Great Divide Hercules Double IPA

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

Bottle (in NZ). Pours a dark copper with a very large foamy yellowish head. Woody and fruity on the nose, some sweet toffee and a touch of bubblegum. A well balanced aroma for a DIPA. Not surprisingly, a big mouthfeel with bready malt. Again, the flavours are well balanced, I’m surprised by the floralness over the fruitiness. Very different to the West Coast IPAs, and better for it.

22oz. bomber. Pours a clear copper penny-orange with a moderate dissipating off-white head. Aroma of fresh piney hop cones and floral hops--very strong. Also some sweet toffee malts backing up the hops. Big bitterness throughout (mainly grapefruity), with 2/3 the way through some malty sweetness comes back, only to have more bitterness come back. Dry finish. Mild carbonation. Alcohol covered up pretty well--didn’t notice any burn at all. Very good brew.

Huge head on top of a beautiul bronze beer, full of fast rising bubbles. Huge hoppy nose that still lets some caramel malty aromas come through. Somewhat harsh at first sip, the spiciness of the hops is tasted throughout. Caramelly sweet malts are chewy and thick. Massively bitter at the end, but still some graininess in there.?

Clear amber appearance, good head formation. Intense aromatic grapefruit hop aroma, mildly woody with some tropical pineapple notes. Plenty of malt in this one, initial caramel, slightly syrupy, woody, moving to a strong dry grapefruit bitterness at the end that returns in the aftertaste to wash out the malty sweetness.

I know this sounds nuts...but I think this is perfectly balanced. Bitter-citrusy hops/sweet malt in perfect harmony. Beautiful orange pour with a thick rich foamy off-white head that lasts forever. Grapefruit and pine/caramel and tofee in a synchronous dance, rather than a battle for predominance. Very refreshing. The high ABV is all that prevents me rating this a truly great session beer. I’m keeping my eye on this brewery!

22oz Bottle. Originally reviewed 2/26/05. 3.7. Milky apple cider pour. Slight off-white head that diminishes fairly quickly. Uneven bubbling. Thick lacing. Hops bellows the aroma, with floral, pineapple, and rough pine. Surprisingly, hops don’t over dominate the start and first taste, but they do run the finish very bitter, too much so for me, but I’m not quite a hop-head. Palate is sharp and biting, with very active carbonation and residual hoppy bitterness. I can’t garner much depths beyong the hops. This style isn’t me, it’s like an overly hoppy Barleywine, but if you’re into hops, get this one! 22oz Bottle. Rated 2.23.2008. Nose in candied apple, grapefruit and lesser citrus. Sweet and piney. Pours clear orange amber, with a soft soap in whitish. Flavor manages a rather sweet soap in orange peel, and pine boughs. Very fresh and grapefruity. Malt holds up, maybe too well. A little planty. It’s good. Finishes bright.

The bottle I had was at least two years old. Pours a nice dark reddish amber. Very hoppy aroma as I was expecting. Tastes of, of course, hops although I have had hoppier tasting beers than this one it defintely was that lovely hoppy grapefruit taste. I dont like to drink this one all the time because I dont want it to get old, but every now and then its great.

I am sitting here sipping on this along with another bomber of Avery Eleven. I am comparing the two. Hercules pours a dark reddish brown. The head is large, dense, diminishing but does leave a very solid lace. Very spicy and enjoyable aroma. It’s very spicy (cinnamon,salt), very citrusy (lemon, grapefruit, slightly sweet (cinnamon rolls and cherry pie). Still, it’s very soft and mellow and begs you to take a sip. Resinous start. Pine, floral and woody notes. Sharply acidic. Creamy and full mouthfeel. The finish is full of marijuana notes.