Hercules Double IPA - Great Divide Brewing Company

granite

New Hampshire

2.93/5  rDev -29.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

22oz bottle into a pint glass.

A--- Poured a brilliant copper color with a large fluffy white head.

S--- Caramel malt, pine and grapefruit from the aromatic hops make up the aroma. It was very pleasant smelling.

T--- It started off cloying with an herbal astringency and harsh bitterness. Warming alcohol and a salty aftertaste soon followed. It was not very pleasant tasting.

M--- Medium to full bodied with an appropriate level of carbonation for the style.

D--- It looked so promising and polished. The aroma was the perfect balance of malt and hops. Not all hop forward like a lot of DIPAs. Unfortunately it was to cloying and salty. Better attenuation and water chemistry would make it a lot more drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2007 01:31:51 | More by granite

BarrytheBear

Wisconsin

2.93/5  rDev -29.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Me and ShakeyHands splittin a bomber

Looks like a beer

Smells like candied pineapples from a trail mix bag

What's going on here? Very off balance, deisel, and fairly unpleasant. Past experiences with this beer not confirmed. Hops drowned out in a bitter, murky mess.

Either I'm not myself, or this beer's a bummer.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2009 03:06:52 | More by BarrytheBear

Arbitrator

California

2.93/5  rDev -29.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Chilled 12oz into a glass. Purchased from K&L in Redwood City. Great Divide just came to CA this month, so I bought the bottle expecting it to be fresh. I got home and realized it was bottled on Aug. 29, 2010 -- a couple of months old.

Not optimal, but it's the freshest I've had this beer. I got two bottles in a trade that were 8-9 months old; I bought a bottle online that was 3+ months old, and when I saw it on the shelves in Portland, the bottles were 3-4 months old. I think this beer simply doesn't exist fresh.

A: Pours a deep, cloudy amber color with 2 fingers of off-white head. Retention is moderate, but there is a collar on the drink and a light film on top of the brew when all is said and done. Some lacing as well.

S: Like a barleywine. Caramel, biscuit, peaches, grass, herbs, and pine. The hops are present, and they impart some pine notes.

T: A strong, rich, malty backbone. Caramel, biscuit, and peaches give it a very strongly sweet character with a light hint of bitterness. There's a small candied grapefruit flavor going on, with touches of grass, herb, and pine. I think fresh, this would be a monster of a beer. Right now it's just satisfactory. It reminds me of Drake's Denogginizer, but not as good. The finish is fairly clean, but it has a sweet aftertaste.

M: Medium-to-full bodied, but it carries medium-to-high carbonation that prevents the beer from becoming syrupy despite its sweetness. Well masked ABV as well.

D: I found it fairly decent, but as is my complaint with all DIPAs: if you can't match what I can get in this state, you're not going to get me to buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2010 02:46:49 | More by Arbitrator

sleazo

New York

2.98/5  rDev -28.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A-Pours a clear amber with a three fingered head. Dissipates down to a nice frothy cap and lacing is everywhere.

S-Biscuity pine cones. Very fragrant.

T-Very strong on the hop character with a biscuity dry malt character. Hops are strong with the pine. Not exactly what I would call well balanced. The alcohol is very evident as well. You really taste the burn on the follow through.

M-Slightly thin and low on the carbonation

D-I am not digging this. Completely one sided with a strong alcohol flaw. It is harsh and I woudl say over rated

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2007 02:05:25 | More by sleazo

match1112

Illinois

2.98/5  rDev -28.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

clear deep copper body with two fingers of thick sudsy off white head, decent retention and lacing. smell is mainly caramel malts and pine hops, little citrus in the background. taste is more malt than hops, still tastes plenty piney, which i dont like. wish it were more citrus forward. has a medium body oily mouthfeel with decent carbonation and a long dry bitter pine flavored finish. this is a pretty standard dipa by many standards and falls short for me because i dont like drinking a christmas tree, prefear citrus forward ipas.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 18:14:14 | More by match1112

mactrail

California

2.98/5  rDev -28.2%
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

BattleRoadBrewer

Massachusetts

3.03/5  rDev -27%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served at about 36F from a 12 oz amber bottle.

Poured thickly with a modest head leaving a very nice sheet of lacing on the sides. Looks dark amber and cloudy, can't see through it. Floaty bits there too.

Aroma is balanced with hops and malt.

First taste is a wallop of flavor, rich maltiness, strong bitterness, with a very sweet finish, followed by lingering bitterness.

Mouthfeel is interesting, very distinctly different flavors and feel on different parts of the tongue, variously sweet, creamy, bitter, astringent, effervescent.

The beer is drinkable, but this is a strong beer and it would be hard to go through bottle after bottle. Plus, as it warms it loses its balance, and flavor seems to get a bit vegetative. I won't bother buying it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2007 02:51:40 | More by BattleRoadBrewer

rightbrained

Washington

3.03/5  rDev -27%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I really wanted to like this. I like Great Divide, especially the Yeti and Fresh Hop. This one fell short for me.

A: Nice amber color and a bit murky, not much of a head. Looked appealing.

S: Smells like potato chips. You heard me. Potato chips. Did I get a bad bottle? Dunno, but I wasn't that impressed with the smell here. Sorry guys. My wife left me to the bottle (not that I was complaining @ ~10% ABV)

T: Not too bad, but not great. I was expecting more, but I'm not a fan of IPA's that taste like grain more than hops. I like hops if I'm drinking an IPA (double or not), and I didn't get them here. Reminded me a bit of the Great Divide Pale Ale I had on tap in Denver (not what I expected from a Pale, either. In fact the GD guys admitted that most people are expecting different taste based on the name). I think Hercules is just as misleading.

Maybe I didn't know what to expect from a "double IPA", but what I do know is that this is not what I expected, and not what I would get again when other choices are available.

M: Maybe a little more viscous than your typical ale. Again, not blown away.

O: Ah GD, how I love thee, but this just fell short. Especially at this price point. I know you call hoppy IPA's "west coast" IPA's, but if that's what people come to expect (as you admit yourself), then don't feel bad when our expectations fall short of your claims.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2011 07:37:38 | More by rightbrained

BeerRun13

California

3.05/5  rDev -26.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Clear amber. Huge creamy off white head, and some okay lace.
Faint citrussy and piny hop aroma.
Toasty and bitter flavor. Very bitter citrussy flavor.
Creamy and nice mouthfeel, but the bitterness detracts a bit.
Decent beer, but far from my favorite DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2006 19:12:32 | More by BeerRun13

HopEnthusiast

Massachusetts

3.05/5  rDev -26.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This brew pours a deep amber with a thick, caramel colored head. Good lacing down the side of my tulip glass as the beer is consumed. Has the smell of a strong and sweet floral hop and malt smells are very apparent, very nice. The taste has a great deal of roasted malts, almost to the point where it's sweet and bready. This pays a solid compliment to the very apparent floral hop blend presence - nicely balance bitter and sweetness. The mouthfeel was medium to full-bodied, slightly bitter, as there is a strong aftertaste to each sip.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2009 21:40:46 | More by HopEnthusiast

claspada

New Jersey

3.05/5  rDev -26.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Aromas of citrus and resiny pine and herbal/vegetal hops. A smorgasbord of greenery here. A little bready and caramel maltiness, but not much.
The taste unfortunately follows the nose with the hops blasting your tastebuds, not balanced at all like I enjoyed my DIPAs. All hops here, extreme Simcoe and citrus hops are on show here which is pleasant for some, but not me. There almost should be a separate category of beers called Imperial IPA and Double IPA with one being balanced hops and malts and one having just a bunch of alcohol and bitterness (as is presented here). Too much alcohol and bitterness to be enjoyed for my taste buds.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2011 04:59:31 | More by claspada

harrymel

Washington

3.05/5  rDev -26.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottled date not on the label in typical locale.

A: Orange-copper ale with less than a finger of creamy head which falls in a moment to a sheet of the same. spotty lacing. Excellent clarity.

S: Sweet and nutty malts with nice earthy and citrus hops. Hints of toffee. Decent.

T: Sweetness of malts are countered with substantial hop bitterness. Fairly one-dimensional as a beer. Some hints of resin and maybe even a touch of mint?

M: Medium body with low carbonation. Silken feel. Dry finish.

O: Beer is good, easily drinakble for 10%ABV. The bottle date would have been nice, and likely would help me out on the judgment of the beer, but such as it is - face value. Not likely to buy again.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2011 15:41:34 | More by harrymel

dgallina

Georgia

3.08/5  rDev -25.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours orange-red with a foamy white head. Leaves filmy lace on the glass long after the beer is gone. Smells quite hoppy, with a bit of grainy malt firmly in the background. Flavor is strongly hoppy. Plenty of north-american hops and *very* little else going on here. Just hops from start to finish. Medium-bodied and highly carbonated in the mouth.

Kind of boring and simplistic in my opinion. Tons of hops. That's all folks.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2005 01:31:19 | More by dgallina

jcdiflorio

West Virginia

3.08/5  rDev -25.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

served into pint glass from brown long neck bottle with crimped on cap

Mirky reddish/orange color, I" thick head,thick creamy off-white with decent retention. and bits of lacing down the glass. Lots of large chunky particles floating throughout the beer.

Good, clean, very citrusy aroma,grapefruitty,good and strong,but not overpowering,notes of carmell come through the hoppiness.

Big citrus rind bite,grassy,sweet and syrupy,hot alcohol.Very carmelly midway through also a bit nutty,finishes with a lingering very sharp.very bitter lemony zest with a rind bite.

Cloying, thick mouthfeel,rough on the palate. Wouldn't want to drink more than one at a time of these. I like the Titan a lot better,kinda like the Two-Hearted as compaired to the Hopslam for me.
I've had a lot of DIPA's that I enjoyed more that this one. Would like to give this one another try sometime.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2007 03:43:52 | More by jcdiflorio

ATPete

New Jersey

3.08/5  rDev -25.8%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

12 oz bottle

My second attempt at liking this beer, my second time failing.

It pours a very murky orange color with a small, very sticky white head, lots of large floaties. Big grapefruit and spicy citrusy hops, some alcohol on the nose as well as a sweet malt presence. The beer attacks first with a short, but bright burst of resiny hops, followed by a very muddy and sweet malt profile, wood notes and lots of armpit funk, chewy and syrupy body, the combination of its thick body and chunky appearance doesnt sit well with the subconscious, theres better options for the style, way better. Two bad bottles? i hope not...

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2008 17:12:59 | More by ATPete

womencantsail

California

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

On-tap at Eureka!Burger Claremont

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

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

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

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

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

Serving type: on-tap

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

rickyleepotts

Arizona

3.13/5  rDev -24.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I played 18 holes of golf today, so I wanted to celebrate. Nothing beats celebrating with a BIG bottle of beer with a TON of booze. This beer is 10% ABV, and is just loaded with flavor. I have had it before, but it was a LONG time ago. Why am I using so many CAPITAL letters tonight? Who cares. I am ready to drink.

In the Glass: This is a healthy looking IPA. It is rich in copper color and produces a very thick head. The head is white, and sits on top for a LONG time. There I go again with the capital letters. I will stop. No more. Anyway, this looks like a good strong IPA. A double IPA perhaps! (It is fair for me to put IPA in all caps… that is the point!)

Nose: For a beer that has this much booze and is loaded with that many IBUs, I expected a more overwhelming nose. But it is weak. Their Titan IPA smells a lot better. But I am hoping the aroma starts to come out when this beer heats up. We pulled this from the fridge, so it is ice cold.

Flavor: The flavor is also not what I expected. As the tasting notes say, it is very well balanced. The flavor is never overwhelming and slides from the front of the palate and into the aftertaste without much focus on hops. I am surprised that this beer is just exploding with flavor… but maybe that is the point. They focused more on the overall enjoyment rather than making this a “knock your socks off” kind of beer.

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel is quite boring. There is a subtle hint of hops on the back of the palate, but is is quick and isn’t obvious. You can smell as you drink to get more of the citrus notes that you expect… but the flavor is just polished (it makes sense when you drink it) from the start to the finish. This is like a domestic for a fan of IPAs.

Aftertaste: There isn’t much of an aftertaste. It is smooth all the way through, and the aftertaste is pretty boring. Now, having said all that… the beer is good. It is solid. It is… you got it, polished. It doesn’t have to be a big punch of hops that knocks me over. I wanted that, but the beer is good. The booze isn’t obvious either.

I like Great Divide, and while I had higher exceptions, this one is still a good IPA from a great portfolio of beers.

Hercules Double IPA - The bottle says: “HERCULES DOUBLE IPA is not for the faint of heart. It is, however, fit for gods. HERCULES delivers a huge amount of hops from start to finish. Its hefty backbone of nutty, malty sweetness balances its aggressive hop profile. 85 IBUs.”

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 03:19:17 | More by rickyleepotts

westweasel

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev -24.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from a 22oz. bomber.

Appearance - The beer is very cloudy, with a dirty copper and apricot hue.

Aroma - I was expecting a stronger hop nose with this beer. I could detect a bit of an orange scent, but was also picking up a strong alcohol smell. In the background there was a fresh-baked bread smell.

Taste - There is a definite strong bitterness which is of course part of this style. However I found it to be somewhat unpleasant compared to other double IPAs. I could not detect any pine or citrus. I got more of a strong grassy bitter flavor. There is also a bready, biscuit taste mixed in, and I thought I might have even detected some caramel - but it was quickly overpowered by the bitterness.

The mouthfeel is full with a dry finish. I did not find this beer that drinkable. It was ok, but I found the bitterness in this one harsh. This is my favorite style of beer and I was really looking forward to this tasting. I was a bit disappointed by the result.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2007 23:30:52 | More by westweasel

simplexiton

Maryland

3.15/5  rDev -24.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Had this on-tap at Bierra Paradiso in Georgetown DC

While this was a really well crafted beer it was really just too much for my tastes. I can certainly appreciate it for what it was and Great Divide did a great job in the formulation of the recipe but I am not yet accustomed to the DIPAs.

Appearance: Dark copper, brass colored. Some chill haze, small but stable fine-bubbled lacing head. Very attractive.

Aroma: wow, thats a lot of hops. The smelled so fresh and pungent, it was really strong. Perfumy, piny, citrusy turning grassy. Lurking somewhere behind all of that greenery was considerable malt caramel sweetness. Almost made me shudder.

Flavor: If I thought that the aroma was strong, the taste of this was considerably stronger than the smell let on. The dominant and lingering taste was like that of eating hop pellets (homebrewers should know what I am talking about). Super strong alcohol and super syrupy malt.

Mouthfeel: thick and syrupy but balanced well by the moderate carbonation.

Drinkability: Definitely low

Comments: definitely worth a try if you like DIPAs or are curious about this new substyle. If I were into DIPAs I would probably love this beer but its well worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

08-15-2008 04:05:38 | More by simplexiton

Cobrito

Georgia

3.15/5  rDev -24.1%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I can see why many like this beer--it's very flavorful and it wakes up your mouth, which seems to be a strength of Great Divide brews in general. But it is way too sweet for an IPA--or dipa in this case. It's like a saccharine, syrupy European fall-winter beer, with a touch of a hop bite. Bottle copy says Hercules "is not for the faint of heart...delivers a huge amount of hops from start to finish." Um, no. It's sweet as candy and the supposed 85 IBUs are totally masked. Appearance also not good in my six-month-old bottle--many floaties.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 01:29:31 | More by Cobrito

buschbeer

Ohio

3.18/5  rDev -23.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I poured into a pint glass to an inch of light tan head that clung to the side of the glass. It is copper in color. The malts come through more than the hops when I smelled it. The taste is weak up front but follows with some pine hops flavor. I think I got hold of an old bottle.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2009 20:23:26 | More by buschbeer

litheum94

California

3.18/5  rDev -23.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle. Bottled on 9/30/10. Reviewed 5/3/11. Picked up at the Bruery Provisions.

Orange-brown body with a bubbly, small, light tan head. Settles out to a patchy cover. Tons of sediment is suspended in the body.

Loads of tropical fruit aromas; mango and papaya. Some grapefruit hops. Sweet Carmel malts, with a little nuttiness. Candy like sweetness. Overall, the aroma profile leans toward the sweet side.

Sweet, tropical fruit leads the way in the mouth. Malt middle, nutty and full. Some carmel tones. Finish is piney and bitter, with a residual sweetness.

This might have been past it's prime, as I wasn't too impressed. The sediment makes me think this was too old.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2011 20:28:57 | More by litheum94

cpn920

New York

3.2/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours an amber color with a short lived head that dissipates to a thin layer. Yeasty particles suspended throughout. Get big caramel malt aroma and floral hops. Taste was not what I have grown accustomed to in Double IPA's. For me it was overly malty with the hops giving a bitter finish. Medium body with adequate carbonation. I wouldn't go back to this one when there are others that I enjoy so much more. Unearthly, Double Simcoe, 90 Minute, Dreadnaught, Gordon are all much better IMO.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2009 12:47:44 | More by cpn920

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.2/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22oz bottle poured into a Pint glass.
Dated Nov. 9.2011

A - Pours a dark reddish-orange and clear. A two finger head that is a yellowish-tan. Good Retention.

S - Pine, Oranges, sweet carmel malts.

T - Sweet malts, then some citrus comes around. Finishes with a hop-grass flavor.

D - Good carbonation, sticky and sweet.

O - Sweet and malty. Lacking a hop kick.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2011 19:16:39 | More by HuskyinPDX

KarlHungus

Minnesota

3.23/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

This brew pours a cloudy orange-red color with a creamy white head that disappears quickly. The aroma is of fruit, and pine. The taste is hoppy, and piny. The mouthfeel is quite nice. Its very smooth. Overall, this brew is an extreme let down. Way too piny for my likings.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2005 01:02:38 | More by KarlHungus