Bells Hopslam

Brewed by Bells Brewery
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

So much flavor and aroma from this beer. For such a heavy beer it doesn’t drink as you would think. It’s like heaven in a bottle.

Bottle in CT. Pours clear orange-amber with a good sized green-yellow head. Flowery aroma with some lemon zest citrusy notes. Flavor starts of mellow hops, juicy sugary grapefruits, and resiny notes. Body is surprisingly light for the amount of flavor packed into this beer. Mid-palate forwards hops and a nice smooth honey profile. Finish is phenomenal: it is smooth and creamy – reminiscent of vanilla – and very grapefruity. Just a delicious drink, and definitely one of the best beers I’ve had.

As usual, Bells produces one of the best beers in the style. I’m sick to death of Imperial this, Double that, blah blah blah, but this one seemed somewhat complex and even a little different in a crowd of overdone, unbalanced, and generally pointless experiments into the world of "more is better", which is rarely the case. At any rate, this one poured a big golden haze with a huge Kool Whip-like head on top. Aroma is fairly predictable but good nonetheless. Big notes of pine, almost overwhelming cascade goodness, and hint of caramel. Flavor is more of the same, big fat cascades dominate and dry the tongue, with an underlying honey sweetness. This creates some semblance of balance, and there is some malty breadiness present towards the end. 4 years ago, I would have rated this a perfect 5, but I’m sick to death of these ridiculous beers. Whatever happened to balance and subtlety? If you like them big, this won’t disappoint.

Bottle thanks to Bobby91w, thanks so much my friend! Pours a very nice golden orange with a smallish white head that falls off quickly to a thin white lace ring around the Leffe chalice it’s in. Aroma is citrus, honey and some pine. Flavor is huge hops, pine, caramel, honey, slight malt with a very piney long bitter finish. Very nice beer. This one will stay on the most wanted list.

Wow what a great beer. this has to be one of the best beers on the face of the earth. God bless Larry Bell for coming up with this recipe. What a great aroma. what a great finish and what a great beer...A+++++++++++

Bottle into red wine glass. Thanks Uwftke26! Pours the color of polished copper, a glowing hazy gold-orange, with foamy moderate off-white head that fades quickly. Nose is grapefruit rinds and a big floral note, almost herbal. All hops, with a bit of sweet caramel malt behind trying to break through. A bit of piney astringency as well. Big and bold on the tongue, carbonation may be a touch aggressive. Some caramel up front, underneath a slightly astringent big, heavy rind-like citrus bitterness. both aspects seem to grow towards the finish, the caramel getting bigger and more intense and the astringent hop note pairing with the citrus to really explode on the swallow. A bit of alcohol heat comes through as well. Finish is long, bitter. Mouthfeel is fairly sharply carbonated, a bit syrupy. Overall, disappointed in this one. Granted, this one isn’t quite fresh - but the big flavors seemed a bit disjointed, and lacking in complexity and subtlety. The huge sweetness coupled with the piney astringency was a bit much in this one. Would have like for the massive sweetness to have been toned down just a bit.

On tap @ WOB. Aroma will knock you on the floor. grapefruit, honey, and hops flavor. ABV is masked by the wonderful taste. Overall the best Double IPA i’ve had yet.

Just able to get this in IL again. First bottle. Pours bright orange. The aroma blew me away. Big fruity hops with a little pine. Mouth feel is medium, which is just about perfect for a double ipa. A bit sweeter and not as bitter as I expected, but it is incredible! Well worth the wait.