Great Divide Hercules Double IPA

Brewed by Great Divide Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Denver, Colorado USA

Dark copper color with a large head that immediately overran the bounds of my glass... Once that settled down, a huge aroma of grapefruit is presented. Definite hops, but the grapefruit blows away the floral hints. Taste has a moderate malt base, but this is definitely about letting hops run free. The pine didn’t show for me, but the grapefruit did recess enough to let the floral come out to play. A wonderfully balanced IIPA. Even though the citrus was very up front and malt was pretty quiet, it never seemed overpowering and off-putting.

Bottle. Nice big lasting head. Color is amber. Aroma is powerful and hoppy. Taste is powerful and hoppy too with a nice sweetness mixed with the hoppy bitterness.

Bottle at Københavnske øldage 07. copper colour with a beige head. Aroma is hop, fruit, malt. flavour is hop, fruit, malt,pine, citrus. Nice beer.

2004 bottle. Pours a bright amber-red color with a creamy and lasting yellow flecked off-white head. Aroma is full of citrus, pine and tons of caramel and honey. Flavor is bitter but yet balanced well. Hops do not kill, they just injure you. But the body is full, with plenty of malt backbone. Finishes very citrusy, with light spice from the hops. I want to get excited about another well-made beer from Great Divide, but there is something I just can’t seem to get passed about this brewery. Most of their big beers, and the lower gravity ones I’ve had, are all tremendously well-made but they seem to lack any real house character. The Great Divide Imperial Stout is about as close to the Generic American Imperial Stout as I can think. This one is another perfectly by-the-book creation. And that is certainly wonderful, but I need something more to get excited about. Or could it be that great divide seems to hop on the bandwagon a little too late, after I’m already bored with the style? I’d like to think I can be more objective than that, but who knows.
Draught. 2005 and onwards
Still hoppy and assertive but these first bottles were startingly dry and clean, with less yeastiness than I remember. It’s like they didnt change their yeast enough on subsequent batches (I cant back that up, that’s pretty irresponsible criticism). But regardless, it just seems a little bit sourish, and with too much toasted malt apparency on draught. Lots of flavor and aroma hops, but tons of acidity and fatigue as well. Current score is an average of my sentiments between bottle and draught.

First rating
(355 ml bottle at The Rover)
A bit shady orange to brown color, tan head. Very nice hoppy scent. Very bitter taste and mouth feel, also very dry. High bitterness.
9/3/7/3/14=3.6

Rerate
(Bottle at a beer tasting in Göteborg on July 4, 2008)
Shady copper color, apricot colored head. Sweet, fruity, apricots, hoppy scent. Hoppy, bitter, alcohol tsate. Smooth mouthfeel, high bitterness.
8/3/8/4/16=3.9

Rerate
(355 ml bottle purchased by deft from Systembolaget)
BB Apr/09
On September 1, 2008
Clear pale brown color, off-white to tan head. Fresh to heavy floral and citrus hoppy scent. Big hoppy bitter and malty caramel sweet taste with an alcohol stomach punch in the middle. Smooth mouthfeel, high bitterness.
8/4/8/4/16=4.0

Rerate
355 ml bottle thanks to deft!
Bb apr 09, sampled on August 17, 2009
Hazy copper color, small white head. Acidic, grassy, hoppy scent, also malty, sweet, grainy, fudge, pine, oranges and some Christmas spices. Bitter, citrus, grainy taste. Warming alcohol. Smooth mouthfeel, bitter aftertaste. Rather high bitterness.
8/3/7/4/15=3.7

(Bottle) Post Mondial Gathering 2004 at TiggMTL. Thin, white with a cloudy, orange body. Fresh Hi-C hops. Smooth cascade and continental hops war with crazed-oranges providing backup. It all eats at my mind - or maybe Jer’s. Lasting burn is a warming signal that you’re not home. Many thanks to CaptainCougar for this offering...

660ml bottle (Pikkulintu, Helsinki) shared by Mirjukka - thanks!
Sweet gingery aroma - very nice. Sticky sweet palate, low carbonation. Some soapy hops. Full malty sweet body, grapefruity, but not exciting. I think this would become boring or annoying after a while. Long sticky sweet soapy finish. Covers 9.1% pretty well.

Pours a medium to light amber with a nice tight sticky head that lasts through the whole beer. Aroma is loaded with citrus and piney hops, along with some pine and a good slightly sweet malt backbone. Flavor is dominated by hops, and balanced very nicely with malt. Alcohol is pretty much non-existant as far as perception. Mouthfeel and finish were exceptionaly smooth.