Hercules Double IPA - Great Divide Brewing Company

Kromes

Georgia

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

A: A clear copper color with a thick tan colored head that laces the sides of the glass.

S: Toasted malt and pine and fruity hop aroma.

T: The toasted malt is apparent up front and then the pine hops and alcohol kick in. Finishes a little bitter and peppery from the alcohol.

M: Medium body and peppery, dry and warm from the alcohol.

O: A really good double IPA. Recommend picking up if you like bitter hop.

Serving type: growler

06-22-2012 18:50:51 | More by Kromes

MacQ32

South Carolina

3.93/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours a nice golden orange/amber color with about a quarter inch of seemingly dense near white head, retention is mediocre, lacing is good.

S - Sweet caramel malts, citrusy/tropical hops, a little bready. (my nose just went for a dip in the beer.. oops). Pretty malty smelling brew overall.

T - Very very nicely bitter, alcohol is detectable but not undesirable (for some it could be), some nice citrusy grapefruit flavors. I still pick up on the malt & bready quality in the back end a bit but the bitterness definitely dominates the sweetness from the malts

M - Medium bodied or more, fair amount of carbonation. not quite a sipper but definitely not a chugger.

O - All in all very solid brew, love the aggressiveness but still not overbearing

Serving type: growler

03-14-2012 00:23:19 | More by MacQ32

atr2605

New York

4.73/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A-pours a soft reddish amber with an off white head that leaves a nice lace around the rim
S-tons of citrus, a slightly pine aroma in the background
T-Malt dominates the flavor up front providing a nice sweetness followed by a great hop bitterness that continues to be citrus and pine. Clean finish
M-Medium bodied.
O-tons of flavor and very well balanced double ipa. It is a big beer but still remains very drinkable and has lots of hops. Absolutely loved it and highly recommend

Serving type: growler

03-03-2012 03:26:16 | More by atr2605

schoolboy

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Wow. This is a pretty darn good fit for me (tonight and most any night). Beautiful color and aroma. Lacing to die for. The taste is full bodied - lots of over the top hoppines. All this completely masks the alcohol.

I have another great divide to try in bottles, and I know I tried some of theirs when I was vacationing at Vail. Hercules willl be one to try again. Hopefully it is as good in a bottle as on tap.

Serving type: growler

08-25-2011 23:49:34 | More by schoolboy

barleywinefiend

Washington

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

A: Pours an orange color, fluffy head that lasts and good carbonation.

S: The aroma is pine, citrus and a slight floral blast.

T: Taste is, obviously, dominated by hops but the malty sweetness gives the bitterness a run for its money.Caramel, pine, floral and citrus make up the taste

M: Mouthfeel is a bit thin for me as IIPA. Stone IPA is about the same to me. There is a definite aftertaste of bitterness on the roof of my mouth.

D: Very drinkable.

Serving type: growler

01-07-2011 03:23:16 | More by barleywinefiend

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

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

Fresh Growler from Fathead's Pittsburgh

A-pours a bright golden copper color with an off white head that is dense and creamy leaving a solid lacing.

S-the nose brings a fair amount of caramelized brown sugar and notes of caramel. pine sap takes over with light notes of citrus, pineapple and grapefruit.

T-caramel and caramelized brown sugar lay the malt base with an explosion of chewy pine sap, resignous and thick. citric notes, grapefruit and appricot in the back with an assertive hop bitterness in the finish.

M-extremely full bodied, thick and chewy, syrupy and coats the mouth, moderate carbonation, rather crisp finish and even slightly dry.

D-wow, this beer is huge! one of the biggest bodies I've had in any kind of ipa. the flavors are big, it is resignous, piney, chewy. the thick malt base adds some balance but this is a piney bitter hop lovers dream.

Serving type: growler

08-19-2010 02:03:39 | More by cpetrone84

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

Deuane

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Nitrogen for this one...Growling at the Moon Trade.

A-Slightly hazy Copper with a thick light tan head. Moderate lacing all the way thru.

S-Nicely aromatic of pine and citrus with hints of malt sweetness.

T- Firm malt backbone with plenty of citrus hops and hints of pine. Alcohol is well hideen but an amount of warming comes thru. Overall, well balanced.

M-Medium bodies with a certain crsipness. Lot sof lingering astringency. Aftertaste of piney bitterness and citrus.

D-A good DIPA for sure. Not quite the right hop profile / malt balance for me to be a 5 but is surely one I could enjoy off and on.

Serving type: growler

02-14-2008 11:48:34 | More by Deuane

satowns

Colorado

4.38/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Purchased a growler from the brewery and poured into a Breckenridge 471 IPA half pint glass. I know; sacrilegious.

Color is that of applejuice. Kind of this caramel orange shade. Decent amount of head which recedes to a single layer of bubbles. Elegant lacing from the start. Low carbonation, which is expected from a draught product stored in a growler overnight. High fill on the growler and a distinct psssst upon opening.

Barely perceptible level of band-aid phenols. Malt sweetness appears to control the aroma. Spicy floral hops are wonderful, but not in your face. The aroma is actually quite tame.

The flavor is where the party is! Excellent balance between the crystal malt flavor and that of the high alpha acid hops. Nice citrus and pine character with a caramel/toffee complement. Bitterness is very smooth...probably due to using hops that are low in co-humulone, a harsh bittering acid found in hops. The malt bill melds perfectly with the hop usage in this beer. In my opinion, probably one of the best tasting strong IPAs, double/imperial, that I have found (and I had a Pizza Port/Stone brewer as a roommate and I cycle with the Avery crew).

Fantastic body on this beer. Nice and full...

If you like this style of IPA, this should definitely be on towards the top of your list. If you cant get it, beermail me and we can work a trade. The only thing i hold against this beer is its aroma, I would like to see a ton more of it.

GD made the right move when the picked up their new brewer last year!

Music enjoyed whilst sampling: Hooray for Me by Bad Religion

Serving type: growler

02-04-2008 00:00:49 | More by satowns

beerphan

Pennsylvania

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

Growler -> pint
2007 @ MadMex, Cranberry, Pa

Pours a clear copper, with a quaint one inch white head. Thin sheets f lace. Carbonation appears minimal.

Nose: Strong hop nose mostly pine

Smooth silky mouthfeel. Strong sweet caramel malts upfront, followed by a fruity citrus pine back that finishes with a lingering pineapple bitterness. Alcohol is well hidden behind the full flavors. Pretty balanced as the full malt presence is subdued by the almost over the top hoppy bitterness.

Very drinkable DIPA, that will sneak up and bite you in the ass with the 9.1 ABV. Enjoy.

Serving type: growler

11-24-2007 01:50:55 | More by beerphan

ArrogantB

Colorado

4.03/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hercules was a clear, golden amber color when poured into my snifter. There was a short off white head. It smells like crispy hops and sweet syrup. There is definitely some hop bitterness but not straight "hoppy". I really prefer citrus and pine in my DIPA's.There was some malty caramel balance and not a hint of alcohol. The mouthfeel was sticky and chewy. This is good stuff; too bad Great Divide raised their growler prices :( .

Serving type: growler

06-11-2007 22:44:42 | More by ArrogantB

Celt44

New York

4.8/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This one seems to be a regular at my local growler filling station.
Pours very clear copper with a nice, full frothy head - lacing lasts throughout.
Smell is great combo of a typical floral IPA with hints of malt and pine.
Taste is superior for a 2IPA. Hop bite is up front - the malt aroma explains itself here also - probably the maltiest(?) 2IPA I've experienced to date. Additional flavors that come to mind are pepper and another spice that I cannot name.
Mouthfeel is smooth as silk.
Overall a superior and very drinkable 2IPA. Alcohol presence is much less than others I've tasted. American IPAs are my first choice and I tend to stay away from 2IPAs due to the alcohol content and taste. This one totally breaks the mold for 2IPAs in my book.

Serving type: growler

06-15-2006 23:19:03 | More by Celt44

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