Bells Hopslam

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

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

Easily in the top 5 of the best beers I’ve ever had. Aroma is of caramel, malt, and grapefruit. Pours a slightly cloudy orange with an off white head that fades except for a thin veil that floats on top. Nice, semi-sticky lacing. The malty foam oozes down the side of the glass after every sip. Has a creamy texture on the palate. The first few seconds it hits the tongue it’s actually smooth. Smooth as the prom queens thighs. Then the hops attack your taste buds. A painfully good bitter after-taste leaves you wishing you had bought more of this than you did. 10% alcohol? No way! There is no hint of ethanol to be felt. No burn, no high octane taste. The alcohol content is undetectable. Hopslam is amazing! Made in Comstock, Michigan it is proof that there are some American Brewers that can make excellent beer! The macros should be ashamed that they don’t make stuff with this much character and flavor! Thumbs up, Bells! Thumbs up!

Batch 8278-seems very fresh. I had a Two Hearted with dinner and another nice IPA afterwards, then had this a couple hours later. Oh My God! I can only think of a couple beers that left me speechless after a first taste. This is just amazing stuff. I have officially found a new addiction. I might give a more concise description later, but for now I’m just awestruck.

Poured into a snifter. Slightly hazy, pure amber color, that is almost nectar-like. Nice solid white head that dissipates and leaves a white ring around the glass. Aromas are sweet, honey, sweet citrus, along with earthy tones like grassy, floral, and piney from the hops. Tastes are sweet from the honey. Strong hop character; smokey hop flavors. Amazing DIPA! Great mouthfeel, smooth, and very palate pleasing, also a little creamy. Very drinkable, I am actually on my third.

Wow, this is a great brew.I take back what I said about beagle haveing a midwest bias against Stone 10th. Stone couldn’t hold this brews hop sack. Very hoppy nose, that transfers nicely to the taste. I LOVE the maltiness in this brew. The perfect finish. again, a great brew sent by beaglemac :highfuckingfive:

UPDATED: AUG 12, 2011 Tap @ Jupiter Beerfest. Wow, was this good! Aroma had moderate amounts of roasted and caramel for the malt, heavy pine, grapefruit and perfume for the hops, light broth for the yeast, with mixed berries in the background. Head is average size, frothy, white with good lacing and is mostly lasting. Color is sparkling clear dark amber. Flavor started lightly sweet and acidic and the finish was long with light sweetness and moderate amounts of acidity and bitterness. Palate is medium, oily, with a lively carbonation and a lightly astringent finish. An awesome beer, and the most rounded out of the top DIPAs.

Fresh bottle, tasted on 1-17-11. After opening the bottle, the aroma assaults the nostrils with a bouqet of hops, and citrus fruit. It has nice lacing as the beer is qauffed down. The taste is so balanced from the beginning to end. A wondeful job in the way this was artfully hopped. From the start it hits the tongue with a mellow, sweet bitterness that spirals down to ripe pinneaple, grapefruit and mangos, and ends with a slight honey malt bitterness that wraps the whole thing up. The palate is perfect on the mouth, not cloyingly sweet nor overly bitter. Overall, this is one of the best DIPA’s on the planet. IMO, It is tied with Dreadnaught as my favorite. I had Pliny before this and I thought this was better

Bottle courtesy of Secret Santa ’07. Quite possibly the perfect balance between being a great beer and session drinkability that I’ve ever come across. Most high-gravity beers I can only drink a few in a night, but I think I could drink this all night long. Pours an excellent deep orange color with perfect size head. Smell is dominated by pine/citrus, very refreshing. Taste is the same - strong pine/citrus flavor with a great balance of hops/malt. I would have guessed this was 6-7% ABV had I not seen the label. Would love to have a case of this!

UPDATED: FEB 2, 2009 Amazing citrus aroma with copper appearance and thin, whitish head. True to the name, this beer is filled with hops, yet the bitterness does not overwhelm like some other uberhopped beers. Sweet hints of honey are definitely present. Doesn’t taste like 10% alcohol, but felt like it after a couple. This is an outstanding beer.