You may find it interesting to see a restaurant/brewpub shipping its beer far distances, but here was a California beer in an Indianapolis liquor store. It is increasingly (and happily) common for brewpubs to wear more than one hat. I’m glad to say that this is really paying off for some brewers. Many of you may know already, but I’m pretty selective about my IPAs. So, when I tell you that I like one, I think that it is exceptional as a brew. Here goes my review of Moylan’s double IPA.
The Pour: Amidst the golden-orange body of this beer lay a nice, off-white head that was creamy and stable. The body was fairly active and sustained the lovely head of this beer. As far as beer bodies go, this one was beautiful.
The Nose: Alcohol, which was 8.5% in this beer, came through on Moylan’s. Bitter hops were evident and had a pleasant citrus quality, which can be too much in some IPAs (but not this one). Vinous (wine) qualities were also a notable feature. Caramel malts really popped on Moyland’s IPA, a nice feature, considering that many IPAs leave body far behind the hops.
The Taste: Alcohol came through prominently on the mouth, as did some very nice caramel maltiness. There was some residual sweetness amidst the very nice mouth-feel in the taste. Plenty of grapefruit hop bitterness resided on the palate. Heavy bitterness fades into a lighter quality in the middle section of the beer. The lighter bitterness co-mingles very well with the grainy finish.
Overall, I thought this was a well balanced and delicious version of a double IPA. Oftentimes, double this and double that can be too over the top. It was refreshing to see some restraint exhibited in the Moylan’s version.
Mike’s Rating
Overall Satisfaction: 
Among other IPAs: 
Among other Ales:
