Bells Hopslam

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

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

This one has kind of a wierd aroma. The hops have a bit of a musk floating around. Other than that, it’s a nice complex spicey hop mixture that seems to avoid the typical IPA cliches. Malt balances the tingling hops. Tastes more like a really nice IPA. I never would have pegged this as almost 10%, but damn tasty.

Bottle shared with tupalev, blankboy, HogTownHarry & jerc - jerc’s bottle. Deep golden-amber with a small white head. Aroma - hoppy as all hell (grapefruit, spruce) with quite sweet as well. Flavour of big, fresh hops, some honey and caramel - huge, but balanced. Just fantastic all around.

(3/1/08) Sample from a bottle (I think jerc brought this one - thanks!) at the RB table at Zythos Bier Festival 2008 in Sint Niklaas. Amber-colored. Big citric hoppy aroma. A very bitter flavor with tons of citrusy juicy hops and some malt and caramel. A lot of grapefruit in the finish. Really great.

Extra special thanks to johnykat for contributing to my pre-work deliquesce ! Pours a hazy shade of orange with 2 finger head that slowly dissapates to one island of foam. Fine example oflacing with a wonderful fruity hop aroma. Alcohol is well masked with this hop bomb. well balanced between hop and malts. Another fine beer from Bells

355ml Bottle from Cracked Kettle. This’d better live up to its reputation and be worth the €6,50 I paid for it. Pours a slightly hazy golden amber colour, white head. Bitter hop aroma noticed upon opening the bottle, strong grapefruit and pine bitterness, some citrus and a little sweet note. Flavour is soft sweet, grapefruit, malts, sweet fruits, a hint of honey. Bitter sweet finish. Medium to fullbodied. Very smooth drinking for a 10% beer, alcohol is barely noticed. A bit too smooth, I would have liked a bit more edge to the beer. Wouldn’t buy it again for this price though, but it’s really good nevertheless.

12oz bottle brought by Criag to the gathering. Fruity grapefruit aroma. Orange body with decent head. Flavor was a good dose of fuity citrus you would expect from an IPA. Dry bitter aftertaste but not too bad. Good refreshing beer near the end of the gathering.

22.11.06 12oz bottle, Batch 7690, via trade with OhioDad. Nice looking stuff is orange gold, clouded, some visible sediment, and an off-white head that recedes quickly to a thin film. The aroma is pleasant, inviting, with much citrus - mostly resembling those kickass oranges I got a Wegmans a couple months back - and some strong grassy earthtones (hay) that I did not expect. Background aromas are catty, tropical, and there’s something tucked away in there that’s like artificial pineapple flavor. Body is alive with mild eff keeping the beer feeling light and quenching. Good bitterness from front to back. The flavors really expose the catty hops, especially retronasally, and yet the predominant lingering flavor is of more citrus, almost a marmalade on light biscuits...but not quite that sweet. Very nice stuff and worth a second look but the overall impression I get it that of a very nicely done beer that turns me off slightly because of the variety of hops being used. I can see easily how this beer is held in such high regard. Oh, and, HOLY CRAP I just saw that this brew is 9.5 percent. I’d never have guessed it over 6.5. Well done making such a drinkable beer with such massive credentials!

12 oz. Pours a hazy orange-amber with a lasting disc of bubbles. Aroma of grapefruit, orange, pineapple, light caramel and catspray. Flavor is grapefruit, pineapple, peppery green herb, resin and alcohol. Light-medium body is dry with hops and alcohol, and sorta smooth. Nice lacing. Simple and straightforward hops, but hey that’s what was intended.