Hopefully I can get this review in before Nigel gets one up and beats me to it. Nigel and I shop at the same liquor store only in two different cities. When I saw that they had Ale Asylum’s Hopalicious, I decided to quick drink it up and write this review before Nigel stocks up his mini-frig with this same beer and he writes a review on it.

At first glimpse this beer poured into the glass with no head to it. I thought that was strange considering all glasses that I drink beer out of are thoroughly washed. I drank this one up and made sure I had a clean glass for the next beer. Well, this seemed to do it since this new beer had a decent head to it. To avoid this problem in the future here is a quick guide to the wonderful world of glass cleaning.

Clean Glassware 101:

1. Make sure you are drinking out of a clean glass. Beer scientists have found that oils from the body, either on the hands or lips, can significantly reduce head retention.

2. Make sure the glass you’re drinking out of is not too clean. Again, these same beer scientists have discovered that the soap used to clean the glassware, if not thoroughly washed off, can negatively affect getting a good head from your beer.

3. There is a proper way to clean a glass. Thoroughly wash out your glass with soapy water. If possible try to dedicate a washcloth or sponge for glassware used for drinking beer only. This will reduce the amount of oils from other sources. After all the areas of the glass are cleaned, rinse the glassware with the hottest water possible and let air-dry. Never towel dry, as this will leave dirt particles or even oils on the glass. If using a dishwasher make sure to rinse the glass with hot water after the cycle and let air-dry. Dishwashers can and will leave soap residue on the glass.

Now that today’s lesson is over, I can get back to the review.

The one thing I noticed when I took a drink of this was the fact that it tasted and smelled exactly like Three Floyds’ Alpha King. I am only an amateur hophead so we’ll leave this observation up to Nigel to dispute. Sweetness, caramel, citrus, malt; are all characteristics that describe this brew in taste and aroma.

The one thing I have to agree on when Eddie reviewed this beer was that it tasted like all other pale ales. But to a novice in a world of hoppy beers, this was perfect for me.

Prosit

Reviewed by Franz Mueller on December 5, 2007.

Agree with this review?