Bells Hopslam

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

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

12oz bottle. Pours clear copper with a small white head. Citrusy and piney hop aroma with a malty sweet balance. Heavy citrus hop flavor, but the honey in this beer gives it the perfect sweet balance to the bitterness. Full-bodied finish. World class.

Bottle. The beer pours to a nice orange body with a creamy white head. Nice lacing. Tons of medium-slow speed carbonation rises up the body. The aroma is filled with citrus fruit galore. Notes of grapefruit, pineapple, Turkish apricots, nectarines, and Mandarin oranges. Pine trees as well. Very nice. The flavor is like I’m eating what fresh hops smell like. Oh so delicious and bitter. Oily and resiny. Oranges, pine, and malt. Full bodied with well hidden alcohol. Lots of oils.

UPDATED: FEB 6, 2009 12 oz bottle courtesy of DrnkMcDermott. Pours a very hazy orangish dark amber, moderate off white beige head that sticks around. Aromas are heavily citrus hop bouquet, grapefruit, and lemon candy with floral notes slip in as well. Taste seems a touch faded with age. Heavily hopped grapefruit rind and bitter with some resinous pine and bitterness on the back end. Touch of carmel malt discernable, but balanced well (so it has to be a significant amount, right?). Finishes well with a lingering citrus feel on the palate. Medium bodied, not filling. Smooth, not harsh. Would have been even more interesting fresh. Still, pretty damn good. Rerate: On tap at The Galway Tribes (Frankfort, Il). This beer fresh is amazing. Rating change.

UPDATED: JAN 20, 2008 Pours a slightly hazy amber with a medium sized off-white head. The aroma is loaded with pink grapefruit, apricots, oranges with some dankness. The flavor is big and bitter, lots of citrus, but a bit too much malt sweetness and bready. Medium body with moderate carbonation and very bitter end.

The aroma is great! Amazingly fresh lemon citrus/ grapefruity hops. From the aroma you would expect it to be a bit thicker in body, but the flavor is still great. There’s enough malt backbone to balance the tart, grapefruity hops. Resiny long finish. Smooth and balanced. Nice IIPA

12oz bottle. Pours a slightly hazed deep golden color with a faint orange hue. A wispy off white head with great lacing rounded off the appearance. Bursting with floral hops and citrus. A great bitter finish with good malt balance.

UPDATED: JAN 22, 2010 finally we meet. a clear orange beer under a medium sized creamy white head. aroma has floral notes with citrus notes and tropical pineapple notes. an excellent mix of floral and citrus in aroma and flavor. somehow its light bodied and really smooth for the abv. perfect palate-wise. -- re-rate-- the palate on this beer is simply stunning. must be the honey to smooth out the abv and biting hop content. soft peachy hoppiness. delicate.

UPDATED: JAN 28, 2011 12oz bottle from a trade with Stoutlover72. Thanks Garrett! I figured I’d try this while fresh, and the aroma was huge - serious hop bitterness (mmmm), with a noticeable citrus element. Very fine stuff, if a shade below some of the more widely acclaimed IIPAs.