Bells Hopslam

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

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

UPDATED: MAR 19, 2009 12oz bottle, batch 8907. Mostly clear deep gold-orange color with a small white head that leaves some spotty lace. Citrus, melon rind, alcohol, sweet honey, and spicy herbal hop aroma. Quite sweet, with a touch of honey and bread. Some fruity, citrucy hop flavor and a finish that almost gets dry and bitter until the sweetness comes back in and sticks to the back of the tongue. Medium bodied and rather light feel overall, which helps to partially mitigate the sweetness. This could use either a ton more hops, or a much dryer finish. I’ll stick to two hearted. (7,4,6,4,13=3.4) Rerate: Same batch, a couple more bottles have been mused over. Impressions: The aroma is a nice citric-fruity hop and sweet honey malt combo, though it’s a bit light for a double IPA. The flavor, while still falling more on the sweet side, is dryer than I had previously thought. It’s not the residual sugar so much as the lack of stronger bittering hops that set the balance this way. I think that the fruity hop flavor and more modest bitterness combine to give a sweet, fruity overall impression. It is growing on me. A balanced and very drinkable IIPA. The body is about as light as I can imagine a 10%abv beer being. If it weren’t for the alcohol presence, this could be almost a regular IPA. While I more intense and complex overall hop character could transform this beer into something amazing, it is still enjoyable and deserves a couple more points. (7,4,7,4,14=3.6) Rerate: on tap at Brickskeller. More bitterness and assertive hop flavors, still very drinkable. Freshness seems to be the world in this beer. Hopslam has beer my learning experience with balanced IIPAs, and I like it more every time I have it. (7,4,8,4,15=3.8) More Random Indecisiveness: had it again, and, eh,.

Pour is hazy golden amber with a big bubbled off white head...smell is super strong citrus hops...lemons and grapefruit...taste is sweet lemons and citrus...some malt, but strong citrus and alcohol sweetness...nice...

From a 12 oz bottle obtained from Eric in Indiana via a trade this poured a an orange color with a robust off-white head and really thick lacing. The nose on this is powerful and full of citrus and pine hops. The mouthfeel is amazingly rich and smooth, sort of along the line of olive oil. Flavors are a very good balance between malst and hops, with a long bitter finish. A simply sublime DIPA.

Out of bottle, February 2009. Tons of hop aroma including grapefruit citrus overtones with slight pine undertones. Despite really hoppy and bitter taste, has a very crisp and smooth after taste that leaves you wanting more. One of the best I’ve ever had.

UPDATED: JUN 16, 2008 12oz bottle. Intense lemony hop aroma (amarillo?), very well done. This one is really unique, it really manages to do something special with the strong hoppy beer. Straightforward filtered orange-tan color, very deceptive. Intense citrus flavors, and the honey helps to smooth out any semblance of syrup domination. A true classic. Worth the hype.

Pour is an orange with a average white head. Aroma is lots of grapefruit and pine so much so that i don’t even have to bring the glass to my nose. Flavor is again over the top with the hops. Finish is bitter but smooth all at the same time. The 10% is no where to be found. This is an outstanding hop bomb of a beer. A little pricy at $16 a six but this is one to have at least once.

UPDATED: FEB 19, 2007 Rerate. 12oz, unlabeled batch number (same as before). Pours a clear honey golden with a three finger off white head. Aroma of lots of fruity hops--tart oranges, tangerines, pineapple, even some strawberry and blackberry--all not quite ripe, and therefore somewhat tart. There is a bit of resiny hops in there as well. Some light doughy bread--not much--is noted as well. Flavor has some pinepple juice, tangerines, a bit of raspberry, some bready malts and alcohol is noticeable, but I wouldn’t quite put it at 9.5%. Dry lingering bitter finish. Low to moderate carbonation, medium to full bodied. This is one fruity hoppy beer. Old rating follows. 12oz, no batch number on any from my six pack--I did see a couple loose ones @ Steve’s Liquor and were Batch 7787, so hopefully these are as fresh. Pours a hazy golden with a 1/2 finger yellowish white head. Big aroma of tangerines and pineapple, some lightly yeasty bread. The same come through on the flavors with a bit of citrus rinds. Very big bitterness up front but withdraws fairly quickly, only to come back with moderate bitterness in the dry finish. Alcohol very well covered. Moderate to high carbonation with a medium to full body. This seems like a cousin of Two Hearted. Very good, did not disappoint. 8-4-7-4-16--3.9

Bottle. Pours bright orange with floaties and resilient white head. The aroma is piney hops all over the place with hints of lemon meringue pie and ritz crackers. The flavor also has a bunch of piney hops, over malts like toast and crackers and a noticeable alcohol warmth. The finish is bittersweet like grapefruit juice and leaves a warm, woody aftertaste that leaves a lingering tingling sensation on my gums. Tasty brew, this.