Hopsickle Imperial India Pale Ale
Bottle of unmarked vintage. Label is printed rather than painted. Beautifully clear, dark amber with a light foamy head and a few streaks of lace. Smell is entirely hops, on the tart citrus side. Sweet malts underly. Astringent first, fruity second, floral last. Body is very alpha-bitter. Hops have been boiled for a while. Sweet on the tongue at first, but it's a fast-fading, dextrin sweetness that yields to the sheer force of the acids. Reasonably smooth for a triple IPA. Not as sticky as most other imperial IPAs, but the acid balances it towards something more normal. A little too bitter to really consider drinkable, but certainly savorable. All in all, not the hoppiest beer out there, nor the most balanced. Still, for the price, it's a great hop-head treat.