Moylan's Hopsickle Triple IPA

At the brewery (Moylan’s in Novato, Calif.), this beer is served in 10 oz. glasses. Ask the bartender, and he’ll set you up with a 22 oz. bottle to go. You can also find it in many specialty beer shops. This is my first beer review with the new system (see link at bottom), so I decided to go with a beer that I was already familiar with. I got the test sample in a 22 oz. to-go bottle right from the brewery.

Appearance (15%) — Wonderful orange/amber color. Once poured into a glass, a foamy and slightly tinted head forms at the top of a cloudless body. The head builds at a level that’s quite average for an AIPA, and sticks around for a reasonable amount of time. It clings to the glass, and slides down to meet the beer only just slowly.
(88/100 = 13.2%)

Aroma (30%) — The instant you stick your nose into the glass, you know where the beer gets its name. There’s nothing subtle about this aroma. It’s hops, hops, and more hops. But it’s not overpowering. There’s just enough of the other scents to tease you. It brings you in with slight hints of citrus.
(90/100 = 27%)

Flavor (40%) — Again, nothing subtle about the hop bang you get right from the first sip. Allow yourself to savor a bit, and you’ll find out the citrus hint from the aroma turns into a pop of bitter grapefruit that lingers slightly after the swig is swallowed. Also present is a wood flavor, reminiscent of pine resin. It reminds me of the same resin that violinists use on their bows, or a pine-filled forest in the southeastern United States.
(93/100 = 37.2%)

Bite (10%) — The taste that lingers longest is the bitter. And if that’s what you’re looking for, this beer delivers. There is a slight warming feeling from the alcohol, which is to be expected from a 9.2% brew. But don’t worry, the hops are not masked by the booze.
(84/100 = 8.4%)

Bumper (5%) — As I said earlier, you can drink this in-house in a 10 oz. glass or get it to go in the 22 oz. bottle. The thing you have to remember about this brew is that if you keep it in your fridge, it’s going to be a little colder than it’s meant to be. That’s one of the things I like about this beer. I take out the bottle when I get home from work, I set it on the counter, and I then go through my usual shut-down-the-house chores. Once they’re out of the way, the beer has set itself to the perfect temperature … about 50 degrees. The 22 ounces in the bottle is the perfect amount for a man’s nightcap.
(97/100 = 4.85%)

Final Verdict (90.65%) — A- … Worth the few extra bucks, especially for a special occasion.

To see The Man F.A.Q. Beer Review Guide, click here.