Bells Hopslam

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

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

The aroma is absolutely wonderful, strongly of grapefruit and other citrus. It actually laces well enough, so long as you leave it in your glass long enough. The taste is refreshing, despite the relatively high abv, with the ample hopping slightly counterbalanced by a light sweetness, partly from the malt, but also from a bit of honey. Finishes with pleasant bitterness, leaving you wanting another drink.

Bottle. A - Very crisp, clear light tangerine color with a large, thick, creamy, smooth looking white head with tiny bubbles. Pretty good retention leaving a thin, whispy lace. S - Amazing hop aroma. Juicy grapefruit, pine resin, citrus, and floral aroma all present and jumping out of my glass. Very juicy and mouthwatering - essentially hop juice. A touch of sweetness and spiciness. Such a lovely aroma pretty much making me drool just on the first whiff. T - Just like the nose suggested, hop juice flavor. Starts out with a strong cutting bitterness with some pine and spicy flavors. Some floral hop flavor then starts to come out segueing the spicy hops to the slightly sweeter grapefruit and citrus flavors. Some tropical fruit hops also make an appearance (particularly pineapple but others as well). Mid sip some sweet pale malt and slight sweetness comes out. Very nice balance to the bitterness, but in now way will it beat the bitterness out. The bitterness lingers after the sip with an amazing hoppy finish that lingers. Exactly what I want out of a DIPA, huge hop flavors with plenty of bitterness but there is a slight sweet balance. M - Medium body closing in on full body. Great level of carbonation. Goes down very smooth. It just lacks this full viscous feel that I wanted. Just a little off from being amazing, but how smooth and creamy it feels and goes down, I won’t complain. D - Waaaay too drinkable for a 10% DIPA. Goes down so smooth and easy. This is such a joy to drink. Alcohol is very well hidden although it peaks its head every now and then. Strong hop and bitter flavors, but they aren’t overwhelming. Notes: Batch 10094 bottled Jan. 04 2011. Wow this is just what I want from a DIPA. Don’t know what else I can add. Such a great hop flavor, it is like drinking a wonderful hop juice elixir. All different kinds of hop flavors all show up. Just the right balance and goes down so easy. Such a joy to drink, if only it were made year round. I also love that the flavor lingers long after the sip is finished. Simply, I love this beer.

Pours a clear amber, apricot color with more than a finger of foamy white head and a great deal of lacing. Aroma is, as you may have expected, extremely hoppy: floral, piny, citrusy, with a bit of caramel, biscuity malts peeking through. Taste is along the same lines– quite sweet with the caramel, citrus, pine interplay. Medium body, moderate carbonation; crisp, with a long, dry finish.

UPDATED: JAN 14, 2011 Bottle; Pour is a light clear apricot color with a nice frothy white head - Good retention, lacing - Initially - huge floral piney hop aroma. Biggest ever? You adjust to this and the flavors finally come out - Bitter Piney Floral Hop flavors mesh with a caramel malt profile, hop resins couple with that dash of honey. Citrus comes across in the form of grapefruit and tangerine. The finish is incredibly long for the style - This brew is fantastic - No new news here.

UPDATED: JAN 14, 2011 Hit the mother-lode - three mini-kegs and a case..... Amber color, great grapefruit hop aroma. Interesting balance at the start, can definitely detect the honey used and the malt, then BAM pine hops bitterness. One of my favorites. An annual obsession around here among hopheads. UPDATE: the beer actually tastes a bit fresher and more bright from the mini-keg - excellent.

12oz btl. Pours a clear amber with a nice frothy white head. Big aroma of grapefruit, sticky hops, a hint of sweet caramel. Light caramel malt, nice citric notes, and then the big finish big piney hops with a crisp spice and bitterness. Nice for sure but I wouldn’t drink a case of it.

Poured into a snifter. 3.5 A: Opaque darkish orange color. One finger of creamy head has surprisingly bad retention but leaves lots of lacing. Must be the 10% ABV, though plenty of other big IPAs have pulled it off. 5.0 S: Big burst of citrus hops. Grapefruit, pineapple, and orange. There’s a good pungency to it that I just can’t get enough of. 5.0 T: Tons of fruity and piney hop flavor. The perceived sweetness in the fruitiness is thankfully balanced out with a strong bitter backbone to make this one hell of a sipper. The alcohol is essentially non-existent. The malts play a supporting role and do their job without demanding too much credit. 4.0 M: Medium body. Good carbonation, which is a bit surprising considering the lack of head (or perhaps the lack of head is why there is good carbonation). Bitter and sweet finish and aftertaste. I prefer a shitload of hops AND a good creamy body for a DIPA, but the creamy body is not to be found. 5.0 D: I am so glad I finally got to try this beer. It is absolutely delicious. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 05-26-2009 00:14:55

Pours a golden brown, small head. Light lacing. Intense fruity hop aroma, full bodied, but not a lot of malty notes, but some sweetness. Honey, citrus, a little alcohol, but entirely hop dominated, and intensely bitter but not harsh. Long smooth hop finish. Very good!