Great Divide Hercules Double IPA

Color: Copper Aroma: Complex, floral, spice, fruity malt (ripe orange, stone fruit) Flavor: Dried apricot, ripe orange spice with firm bitterness on the mid-palate. Caramel with moderately sharp bittering on the finish. Comment: a 2008 bottle. Shows complexity. Wonder how it would age for an additional year. 2008 Tasting of a 2007 bottle Aroma: Floral, perfumed/fragrant, orange blossom Flavor: Firm initial hop attack, followed by orange and malt, orange spice, yeast and then enter a long finish with balanced bitterness and fruity malt. Comment: Medium weight (less perceived malt than the 90 minute), very smooth; good evolving complexity with initial hopiness momentarily giving way to some malty sweetness and returning to a hoppy bitterness that is slightly moderated by the malt. This was the surprise of the evening. It appears to age very well--ie, it actually seems to improve rather than simply mellowing. I’ll age more of this.

Pours a clear copper with a light tan head. A strong caramel/toffee aroma, with some earthy hops. The hops are not as present as one would think for a IIPA. Taste has a strong malt base with caramel characters. There is pleanty of hop bitterness (a good thing), but the citrusy hop lingers and I did not enjoy the taste to much. Different hops may have been better. The alcohol is present, more than I expected for a 9% beer. Creamy full body mouthfeel, balanced well for an IIPA.

Bottle: Pours cloudy orange, foamy and bubbly white head. Aroma is heavy on the hops with vanilla and pepper. Flavour is aggressively hoppy but balanced with a toffee-like sweetness and breadiness. It’s bitter but balanced well, great for the style.

Bow down to the bigness! 22oz bottle, last of a case I got. It took me a while to review this one simply because I had too much fun drinking them and perhaps didn’t feel in the moment I should pause to review. Well since this is the end of the case now is the time. It’s certainly a big IIPA with a very complex hop profile and some well integrated maltiness. Trouble here is that the alcohol is fairly evident and not particularly subtle. Obviously with an IIPA you can’t really age it since you’d lose hops to gain alcohol refinement. Shame. This beer is close to perfect but not as excellent as those examples of the style rated higher. Still. I wouldn’t say no if someone provided me with more!

22 oz bottle..clear deep amber pour.huge white head ,excellent lacing. fruity sweet aroma with some perfumey hops.sweet bready and caramel malt flavors with a very strong piney bittering.good full mouthfeel,well balanced. finishes dry with a lingering bitterness. good but not outstanding

on tap at Great Divide. I’ve had this brew a lot before but not in the past few years. pours hazy golden with white head. nose is extremely perfumy with pine and citrus notes. flavor is again, very very perfumy and astringent. sweet caramel malt notes balance it out. alcohol is well hidden. I don’t recall the hops being so perfumy which really bothered me in a double ipa.

650 Ml bottle. From the deep shelves of Decicco. Nice pour with a fluffy head that hangs out with you for a while. Deep cloudy amber color. Sweet at first with a bitter finish. Fantastic!

On tap at Zeke’s (Miami Beach/SoBe, FL): Pours a bright copper hue, aroma screams DIPA...but the flavors stand out big time. Caramel takes over the palatte, and there’s other notes of sweet malts and pine hops, and citrus peel. Drinkability: yeah. Rebuying: sure.