One September evening me and my mate Marcus set our course for the Queens Head in central Stockholm to treat ourselves to a fizzy barley drink. Looking long and hard at their extensive beer menu (with over 200 beers in stock!) I wanted to go for Great Divide’s Titan IPA, but Marcus already a fan of the Titan, persuaded me to go for something bolder, the Hurcules Double India Pale Ale.

Appearance 2/3

Comes down like a red amber/copper in my sniffer. Giving a 1/2 finger of cap, leaving 1 finger lacings.

Aroma 10/12

Seriously, this brew’s aroma is like a raging bull running the streets of Pamplona. I’m about one foot away from my glass and already it’s like I’m drowning in the DIPA. It’s a complex story starring tobacco, smoke, orange rind, honey and lime all embedded in the subtlest aromatic hops.

Flavor 18/20

Boat loads of sugary sweetness, alcoholic and sticky but freakishly smooth. Contains cereals, nuts, oranges and pink grapefruits. In the background is an everlasting steady hops aroma lurking.

Mouthfeel 4/5

Creamy and smooth liquid, prickling alcoholic presence and tickleishly carbonated.

Overall impression 9/10

Great Scott! This is bold and brave stuff. My preconceptions were… well I had none. I know this DIPA’s been around for several years but I like stumbling in the dark until I find light, or gold for that matter, which I did here. This is one heck of a DIPA. Now I’m really excited to sample the bottle of Grand Cru sitting on the shelf back home. Great Divide? Great Beer!

This IIPA was actually so tasty I forgot to take a picture of it in its glass, poured and all so I had to go back to the barman and ask him to pull out a bottle for staging a photo.

Total Score 43/50

Excellent – Exemplifies style well, requires minor fine-tuning.