An Evening with Hercules Double IPA . Get Ready for HOPS!

    For some reason,  this beer caught our eye….perhaps it was it’s score of 100 on the Beer Flavor Chart.  We picked up a 4 pack and headed home to enjoy a new beer with our Strawberries. 

The label said it was hoppy….And I tend to like hops.    They always have a way to surprise me with how they behave in various combinations.   I used to think that the bitterness of the hops was a bad thing…then I found beers that harvest that citrus flavor and bring out the oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruits from the hops.   You never know what form of hops you will encounter when you test run a new brew. 

 

 

First….the outer sense…Color.   Warm and bright.  Lovely shade of amber.   Smell:   Fruity and malty…..Pleasant and enjoyable….not not the main punch.   Then the flavor….

 

 

 

I have had hoppy beers that hit several notes as you role them around on your tongue….but this flavor was like a steamroller!   Every Single Taste Bud on my tongue was engaged!    It was like a role of red carpet rolling out, a paving of flavors.  And the cool part was I could not find a single citrus or fruity note that stood out.    It was like all the citrus fruits had been blended up with several other flavors into a perfect balance.  

 

Now I could rave and gush more about this beer, but it is ultimately different from Ommegang and Two Hearted Ales.   Every beer is different in their own way.  But the mouth feel of this beer was truly wonderful…..I would highly recommend it if you are looking for an “experience” .  

Being a double IPA…The alcohol content was a little over 10%   So you may only want one with dinner….unless you like the relaxing feeling you get from Alcohol.  

As for me,  It is always fun trying out new beers and foods….but I continue to come back to Honey Brown….a beer I can have all by itself.   I guess after 30, everyone has made their final decision on their favorite beer.   But just because you have a favorite…does not mean you can’t continue to explore the rest of the world of flavors.   The world of Beer is just a tiny subset of everything the world has to offer.  And that tiny subset is VAST!   Enjoy the discovery!