Moylans Hopsickle Imperial India Pale Ale

Brewed by Moylans Brewery & Restaurant
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Novato, California USA

Many thanx to Carl Kins. Tasted with William and friends on 29.11.08. Hazy dark golden to orange color, with off white head. Aroma bit caramel, and many hops. Medium to full body. Taste is hops, hops, hops, also bit malts and carmel, good bitterness.

Bottle: Poured a bright orangey color ale with a huge foamy head with great retention and good lacing. Aroma of bitter and citrus hops is quite intense. Taste is a mix between a dry caramel malt bases with some intense bitter and citrus hops. Full body with good carbonation. This is really a one-dimensional beer but still well done and great version of a West Coast hop beast.

Pours very hazy amber with a 2 finger off white head, decent retention and lacing. Aroma is huge on citrus hops, a little melon, tons of caramel malt and a slight earthy hop note. Flavor is bitter and citrus right up front sort of like orange peel. Then comes the malt really just enough caramel and toffee to keep you from being overpowered by hops. Finish is bitter with a hint of melon and yeasty spice. Body is thick and slippery with a nice alcohol warmth. What I like about this ale is the fact that it really does seem like a hops showcase, where many other IIPA are just as heavy on caramel and toffee as they are citrus and pine, this brew is all about the hops. Not the best IIPA I have had but damn tasty.

22 oz bottle. Pours clear golden color with a nice white foamy head of tightly packed bubbles that has great retention and produces very nice lacing. Aroma is strong resiny citrus hops. Very floral and in your face. Flavor is citrusy with almost a grapefruit undertone to it. Very resiny and loads of bitterness at the end. This beer is not for the week of palate. This is a total balls out IIPA. There is also a nice lingering bitterness that makes you want to wash it down with another sip. Well done.

Earthy nose. Nice hazy amber pour. Taste is of hops, citrus, hops, pine and hops. Did I mention hops? Opulent mouthfeel and a beautiful bright finish. Alcohol is nicely disguised.

Bottle. Musky-earthy hops nose with lots of fruity sweetness. Orange, pine, grapefruit, pineapple, cherry, and strawberry. Thick gold-amber with lots of slow-rising carbonation and a half-finger bubbly head. Big thickness is the first impression with lots of bitterness and light citrus flavor. I need to try a more fresh bottle, but what’s here is nice. Strong lingering bitterness.

Crushed with Jakebra. This brew was the highlight of the weekend. Yes. Like a popsicle made out of hops. So bitter and yum on the finish. A ultimate hop paradise. Excellent.

As SurlySober said after we both took a sip from the bottle he brought to my house, "Moylan’s knows SOMETHING about hops that other brewers don’t." He’d had this beer before; I had not. I think his opinion is dead-on - this is (to my taste) what hops are meant to do and this beer is a tremendous showcase for those who like hoppy bitterness and an example of what hops can be. Color is a rich, golden amber with a head of tiny bubbles that quickly fades to a scummy lily-pad appearance. Aroma is a sweet sweat hop smell with plenty of hoppy citrus notes of pineapple (delicious). Flavor is extremely hoppy with hop notes that I perceived as citrus-y, piney, and grassy. Wonderful hoppiness is balanced with a significant malt presence. Mouthfeel is crisp and extremely dry. This is an excellent beer. It is around $10/bottle at my local liquor store, but this is one beer that might be worth that price. Highly recommended.