Hopsickle Imperial India Pale Ale
Served at just above fridge temperature in a large tasting glass. Thanks to Ego for the bottle, time for some hops! Appearance- Pours a fantastic burning orange, like a summer sunset, with a wicked three finger head that looks amazing. Craggy, massive lacing drags behind. Smell- A superb blend of citrusy, oily hops combined with your pine cone aromas attack the nose immediately, with enough finesse to showcase the malt too. A faint note of the ABV lingers inside the glass... this is nice. Taste- An intense, tongue-gripping bitterness takes hold and dumps hop juice everywhere... this is a hopbomb like goes where few others would dare. As strong as this beer is, I wouldn't call it a mess by any means... it's just a bit one-sided with no malt backbone for balance. Mouthfeel/Drinkability- Wow... what a surprisingly thin mouthfeel, after a bold-as-balls display in the sight and aroma departments! What little carbonation there is in the beginning crackles away fast into a quick, light finish that seems inappropriate for the style. The alcohol kick begins its descent in the belly and extremities, but I am not sipping and savoring like I might with a 90-minute. All in all, a pretty beer with a great smell and decent taste that was not all that easy to get through.