Bells Hopslam

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

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

What a piece of art. Pours to a partially cloudy, mid-toned amber with a lasting, beige head. The nose is an intoxicating (no pun intended) medley of bright hops, spring flowers and a little citrus. Upon tasting, you’re hit with hops and honey. The bitterness sets in for just a second, then thick honey takes over putting the hops in the back seat. After a while of drinking, you can feel the back of your tongue giving a standing ovation to performance of this perfectly balanced beer. Amazing.

pours a nice yellow with lacy white head. honey sweetness upfront with nice citrus and grapefruit through out. no real change through the finish. great drinker and high alcohol

I heard this was worth the $15.99, so I made the investment. Excellence has its price and its 10%a.b.v. Surprisingly well balanced considering the dump trunk of hops and the everclear level of alcohol. Love it.

This is one of the crown jewels of the DIPA world. By far one of the best DIPA’s I’ve ever had! Starts off great with sweet tones from the honey and a few citrus notes. Gets way intense as you finish just don’t let it get too warm. Found better in an English pub glass or pilsner glass than snifter or tulip.

Pours a brilliant orange gold color with perfect clarity. Tightly packed white head leaves generous lacing all around. This is a beer out of a commercial, just stunning. The aroma is even better. Like scoping up a handful of freshly picked hops and sticking them up your nostrils. Packed with floral citrus notes including grapefruit, orange, and pineapple. Pine sap, herbs, and some malty sweetness all comes together in an aroma that is enticing as anything. I want to package this scent into a candle. So far this beer has the makings of one of the best. The flavor is so mouth watering good. Sweet tangy pine weaves its way through a massive hoppy bitterness. Tropical fruits pull together this harmony. The malt backbone is relaxed and lets the hop juice shine. The finish is never ending hops with a bit of earthy grass to it. The body is just right, at 10% ABV it’s way too drinkable. I planned on just drinking one, but that is like limited a pothead to only one hit. It goes down so smooth with soft carbonation. I feel stupid getting so worked up over a beer, but goddamn is this good.

This is a review from January when the brew was released. Quite possibly my favorite beer ... the balance of this 10% beast was remarkable. Not overly bitter, not overly sweet. The nose was intoxicating, pulling you into the beer, making you want to slam the DIPA goodness into your mouth. Every winter I’ll have this beauty to look forward to.

The most amazing DIPA ever! nice nice nice beer. Amazing nose, nice appearance, and really amazing taste. I liked the 2008-09 hopslam better than this year, but its still an amazing beer. One of my most favorite beers.

I honestly expected this beer to be good, but not as good as all of the hype. Its better. It is the perfect balance of hoppiness and sweetness, and just warms as it is consumed. It’s pricey, no question, but this is as close to a perfect ale as there is in my experience.