Great Divide Hercules Double IPA

Bottled 12/23/08, consumed 3/25/09. Hazy brown body, two finger white head with lots of little bubbles. Caramelized malts overwhelm the hops in the nose. Not as much bitterness as I expected for a DIPA. Nice malt profile, definitely a lot more than I expected, with a nice floral hops finish.

Towering before me in a bomber sized bottle, Great Divide pours cloudy amber-orange. While I am able to see through her depths, she is not crystal clear and to further prove her case, a thick head of foam nicely caps her peak. Melting slowly like snow caught in the cusp of spring, trickling trails of lace mark the sides of my glass. I don’t need to bring her close to bask in her vibrant nose; massive amounts of pine, grapefruit of all varieties, honeycomb, oranges, and grass wet with dew just waiting to be cut. So far Hercules is living up to his reputation, and as I savor my first quaff, my senses surrender to his heavenly assault. Frothy with a medium-bodied mouthfeel, Hercules clings to the sides of my mouth and tongue with sticky sweet honey and orange pulp. As I find myself under the influence of sweet first impressions, an explosion of pine needles, pine sap, and cut grass wrestles my senses to the ground where I am surrounded by blossoming greenery and all the aromas and flavors which come with it. Not to be outdone, tangy and tart grapefruit is especially prominent in the finish, leaving a citric tingly sensation on the back of my tongue. Great Divide Hercules IPA is an Imperial IPA and throughout each quaff, a growing warmth reminds me of his prominent alcohol presence. No one wants a wimpy Hercules, after all. As I near the end of my glass, a continuous assault of pine needles and sap, sour grapefruit, and a burgeoning dryness leaves me thirsting for more long after I finish.

I would have to say that the Great Divide Hercules IPA magnificently lives up to his reputation as the strongest man in the world, or, in the case of imperial IPAs, one of the strongest IPAs out there. But as we all know, strength isn’t everything, and what others sometimes fail to accomplish, Great Divide succeeds in masterfully: balance of flavor, complexity, and drinkability. I would have to say he is easily one of the best imperial IPAs I have quaffed to date.

I remember this beer being heavy and not at all like other IPA’s I’ve had. A deep flavor not afraid of the dark or deep rich stout beers this one will kick your ass.

huge nose of sticky malt. apperance is clouded copper. flavor is of toffee and some resiny hops which are immediately clobbered by the heavyweight malt. palate is sticky and lingering. overall a solid big beer but too malty to be enjoyable as the IIPAs i really enjoy.

Pours a clear copper with a big fluffy white head. Awesome aroma of toffee and caramel, with a fierce hop profile of pine, grapefruit, and other citrus. The flavor is a nice combo of the aroma. Sweet at first, with a fruity notes. The caramel malt jumps out and then a lot of bitterness. Is lighter than average on the palate, light carbonation too. Nice and tasty, with a nice amount of bitterness.

12oz. bottle from the Brass Tap in Wesley Chapel, FL. Pours bright red/brown with a thin beige head. Aroma is alot of pine and sweet hops...very strong. Flavor is alot of sweet pine sap, and almost a hint of caramel or cocoa. Very robust flavor. This is amazingly smooth for an IIPA...not much aftertaste. This is the best IIPA Ive had...tons of flavor, great aroma, and super smooth.

If you like an IPA, you will love this. I hope they have this in heaven (on tap, of course). It is the hoppiest, tastiest, most full bodied and most complex IPA I have ever consumed. Packs a punch, too. Highly recommended.

It poured with an excellent brown/dark tan color leaving a moderate off white head. Great floral and citrus tastes.