Great Divide Hercules Double IPA

I got this at the Beverage Barn in East Meadow, NY. The aroma fills the area around the beer. Beautiful mix of citrusy and floral hops, and -unusual for a IPA- a nice toffee/caramel maltiness. The color is attractive, a nice reddish color typical to the style. In the flavor, there is an initial sweetness from the malts, some toffee and nuts, followed by a serious hop sting. the finish is all hops, a nice clean crispness on the palate. The mouthfeel of this is unique, an oily thick mouthfeel. A nice achievement, easily on a par with 90 minute or the other great IIPA’s.

This DIPA is very impressive. From the hop profile, to the nutty, caramel maltiness, this beer is amazing. It pours a beautiful foggy dark orange color. Up from the beer arises this tan head that sticks around till the shows over. The flavor is so intense but smooth... I hope the Lord has this beer for me in Heaven. There’s truly no harshness to it. It’s smooth sailin’ all the way down. Thank you Great Divide. The Lord bless the hop harvest.

22oz. bottle. Pours a nice copper color with an off white thin head that left medium lacing and translucent white flakes of particulate that is a major turn off, but I drank it anyway. Aromas of citrus and piny hops with a slight malt undertone. Flavor is for hop lovers . A slight sweet start fallowed by an intense hop parade. Med. to heavy on the palate with a syrupy like texture. Minus the particles a very good IIPA.

Bottle, pours a clear, deep copper colored body with sizable yellowish white head. Aroma of citrus, freshly peeled grapefruit, sour apple, and a hint of floral hops. Strong grapefruit and hop flavors along with caramel malts with hints of spicy and floral hops, grass, and pine. Thick, almost chewy mouthfeel. Bitter grapefruit finish that is a tad astringent. Bitter, almost aspirin-like aftertaste. Slightly boozy.

Bottle. Pours deep red amber with a medium tan head. Potent citrus aroma- grapefruit, lime, but also room for a bit of toffee and apples. Grapefruit bitterness punches the tongue with just a hint of caramel. Great, even if unbalanced.

Had this on tap at the Great Divide tap room last night. It is everything a DIPA should be, it’s very boozy and very hoppy at the same time, the combination of the two gives it sort of a "hot" palate, but not harsh. The hop flavor is fantastic, very spicy and floral. The aroma is very full and hops dominate. It was a deep gold color with decent head retention. Also, I picked up a pretty mean beer buzz.

12oz bottle. Pours a bright, clear orange-amber color; off-white head with solid retention and mixed-bubbled lacing. Lots of aggressive, piney and earthy hops in the aroma; slightly astringent, but generous with toffee maltiness underneath. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: intensely chewy and quite agressive hop character (following the nose): piney, earthy bitterness, chewy malt underneath (caramel, toffee, nuttiness); not even close to balanced - a straightforward hop-bomb that’s a bit too astringent and too aggressive for me to really enjoy this. Not exactly my ideal hop profile, and low on the drinkability scale for me. Some hop-numbness on the tip of the tongue, which is nice. Lengthy, numbing finish: earthy and piney bitterness, chewy candy sugar and caramel.

bomber into tulip. Pours amber orange with medium sustained head. Aroma is grass, hops, pine. Creamy mouthfeel with malty sweetness quickly giving way to dry bitter finish. There is a lot to rate here but it’s not my favorite IIPA.