Hop’solutely from Allentown Brew Works labels itself as a “triple” IPA. I was delighted to pick this one up being a huge fan of IPAs. This review is based upon a corked and caged 750 ml bottle. I was happy with the Monkey Wrench Saison that Shane and I reviewed in our latest video review and was excited to uncork this bottle and get down to some beer loving fun.

Just a quick history lesson, India Pale Ales did not originate in India. They were developed in England. So why call them India Pale Ales? The English needed a beer for the trip to India that would keep, so the Brits threw in lots of extra hops to help keep the beer and IPAs were born. Ta-da!

Back to the beer, as soon as the bottle was uncorked you could smell the hops. It hits you like a ton of bricks. The intense, hoppy and resiny nose quickly turned to subtle, floral hops. While hops were the predominant scent, some mild citrusy undertones seep through, including pineapple and orange. The beer poured a nice copper hazy color with some thick one and a half finger foamy head and leaves some fantastic lacing.

The beer has an incredibly rich, profound and delicious taste. Up front you’re hit with the hoppy character with some citrus, pink grapefruit. The balance is great and leads into a mouthful that’s tamed and balanced with the hop and malt characters complimenting each other. This brew is warm and sweet, with a very mild alcohol burn, leaving a nice hoppy stick in the linger.

At 11.5% ABV, the Hop’solutely is edging it’s way into the “Big Beer” category and it holds its own. I was definitely feeling really good after finishing off this bottle. For me, this one I will mark down on my must buy list again, though I must caution you if you don’t like hops at all, you probably won’t enjoy this brew. If you are looking for a solid Imperial IPA that has a nice, small town feel to it, go out and pick up the Hop’Solutely.

Overall: 9.3/10
(yes, I pulled a Shane with the rating)