Kicking Back With a Moylan's Hopsickle

Saturday was a typically busy weekend day and it was late in the evening when Colleen and I finally sat down to relax. We were both hungry, and in the mood for a hoppy, big beer. So while Colleen sliced up some very nice Irish Cheddar Cheese, I perused the beer selection in the basement and came up with a bottle of Moylan's Hopsickle Imperial Ale. Moylan's beers are recent arrivals to our area and I recall it was the label bearing the words "Triple Hoppy" that had intrigued me to make the purchase.

The beer pours an attractive copper-orange color with a tan head. Sticky lacing is left behind as the glass is emptied. The aroma is that of strong citrus hops with a good bit of sweet malt thrown in. The hop aroma comes across as "wet" and fresh. Hopsickle supplies a hop explosion in your mouth. It's not all citrus though. You are hit with pine and bitter notes as well. The finish is bitter with a lingering sweet malt stickiness. At 9.2% ABV the alcohol flavor comes through in the aftertaste. The flavor and mouth feel remind me of what you get from wet hopped beers such as Great Divide Fresh Hop Pale Ale or Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale, though on a much bigger scale. The Moylan's web site doesn't offer any clues if the fresh (or wet) hopping is used, although the label mentions "fresh hops."

Moylan's Hopsickle Imperial Ale is a very nice Double IPA. Often these Double, or Imperial IPAs present characteristics that whisper Barleywine, but the big hop profile in "Triple Hoppy" keeps it solidly on the DIPA side. The dry, sharp cheese was an excellent foil for the big flavors and syrupy finish of the beer. If you are a fan of the Double IPA, this is one you should try.