Moylan's Hopsickle Imperial Ale

Friday happy hour found me with a Moylan's Hopsickle Imperial Ale in my hand. The label calls it "Triple Hoppy". So what exactly is a Triple Hoppy Ale?

Moylan's Hopsickle Imperial Ale, >100 IBUs, 9.2% ABV:
The color is copper. Pungent citrus, pine, and herb hop in the nose with a hefty malt background. The malt is present, but outweighed greatly by the hop vapor being released in this beast. Big malt upfront that is quickly replaced by citrus, pine, and herby resinousness. This beer is extremely bitter! Moylan's calls it a Triple Hoppy Ale, and they ain't lying!! This beer has the weight of a Double IPA, and the hops of a Triple IPA . . . Uhhhh, nevermind . . . That's just stupid . . . Of course, there's no such thing as a Triple IPA . . . sorry, Founders Devil Dancer and Dogfish 120. This Hopsickle Ale is a hop assertive Double IPA with the stress on the hops! As previously stated, Moylan's is not lying when they call Hopsickle a Triple Hoppy Ale. Call yourself a hophead? If so, you will be elated! If you're like me, a hopheadless, beer-loving fool that appreciates hops . . . you will find Hopsickle to be a hoppy Double IPA. If you don't like hops, don't even smell this beer. Stay far away. It's not for the faint of heart.

10 minutes after leaving the bar . . . hops still in affect.

This beer is extremely rare to find on draft in the Pittsburgh area. As stated, Hopsickle has the weight of a Double IPA, but is not nearly as malty sweet as a Double IPA. Hopsickle on draft is quite a treat.

Who's pouring this wonderful beer on draft locally?

Harris Grill
Rivertowne Inn
Smokin Joe's Saloon
Fat Heads Saloon
D's 6 Pax & Dogz
Carl's Tavern (3386 William Penn Hwy., Monroeville)
Bocktown Beer
Mad Mex-Cranberry
Mad Mex-Robinson

Southampton Double White

Friday lunch found me catching a bite on the South Side at Smokin' Joe's Saloon. Smokin' Joe's is a great South Side beer bar offering a few hundred different bottles of beer, fairly priced pub food, and 60 beers on tap!


As I looked over the draft selection, I found a beer that fit my mood, Southampton Double White.


Southampton Double White, 7% ABV:
Beautiful, cloudy, golden appearance . . . Bananas, citrus, and clove in the nose. Malty upfront with flavors of citrus rind, spice, and bananas. Has a nice spritzy effervescence. Flavors dissipate slowly with heavy orange and lemon citrus, spice, and hints of bananas leading way to a nice crisp, semi-dry finish . . . Very complex . . . Very satisfying . . . This Double White Ale is much more complex and sophisticated than its traditional White Ale counterparts. Stylistically speaking, you wouldn't enter this White Ale into a White Ale category. It's much too large for the category. This is a thinking outside of the box White Ale that combines American creativity with the fundamental flavor profile of a traditional White Ale. This is a White Ale with attitude . . . Bad-ass attitude. Thanks, Phil!


If you are unfamiliar with Southampton Double White, and enjoy White Ales, you should run out and find this unique offering. It is widely available in distributors, bottle shops, and restaurants throughout the Pittsburgh area, and it's draft presence will surely increase with the recent onset of sunnier, warmer days.


As always, if you contact me looking for direction, I would be more than happy to point you to the nearest retailer in your region that carries this fine product.


Cheers!