Great Divide Hercules Double IPA

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

Dangerous. Bottle to end a good night after Oasis concert, at Volo. Dark Orange pour, decent sized white head. Huge hoppy nose, more floral than citrus (and sort of earthy), matched by the equally in your face hop taste. But make no mistake - this is remarkably well balanced, there is a lot of beer here, tons of caramel like malt makes you realize this is a substantial beer. Packs a huge punch but dangerously drinkable. I’ve been waiting for this one and it did not disappoint, thanks Ralph for getting this in, a real coup for us Toronto beer drinkers.

22oz Bomber bottle. Hercules pours out a cloudy dark copper color with a good-sized light tan head. The lace forms a nice ring around the glass and the head stays along for the whole ride. It’s very hoppy in aroma with hints of citrus, spiciness and malts lingering about. The taste is amazing as you first get rushed with extreme hoppiness followed by a nice malty finish. The more this one warms the more is revealed in the complex taste with citrus and nice bitterness to it. It has a great full mouthfeel that complements the taste to create a great beer experience. The alcohol is well hidden but traces of it can be detected, an overall very drinkable beer. This is the beer that let double IPAs take over imperial stouts as my favorite style. I will defiantly hold a bottle to compare against dreadnaught, and keep a few in the fridge as often as possible.

I LOVE this. Bricks of beautiful herb in the aroma and flavor. It brings back memories of the ganja trade. Drizzle that bric-a-funk with malt syrup, and put it under a bell jar on a hot tin roof -- suck the condensation!!! This is like taking something as fresh as a crate of Hawaiian pineapples, 6 Mexican limes; puree and let sit in a china cap on a warm shelf for a coupla days. Watch it drip-drip into your cup. Spicee!!

a hopbomb, fantastic. Hoppy herbal intensiv aroma. strong taste of hops, herbs, Sweet fruit, malt, toffee and vanilla. a long hoppy finisch.

Pours a dark red with great lacing. The head is very creamy and stays that way throughout. The aroma has an alcoholic kick to it which is quite present. Very malty with a lot of citrus, graitfruit and some hard liquor as well. The taste has toffee, hard liquor, citrus, apricot, graitfruit. Strong alcohol at the start, but the alcohol becomes smoother as it goes down. Very malty finish. Excellent.

Pours amber-orange in color with a good size off-white to slightly orange head. Great aromas of citrusy, floral hops and some pine. Flavor is so well balanced between the malt and the hops, maybe just ever so slightly on the thin side for the malt. Well carbonated. Hop bitterness goes all the way through the aftertaste. One of the better Imperial IPAs I’ve tried. I’m going back for more of this one!

Pours a coppery/whisky color, hazed by strength, with a large, near-white head that lasts. Thick legs support rocky lacing. Pine resin hops with florals combine in an Irish Spring soapiness, with grapefruit appearing in a secondary nasal assault. Flavor finds remarkable balance with hops in great quantity yet seemingly tamed by sweet malts. IBUs are mouthwatering without a burn. Citrus is well-represented, but part of the hop profile sings "ESB". Smooth mouthfeel is more buttery than syrupy. If there ever was a sessionable DIPA, this would be it. (Currently tied for 10th in my all-time favorites alongside DFH90 and Avery Maharaja.)

<font size=-4>Purchased at <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp? Liquors, Chicago, IL 60638<font size=-1>

22oz bottle. Deep amber orange pour with nice off-white head. Intense grapefruit and other citrus aroma. Huge sweet malty mouth balanced well with a huge mouthful of hops. Strong bitter finish. A very very welldone IIPA.