beer_name: Hercules Double IPA
text: Appearance: Deep copper in color with some dark orange in the shading as well; poured a solid 2 finger head that was a bit rocky and off-white; head had decent retention and eventually faded to a thick skim with heavier spots that look chewy; sticky/oily foamy residue clings to the sides of the glass as the head disappears; oily residue on the swirl clings as well. Beer is very clear with no sediment or cloudiness whatsoever. Smell: Wonderfully bitter right up front - nice and citrus (grapefruit) with hints of pine; a firm sweet malty backing is there as well and there's a certain sweetness that's a little honey-esque as well. I'm especially excited about the upfront bitterness here. Taste: Outstanding. Bitter again right up front from a great hop presence, a little more piney than I thought it would have been, but the citrus flavor is still the most dominant. There is a very mild sweetness buried in there as well, but it's very subdued and allows the bitterness to be very much upfront. I would place the taste in the realm of Founders Double Trouble due to the bitterness as opposed to the sweetness of a Hopslam. Mouthfeel: A nice body, not thin at all -- nice and full; a nice sticky coating is left behind from the hop oils and great malt backing; once the beer gets down the throat, I find that the palate begins to dry very warmly and a nice tingling is present from the higher ABV. Very nice and it's exactly what I would expect from a DIPA. Drinkability: Moderate, but not too high. While it's a great drink and very enjoyable, the ABV is pretty high and I couldn't take more than one, possibly two in a night -- I think if I went that direction I'd be pretty well intoxicated so I'd stick with just one at the end of the night.