Hercules Double IPA - Great Divide Brewing Company

FtownThrowDown

Ohio

3.3/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark amber in color with ruby highlights. Decent inch and a half of head forms on the pour. Looks good. Smell is hoppy, but with substantial caramel malts behind lending the support. Juicy, citrusy hops start off initially, then the bitterness kicks in and finishes off the taste. Big and bold in the mouthfeel. This is a big beer. Good DIPA but far from my favorite.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2008 13:41:25 | More by FtownThrowDown

champ103

Texas

3.3/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours an amber reddish color. At first a two finger white head forms, but recedes in an instant. Rings of sticky lace is left behind.
S: Piny, citrus, and grapefruit hops. A large bitterness in the nose. Very little malt sweetness. Almost no balance.
T: Again, piny, citrus, and grapefruit. Bitterness is up front. A very light malt sweetness lingers on.
M/D: A medium body and carbonation. A soapy, oily, and sticky consistency. Not the hardest DIPA to drink, but the bitterness makes this a one and done.

Not the worst DIPA I have ever had. Nothing out of the ordinary. I will probably never get this again. Though if you are a fan of oily and bitter hops, I would recommend this.

Serving type: on-tap

08-05-2009 04:01:23 | More by champ103

jsanford

Georgia

3.3/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Reviewed from notes taken on 6/14/10.

A - Pours a hazy amber with 2-fingers of intricate foamy head. Leave sticky lacing in the glass.

S - Toffee, grapefruit, biscuit malt and a tiny bit of what I affectionately refer to as "cattiness". Intense.

T - There's a lot going on for a DIPA ; caramel and biscuit malts, bitter citrus (grapefruit and orange), pineapple and white pepper. Not quite as balanced as I like and a bit too sweet for my taste.

M - Medium-bodied with a nice crisp level of carbonation.

D - This one got a bit cloying for me, I struggled through the last 1/3 of the bottle. Perhaps it was a bit old, I may have to re-visit.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2010 22:07:39 | More by jsanford

phantomwyse

Massachusetts

3.3/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

A: Pours out a syrupy caramel/brown hue – borderline looks like an amber. Thinnish half finger head of pure white briefly rests on top before fading completely away.

S: Pure pine pitch, this is a boiling vat of pine. There is a heavy malt backbone. A teetertotter of hops and malts.

T: Palette crushing bitterness but then followed so quickly by an overwhelming crème brulee sweetness. I would suggest that there is some pine, or grapefruit here. But, I really can’t tell.

M: Soda from a soda fountain where the syrup/soda water ratio is tweaked on the side of too much syrup.

O: In a double IPA I look for the flavors to be more intense throughout the spectrum, but not to be as overwhelming as a hydrogen bomb.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2011 00:34:37 | More by phantomwyse

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.3/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Clear copper/amber with burnished copper leanings. Head is off-white, chunky, massive, and sticky as can be. Big clumps of chunky lacing stick to the glass. Deeper reds than expected, looks more in line with an imperial amber.

Smell: Huge biscuity sweet malts. Caramel malts. Caramel sweetness. Almost raw sugar sweetness before it warms. Big chewy malts push something close to molasses at times. Pine needles, grapefruit flesh, even some earthy/herbal leafy hop notes. Sweetness drops as the beer warms. Big malts and big hops in some weird overbalance.

Taste: Pithy, oily hops. Grapefruit rind and pine needles. Biscuity malty sweetness. Some nice caramel malts in the back. Mild nutty with a damp, herbal earthiness from the hops. Lots of big flavors. Lingering pithy bitterness. Leafy and vaguely grassy at times. Malts push ahead of the hops as the beer warms, keeping it sweet and oily in the long run.

Mouthfeel: Body is medium, but slick and smooth. Some lingering dryness. Lightly moderate carbonation.

Overall: Finishing more than a bottle of this was one of the 12 labors.

I like Great Divide on the whole. This ultimately loses out with it's weird attempt at balance. The malts just don't mesh with the huge hop presence and it drinks like 2 beers at the same time. A bit more depth and nuance, with a cleaner hop profile, would bump this in to I want to drink it again territory.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 18:15:52 | More by Goblinmunkey7

JDV

Texas

3.33/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Dark rich amber pour with a big offwhite head. Tons of floaties (yeast?) If not for this, possibly a perfect appearance, but it was riddled with them and was very unexpected.. Nice hoppy smell, some sweet graininess, but quite a bit of alcohol present in the aroma as well, which kept it from having the great big bold hop aroma I hoped for. Taste is quite hoppy, very bitter, but tolerable. Drinkable, but not quite at peak enjoyment level at this level of bitterness. Sweetened up a bit as it warmed, and overall, the alcohol didn't detract from the flavor too much, but I like DFH's 90 minute Double IPA quite a bit better than this. Not bad, but not as good as I expected.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2008 17:58:17 | More by JDV

Parrotbeak

Minnesota

3.33/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pristine copper with a yellow hue. Thin white head that quickly thins out.
Smell malty, with piney hopss. Some pineapple and citrus.
Equal parts hops and malts up front. Citrus and some pineapple. Alcohol is assertive, especially on the finish.
Mouthfeel is slick and slightly crisp. Medium light body.
Drinkability is decent, but this one overall does not impress me, and the alcohol is a bit too assertive.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2010 03:52:22 | More by Parrotbeak

tjthresh

Indiana

3.35/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Tons of grapefruit aroma. as it warms I detect some Amarillos. Not a lot of malts here. Dark copper orange with a smallish beige head. As it warms, the head becomes very sticky. Nice. Bitterness overload. No too much balance. This thing grabs your tongue in a full nelson and has not intent of braking the hold. Medium body. Pretty puckering and astrigent. I’d take Hercules over most beer, but for IIPAs, very avarage.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2006 02:43:22 | More by tjthresh

kenito799

New York

3.35/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

22oz bomber poured into pint glasses.

Dark golden-amber brew raises a smallish head that leave some nice lace. Lovely floral/pine/grapefruit aromas emerge from the glass...hops just smell so wonderful. Then a drink...the mouthfeel is somewhat heavy and sticky. The alcohol is hidden well, balanced by extra sweetness, which also blanace the intense hoppy bitterness as well...but there the whole enterprise is dragged down. I don't know why I even bother with double IPAs...obviously i have a problem with the style. The the hop flavors and aromas are wonderful, so why mess with that beauty by weighing the brew down with all the extra alcohol and sweetness? I just don't get it. These beers always come across and heavy, unbalanced, and much less drinkable than the normal-strength IPAs in the family. This is a beer with great taste and it is made well, but it is marred by being made to be huge, IMO.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2008 13:59:41 | More by kenito799

jujubeast6000

Texas

3.35/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Reviewed 1/6/0006 (22oz bottle):

Pours a cloudy brown color body, with a small head that is quickly diminishing, white. A strong aroma of hops, some sweetness. Strong bitter taste, but I've had stronger, slight chocolate, smooth, sweet, dry finish. Not a very complex flavor.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2008 18:59:50 | More by jujubeast6000

rand

California

3.35/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From tap to delerium tulip glass

Pours amber-red in color, dense...viscosity suppresses the carbonation leading to a small head. Nothing lacking in nose though, as waves of ripe citrus notes and alcohol swarm. The taste is even more aggressive with bitter pine and citrus notes pressed up against sweet, chewy malts. Full bodied and complex, it takes a few sips before your palate can wrap itself around the astringent overtone.

Flavorful, but a little too big for its own good. The profile is layered but disjointed. I'd drink this again if it was offered, but there are a lot of more satisfying DIPA's out there.

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2011 23:02:43 | More by rand

BeerZack

North Carolina

3.38/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Dark amber-brown color with yummy looking tan froth head.

Smells of piney hops, sweet malt, wood and alcohol.

Malty taste that gets a little too sweet when it warms but is also toasty and caramely. The other tastes are piney hops and alcohol (gets wayy stronger as it warms).

Basically its the mouthfeel I don't like about this beer, feels too soft. The alcohol is too dominant.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2007 04:56:43 | More by BeerZack

Lothore

California

3.38/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A- Pours a reddish orange hue with a huge, thick, 2.5 finger head that seems to stay for quite a while leaving lacing galore.

S- Smells sweet, piney hops dominate followed by citrusy notes.

T- Thick earthy with hints of grapefruit and some pine. Bitter with the alcohol a bit to apparent.

M- Thick and clings a bit to the mouth. Very carbonated.

D- Not anywhere near the most drinkable dipa i've ever had. The alcohol is a bit too apparent and the bitterness is a bit intense in that it isnt balanced as well as i would have hoped. Aside from the criticism, I really enjoyed this brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2007 02:45:56 | More by Lothore

Pecafaced

Maryland

3.38/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a DFH Signature Glass

A- A nice copper color with a nice big beige head that actually dissipated fairly quickly after the pour. Looks like a great DIPA!

S- Hops? Where are you? The initial smell I had to check the bottle to make sure this was truly a DIPA! I was thrown off. My first sniff brought aromas of a nutty sweetness like pecans. Then the malt sweetness made its presence known. And in the very back some hops were being detected.

T- Again, I was missing the hops. Don't get me wrong, this beer was good but it was not what I was expecting with a DIPA on the label. This beer seemed to be VERY balanced. The malt sweetness was there, the hops were there but it wasn't wearing away at my enamel.

M- Good mouth feel. Seemed to be moderate in body and good carbonation.

O- A good beer, just not what I was expecting with a DIPA. I'm wonder how old this one was....

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2011 23:08:10 | More by Pecafaced

at7000

Florida

3.38/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Too malty for an IPA or Double IPA in my opinion. Just not my cup of tea. I like strong IPAs, but much prefer ones with a crisp, clean, dry, hoppy finish. In fairness, Great Divide describes this beer as "hoppier and maltier" than a typical IPA. I think "malting up" an IPA makes little sense. It's almost as if the malts and hops are competing for the palate and it becomes chaotic, a sensory overload of sorts. It's a serious beer, I would drink it again, and I would rate it as a good beer in general. But I expect something a bit different in a true IPA. I'd have to give this one a C+ or a B-

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2011 21:41:03 | More by at7000

jpittman80

Florida

3.4/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

You may notice that my individual category rankings are all over the board for this one. There's a reason...

A- Clear bronze with off-white head that lasts and leaves several layers of lacing on the glass.

S - Um. Earthy hops with really grainy caramel... I gotta be honest; all this really does is create a very real vomit character. Not good.

T - Wha?! Oh, I get it double ENGLISH IPA. Didn't see that one coming, but I only have my own biases to blame. Totally expecting the good ole American version. Very grainy flavor, especially from pale malt and caramel. The hops are there, but mostly in bitterness, not too much in flavor. They are earthy and grassy, but don't seem nearly close to the 82 IBU listed on the bottle. Totally grain dominated. It actually reminds me of an overly hopped maibock. Bottled on date is less than two months ago, so I can't blame it on being not very fresh.

M - This is a winner. Very VERY smooth carbonation and medium body. You can't feel a bit of alcohol.

D - If you plug your nose until you take a swig, it's extremely drinkable, due to the deft hiding of alcohol content. Not bad if you just get past that smell.

I haven't read a review of this one yet as not to bias myself. I'm really interested in what others have to say. This being a DIPA be style, I'm guessing it's a little inflated in its score.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2010 02:06:09 | More by jpittman80

NODAK

Tennessee

3.4/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Aroma starts out with notes of pine resin, but eventually opens up into a candied sugar sweet aroma with booze also present. Definitely malty.

Pours a nice orange, cloudy hue with a pretty fair head.

Taste starts out with an initial resiny bitterness that give into a very heavy maltiness that's characterized by a toffee, candied sugar taste along with a pretty high level of booze. Even for its ABV, it seems boozy and just "heavy" to me. This is a DIPA that slants more to the malts than anything, so it seems. There is a dry bitterness on the finish that helps it not become too cloying with its sweetness, but there's no mistake about this beer's character.

Decent DIPA but not my favorite, due to how much I can taste the alcohol and just how sweet it is. I suppose I prefer mine a little drier.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2010 03:30:46 | More by NODAK

hopluva1

Washington

3.4/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz. served at 50* in a snifter

bottled 1-25-11

poured a nice orange with a thin 1/2 finger off-white head.
Aroma is decent amount of citrus, and resiny hops, there is a bready malt aroma as well.

Flavor is a smooth resin and citrus hop bitterness, balanced by the malt. The malt flavor is not sweet, its bread like (reminds me of the flavor of fat tire). You get a warmth from the alcohol.

This is not a beer that assaults you with hops. That being said it is a little simple for a DIPA. The malt flavor is to distinct, it differentiates itself from the hops instead of complimenting the hops.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2011 23:44:31 | More by hopluva1

kojevergas

California

3.4/5  rDev -18.1%
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

clvand0

Kentucky

3.43/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark amber color with a small head that leaves a little lacing on the glass. Hoppy aroma, as expected - cascades most likely. Not much more registers with me than the strong hop aroma. The flavor was much of what I expected, but not as hoppy. It's well hopped for an I2PA, but still not as much as I thought it would be. Nice sweetness balances out the hops pretty well and it turns out to be a very smooth drink. Malts can be found once it starts to warm a little, but the hops prevail.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2004 03:10:09 | More by clvand0

tgbljb

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured a cloudy apricot color with moderate slightly off-white puffy head.
Smell is loaded with hops, piney, grassy, citrusy.
Taste is also a hoppy experience, but the maly is completely overwhelmed.
Finish with strong hop notes and not much else.
Was difficult for me to finish. Not a favorite of mine.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2006 15:02:49 | More by tgbljb

cracgor

Texas

3.43/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I was a bit underwhelmed with this one. It is a normal appearing IPA, amber with a thin offwhite head on top. It smells pretty good with a nice aromatic blend of hops. The taste is not nearly as strong as I expected. It tastes good in that it is well balanced, clean, and refreshing, just not that special.

Serving type: on-tap

01-20-2007 15:28:14 | More by cracgor

BeardedBoffin

New Mexico

3.43/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

The beer pours a dark copper moving toward brown color with a slightly sticky off-white head. The aroma is pine, citrus, with some malt notes sneaking through. Medium bodied and coats the palate. Big hops and malt flavors. Pine and citrus and bitter dominate the palate but the caramel from malt provides a strong balance.

This brew has a good balance but there is something that just doesn't shout outstanding. Not bad but not my favorite DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2008 01:56:55 | More by BeardedBoffin

RunDWP

California

3.43/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Hercules is a good name for this beer, because it is strong. With a notable alcohol presence and a very strong bitterness of grapefruit peel and a little grassiness, I just found this brew a bit too agressive for my taste. There's also a far amount of malt here for a double IPA. I can imagine real hopheads will really enjoy this, and understand all the rave reviews here, but this just isn't quite my speed. Looked good pouring, with a standard amber orange color and frothy persistant head with some lacing and sheeting as I drank. The citrus aroma. A slight creaminess to the mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2008 21:42:13 | More by RunDWP

perrymarcus

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle served in a snifter.

pours a beautiful burnished copper tone; a moderately vigorous pour yields 1" creamy/foamy light tan head that dissipates fairly quickly... some lacing but below average for the style.

nose is surprisingly malty, even for a DIPA with a malt backbone; there is a citric/pine presence but it's almost relegated to second fiddle; definitely not an aromatic hop monster.

flavor profile follows suit, to the point it's reminiscent of a barleywine and i'm questioning the freshness (can't find a bottled date even though my understanding is there should be one; was told at the store it's fresh.) don't get me wrong, it's drinkable and reasonably tasty, just nowhere near a top flight double IPA (at least by my own personal standards).

medium-full mouthfeel with average carbonation.

overall i have to say i feel hercules was a bit of a letdown. i remember having it a year or two ago and REALLY enjoying it; our renewing of acquaintances hasn't gone so well, unfortunately. hey, just one man's take. don't get me wrong, i'll happily drink this any day; it's just that i could easily rattle off a couple dozen DIPAs that i'd prefer.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2011 03:25:48 | More by perrymarcus