, and I could easily over indulge with this one.

Great Divide has yet to disapoint. I am impressed with all of their offerings. I need to try the Yeti on my next visit to the store. I would highly recomend this beer to all "hopheads".

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2005 04:15:18 | More by trumick

scooter231

New York

4.7/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Oh Great Divide, how I wish you were on the east coast where I could easily find you... this DIPA rocked.

Wonderfully hoppy and citrusy with a pineyness to it that made it unique tasting and different. Bubbly. Very, very smooth and creamy. Amazingly crisp and refreshing, and the alcohol content is well-hidden. After a few sips you get a nice warming feeling going on. Warm and fuzzy.

Hopfiends- you will love this brew. I can't say enough about it- delicious, amazing, wonderful. Great DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2005 06:14:50 | More by scooter231

swizzlenuts

Wisconsin

4.7/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Copper colour with quite of bit of a head. It appears to be mildly carbonated like most American IPAs.

S: Malty aroma, that smells of pine with a slight hint of fruits.

T: What a complex beer. This is my first double IPA, and it starts off with a lot of malts. It doesn't quite make sense, with a double IPA, but it works really well. After the piney/malty flavour the hops rush onto your tongue. The hop flavour in this beer is simply addicting.

M: There is a bit of a bite with the carbonation, but after that it has a thick smooth feel in the mouth.

D: I'm not sure how many I could drink of these, simply because I'd get a bit drunk with the high alcohol content. Beautifully hoppy.

I'm going to have to search for more Double IPAs, this is might become one of my favourite styles.

Serving Type: Bottle in an English pint glass.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2008 22:08:45 | More by swizzlenuts

JEdmund

Kansas

4.7/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance
What immediately stands out is that it's hazy, and having had this before, I know that's reflective of how how flavorful and hearty this beer is; it has a bright and vibrant orange color, with lots of strings of carbonation that continue bubbling for the duration of the beer (which I sipped on for more than an hour); the head, though somewhat small at about an inch (could be a bad pour on my part), is thick and whipped cream-like, hanging around as a small, but still creamy film throughout the whole drink

Aroma
Awesome. So hoppy and spicy; full of citrus and pine and a hint of malt sweetness; really big and appetizing

Taste & Mouthfeel
Great hop bite and sting all the way through; fizzles up with just slight movement in mouth, lending to a full and creamy texture; leaves a very flavorful hop aftertaste that stays with you for quite a while; some oiliness in the mouth; certainly some malty sweetness present, but not much; hops predominate this beer

Overall
One of my all time favorites, Hercules is so big on hops and is really refreshing and tasty--a complete hop-lovers treat. Every sniff and sip keeps me wanting more. On one hand I could stand to have some more malt heft, but then it would be closer to a barley wine.; I really do love the big hop character.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2008 23:37:57 | More by JEdmund

Blakaeris

Iowa

4.7/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours deep red-copper with a thick, crisp white head. Sheets of lacing. Very nice.

Aroma is caramel malt base with hints of brown sugar. However, it is the piney and citrus hops that really take center stage. Complex and interesting. A touch of earthy nuttiness.

Taste is similiar to the nose, but the massive, grainy caramel malt has more of a presence. Surprisingly nutty, while retaining the resinous piney, citrus hop character. This is a DIPA that shows restraint and offers a rich flavorful experience. Flavor is big but balanced. Finish is dry with lingering hop spice and mild alcohol.

Mouthfeel is medium-full. very creamy and smooth.

This is a winner! Unlike some DIPA's that seem to try to be as bitter as possible, this one offers a range and complexity of flavor that supersedes any other DIPA I can think of. I'm honestly surprised at how good this is.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2008 23:39:17 | More by Blakaeris

warmdog

Australia

4.7/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

wow!
great divide dbl ipa. aroma is so choice. could close eyes and smell this all day. top layer is wonderful, oily. pours a beautiful dark amber orange.
mouthfeel is intense, alcohol is intense. after a few sips I feel a light buzz.
straight up, an excellent beer. a little scared of drinking these on a regular occasion. regular pale ale's are starting to taste like mineral water. my hop addiction is out of control.

morry, send me a pliny!

ps purchased from utobeer london

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2008 16:23:20 | More by warmdog

JamesS

Indiana

4.7/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very nice copper color with some good head and decent lacing. It has a great scent, very hoppy with citrus and floral overtones. Absolutely great American IPA flavor, a great hop combo, a great bitter, hoppy taste, without being too much, with nice citrus undertones. A very smooth beer for being so high ABV. Nice job.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2008 04:03:00 | More by JamesS

johnnybgood1999

Virginia

4.7/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a medium-dark amber with a nice head. Smell is citrusy with a lot of pine coming through. The taste is very hoppy. Definitely a DIPA, though not the most overwhelming I've had. Piney hops make themselves known immediately and stay in the mouth after the beer is gone. A citrus taste is there as well. The beer is bitter, but balanced. A nice, slightly creamy malt taste balances this ale perfectly. The mouthfeel completes the balance of the ale. The hops, malt, and carbonation are almost perfect. I drink a fair bit of great divide and I would offer one word of caution; I have had a few bottles of this and the barleywine that were subdued and off balance. These beers seem to past their prime quicker than many. Again, I'm just speculating about that. But when you get one that doesn't suffer from that affliction, great divide is spot on.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2009 23:51:24 | More by johnnybgood1999

mizzourah

Missouri

4.7/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Pours a rich amber color with a half inch off-white head.

S- I pick up some sweet malts, but it's mostly pines and citrusy hops. You can tell that this DIPA is going to have a powerful hops flavor.

T- Wow is this a tasty beer. I was surprised by how balanced it was after I picked up mostly hops from the smell. I detect hints of caramel and toffee at first. The malts work hard to show their face, but the hops, cascade I believe, win over with pines and citruses. The bottle says it has 85 IBU's. This is an aggressive beer.

M- It's very smooth and creamy.

D- I drank the bomber and wished I had more. The strong balanced taste makes it so easy to drink. Just beware of the strong alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2009 02:50:26 | More by mizzourah

jacobseyb

Alabama

4.7/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A=Pours a deep dark golden brown, slightly darker than honey with an off-white almost tan head that dissipates quickly to cap the beer

S=Wonderful smell of hops with very piney notes. Not very much citrus on the nose.

T=Nice, very similar to the smell, with piney hops being the primary flavor, and some faint malt flavors on the finish and aftertaste.

M=Good, light carbonation, not huge alcohol flavors or warming. Some oily feel.

D=very good clean crisp flavors and really a good drinking beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2009 02:41:03 | More by jacobseyb

ryanonline

Florida

4.7/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

clear reddish/amber appearance with a nice fluffy white head very good lacing.

hoppy with a very caramel like malt aroma. not real complex but very nice.

flavor is the same with a nice bitter finish

mouthfeel is really nice. clean, very light carbonation slightly creamy.

very drinkable beer not heavy at all, and very easy for a 9% abv.

personally i really enjoy this beer, one of my favorites.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2009 02:41:50 | More by ryanonline

CaptDavyJones

New York

4.7/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a two week old 22 oz bomber.
Clear orange-copper colored DIPA with a thin film of a head that stays throughout the course of the drink. Very good carbonation.
Aroma is a very nice blend of floral hops with citrus, pine and hints of sweetness.
Taste is bold. A hint of sweetness upfront before the hops absolutely assault the palate. Just what I was looking for in a DIPA. The lingering bitterness from the hops is perfect.
Nice oily, chewy mouthfeel with very good lacing.
All in all one of the best DIPA's I have had.
Drinkability is very good considering the 10% alcohol.
This is a must-try for every hop head. Definitely worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2011 02:50:59 | More by CaptDavyJones