Great Divide Hercules Double IPA

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

22oz Bottle: Very deep orangey pour with an amber hue, and a good amount of clarity. The fluffy and dense tan head leaves lots of sporatic lacing. Great aroma. Sweet hop notes, with loads of honeyish citrus (underlying grapefruit) Candyish undertones and sweet ginger cookies. Very appetizing. The flavor is just as great. Slightly doughy malt backbone with some candyish notes. A bit sticky, but not as sticky as some IIPAs. Some have that sticky sweetness which can detract from the hop characteristics, but this stuff is well balanced. The hop flavors lean toward sweeter, minty notes in the middle, which is followed by drier notes of pine needles, bitter citrus rind and resins in the finish. There’s only some mild evidence of alcohol on the palate, but the flavor has it masked perfectly. This is a very well balanced, extremely well crafted and traditional IIPA. Nice stuff, and highly drinkable.

An amazingly solid IIPA that comes across more as an ASA than an IIPA due to it’s perfect balance. Rich, smooth chocolate underlies the pure hoppiness. Supreme drinkability, moreso than any I’ve seen in an IPA. Hops are fragrant yet not overly bitter. I am thrilled they now offer this in 12oz bottles.

The beer after evacuating the 22 ounce brown bottle set up residence in my glass a slightly hazy burnished copper color, the head is Brontosauric in size, semi-creamy in texture and a toothsome light tan color, the lace forms a tight seal around the glass to conceal its charms. Nose is blessed with a hop floral spiciness, sweet malt at the back, citrus like in its crispness, fresh an appetizing this noise, start is sweet, nice malt profile, the top is middling in its feel to the palate. Finish has a benign acidity, the hops wallops your palate to full attention and it stays that way to the very dry and sweet finish, a real nice refreshing beer on this hot Arizona summer day, my thanks to Argo0 for a chance to sample this fine beer.

Bottle from Utobeer. Copper coloured with minimal head. Massive hop aroma of grapefruit, pine and pineapple balanced by some biscuity malt. The flavour had some more malt before a mouth puckering hoppiness kicked in at the finish. Which left an aftertaste for several minutes. Excellent.

Bottle pours a hazy deep golden, large white dishwater like head, extremely light carbonation with fantastic lacing.   Citrus, hops, and lots of caramel on the nose.   Forwardly sweet, caramely, but quickly switches to a normal IIPA hop assertiveness.   Medium body and mouthfeel.   Finishes rather clean and crisp for a Double IPA, with a nice hop bite.   Sweet aftertaste, which is quite nice.   Thanks goes out to TChrome for the trade!

Amber orange beer with a thick light tan head. Surprisingly sweet fruity aroma with some hoppy tones but not a lot. Fresh and nice. Dry and bitter hoppy flavor with a sweet fruity middle. Flavorfull and very well balanced. Soft and smooth and really tasty. Thanks Jacob Lövenlund and MartinKubert for sharing!

[1603-20080816] 355mL bottle. Hoppy citrus peel grains and a bit of evergreen in the aroma. Slightly hazy, light orange brown body with a quick white foam. Hoppy bitter evergreen hops flavour. Medium body is boozy. Good.
(@ Cole’s IPA Festival; Buffalo, NY)

Appearance: Pours out a wonderfully clear orange-amber color with a pillowy, off-white head. Smell: What a winning aroma! A fresh assortment of juicy citrus fruits served with bread dough and orange blossom honey. Taste: Mild, smooth butterscotch sweetness provides a solid malt foundation that tapers off into a full salvo of orangy hop flavors that are a touch peppery. Renewed accents of toasted caramel lead into a dry, piney finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and quite creamy with a soft carbonation. Drinkability: Plenty of intense hop flavors and bitterness offset by a rich, malty sweetness. That settles it, Great Divide’s Hercules is a very well made Double IPA.