Bells Hopslam

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

honestly, one of the best IIPA’s out there.12oz from G&G poured into a snifter. the pour is a medium amber with a small, bubbly head. aroma is huge and comes bursting out of the glass with grapefruit, orange peel, fresh flowers, and dried apricot. flavor is wonderfully complex with layers of fresh hops, passion fruit, caramel malt, and lingering bitterness. mouthfeel is low on carbonation and coats during the swallow. the 10% abv is tempered by the honey added to the brew. the best IIPA I’ve tasted to date! *UPDATE* after aging for a year all I can say is that this beer is really and truly the best IIPA out there. the hops still taste fresh, the honey still provides great balance, and this beer is still phenomenal.

Possibly the best all-around beer I’ve put in my mouth. The citrus notes are crisp, the hops literally slams your palate and the whole bite is tamed and sexualized by the meady notes of fermented honey. Have sampled this several times on draft and from the bottle. The beer is cloudy enough but a freshly tapped keg will leave scaly particulate coatings inside the glass.

Pours a golden gold with a medium head. Strong aroma, it smells like grapefruit. Taste like strong hops with a touch of honey. This is a great beer, probably one of the best IPA’s I have tried.

HOLY CRAP! BATMAN! I am glad I did not review some of the previous bottles I received in trade. They were a little calm compared to a fresh hopslam. THIS IS CLOSE to being the best DIPA when its fresh!. Nose - straight up grapefruit, citrus, piney. man its an explosion in the olde nasal cavity. appearance - little cloudy, copperish orange color. Little head. Mouthfeel - little tangy on the front end and then grapefruit. Mellow out on the finish and leave a smooth refreshing aftertaste. This is one fine brew. I can sit here a sniff it all freaking night,. Its sad that its only release as a seasonal, its overpriced, and can be hard to get ahold of. Serving type: bottle

Appearance: orange, red; average head stand at best; slightly off-white foam; cloudy appearance Aroma: heavenly; best aroma I’ve ever experienced in an IIPA; citrus, lots of fruit; maybe even some orchard fruit; a touch of pine, and a honeyed slightly malty sweetness; a faint hint of spice probably from crystal hops; very complex Flavor: beautifully balanced; might be even more complex than the aroma which is scary; has a little bit of everything; medium sweetness, medium bitterness Palate: full body, creamy, average carbonation, long finish (tasted and rated three times)

Pungent and refreshing aroma, with the over the top hop flavor we crave, a crystal sunset color, and completely satisfying finish on the palate. Hop lovers in our region count the days for this seasonal, and no other hop beer comes close. If you don’t like hops, rating this beer is meaningless. IPA’s are in a class of their own. But, if you love the Imperial IPA range of beers-- HOPSLAM is the final answer to your inner hop yearning!

12 oz. bottle; WOW. This is the best beer I’ve had in my 25 years of life so far. I knew I was in for a treat as soon as I cracked the cap off the bottle and took in the aroma. Smells like a combination of honey and floral hoppiness with a little citrus. Pours out a nearly opaque orange-amber with a very thin head. The lack of substantial head is the only reason I didn’t rate this beer a 5. The flavor represents a delicious combination of pefect hops and just enough sweet honey. I don’t quite understand how the ABV is 10%! Considering Hopslam is a double IPA, it predictably finishes bitter and the honey almost enables it to last much longer than most beers in it’s class. Buy it while it’s still in season!!! (till the end of Feb)

Bottle. At the new Toby St Bar and Grille in Clarion, PA. Sweet, hoppy, bitter, thick, creamy and awesome. Definitely one of the best beers that I have ever had. Great balance of sweet malt and bitter hops. I started with a Stone Ruination and this beer blew it away. That’s saying something. Very impressive.