Moylans Hopsickle Imperial India Pale Ale

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

22oz bottle bought at John’s Marketplace. Slightly hazy orange body with a creamy light tan head. The smell, of course, is the hook on this thing... so rich, creamy, lightly spicy hop cone explosion... it’s a circus of sweet melon, spicy orange and pineapple and sweet lemongrass. The best IPA/IIPA nose I’ve ever had. First touch on the lips is lightly active, then more rotund and harsh across the middle, ending a little smoother than it suggests, with a residual sticky sweet honey and hop coating. Flavorwise it doesn’t really blow me away - it’s a little too caustic, and really the problem I have with double IPAs as a whole is the nails-down-the-throat abrasiveness, which this one doesn’t attempt to avoid. Overall it’s good, something I could smell forever, but ultimately a letdown on the palate. Of course that’s just me being picky.

A big rocky head sits atop a hazy amber body. The aroma is filled with grapefruit, lemon zest, pine, and bitter grasses. The sweet malts make an appearance of sorts in the flavor, but the balance is tipped towards the big hop bitterness. (Three cheers for inbalance!) The finish is a prolonged citric and earthy bitterness. Nicely done.

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Heavily hazed dark amber liquid. Taller head of creamy/dense heavy cream colored head. Decent lace. Heavy sweet malt aroma wrapped in citric zest. Lemon zest and grapefruit pulp are dominant in the nose. Flavors of weak lemon juice mixed with malt and corn syrup. Some tropical fruit are tossed into to further muddy the tastes. The malt is so weak that I have a hard time thinking this is anything but a hop tea in light syrup. I’m having a hard time getting into this one. Lacks any malt depth only shows off the hops.

Bottle@Home. Sweet grapefruit aroma. Cloudy, amber colour, beige head, good lace. Sweet, bitter, grapefruit, bready. Full, almost syrupy. Powerful stuff but just no it.

Bottle: Amber gold color, light head and lacing. Nose is bright and hoppy with some of the classic citrusy c hops along with pine, grapefruit and resinous brown sugar. The flavor has a snappy bitterness accompanied by the mild malt sweetness. A lingering dry mouthfeel thats pleasing. Excellent IPA, I could go for a super fresh sample.

22 oz. Bottle at 43F. Pours a hazy dark amber with an average rocky off-white head that was mostly lasting with good lacing. Heavy hoppy citrus pine aroma. Medium body with a dry texture and soft carbonation. Heavy hoppy citrus bitter flavor with a good bitter finish of long duration. Very good brew.

Bottle, thanks to jsquire for this one. Pours a slightly amber color with a small off-white head. Has a nice hoppy bitter citrus aroma with some malty hints. Malty hoppy bitter caramel flavor with lots of pine and citrus hints in the flavor aswell. Has a long dry and very hoppy bitter pine finish with a very bitter aftertaste. Thanks again jsquire for this great beer!. I like it.

Thanks to DaveCooks for this one. Dave sent 2 vintages of this, and the one i drank looks identical to the bottle pictured at left. The pour is turbid deep copper with a 2-finger off-white head. Aroma is huge tropical fruity and piney hops, some caramel malt, some black pepper. The palate is smooth, on the dense side, and syrupy hoppy, with flavor components of resiny hops, tangerine, honeydew, orange zest, watermelon. Gets hoppier as it warms. If you are a hophead, you’ll love this.