Great Divide Hercules Double IPA

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

I wondered when I’d find an IPA to challenge DFH 90 min. From the pour to the finish Hercules kicked ass. Wonderful frothy head, brilliant coloring and near perfect hop balance. I Bow down to the new king.

Helluva beer. Big bottle. Pours orange and amber. Good lacing and retention. Aroma is magnificent. Lemons and lemon candy! Hops, pine, resin, citrus and grass. It’s all in there. Great flavor, not too bitter and very well balanced. Definitely one of the best DIPAs that is out there. Get Some!! The great thing about this beer is that it is so easy to find.

I have drunk this beer to the planet beer of Rimini, has an optimal aroma and to the palate it is impressive. Unthinkable that is 85 IBU

22oz bottle. Poured a unique copper/rusty color into a snifter. Slightly hazy with a thin, yet respectable white head. Nose is grapefruit, pine, citrus florals, with some hints of malt. Like most Double IPAs this brew started out fairly bitter, almost soapy. But like the best Doubles, this beer mellows out nicley. Almost no hint of the 9.1% alcohol. Light bodied, this beer is crisp and refreshing. Well carbonated with a smooth finish. One of the best.

22 oz. bottle from Sam’s Quik Shop (botled December 23, 2008). Dark orange pour with a creamy white head. Aroma of grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, and pine. Simply awesome aroma. Bitter grapefruit flavor with the right caramel sweetness to balance. Thick and rich body. This is killer. Hard for me to find much of anything to fault with this one. Easily one of the best DIPAs around.

Bottle from Systembolaget. Nice amber color with a large white head. Aroma of citrus, elder, pine-needle and that kind of hoppy stuff. Flavour is hoppy, with citrus, flowery notes, elder, pine-needle and grapefruit. The bitterness is great. There’s also some malt coming through in the end, bringing a caramel/toffee flavour. Extremely fullbodied in the palate, fantastic, thick and long-lasting.

In the bottle from By the Bottle in Vancouver, WA.
Pours clear, medium amber with a medium, white head and decent lacing. Wonderful fruit aroma. Peaches for days. Great taste! Probably my favorite based on taste alone. I always love the super fruity and floral IPAs. That being said, this is kind of a one trick pony. Even though it is 9.5%, it’s really all about the hop flavor and aroma. Malts lend to a very respectable mouth-feel but not contributing a lot to the flavor. Which personally I don’t mind, but makes it a little less well-rounded in the grand scheme. All in all a great tasting beer and that’s all that matters!

After one beer, this vaults into my top 3 very easily. Reminiscent of/cross between Dogfish’s 90 Min IPA and a Stone Double Bastard, it is very balanced, yet very hoppy. You’d never know it was 9.1% alcohol. Do yourself a favor and pick up a 4 pack.