 FatPhil (2102), Espoo, Finland
Mar 10, 2008
Bottle shared by MikeTD - thanks! (ZBF2008) (sip)
Gold, thin head. Citrus and apricot aroma, some peach. Sweet body. The taste is very hoppy, but they are very well balanced hops, and the rich malty body melds very well. I’m not normally a hop bomb kind of person, but this worked very well. The finish was quite peppery. Very pleasant.
Uaru02 (7), Simpsonville, Kentucky, USA
does not count  Sep 4, 2008 On tap. A very good, near great, beer. Complex flavor that is made for the hop fanatic. Nice lace a nd great aroma. A slight bit too sweet with a just a tad too much alcohol overriding the intense flavor. Still an exceptional beer that one must have when available.
alobar (630), Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA
Sep 3, 2008 Simply the best beer I’ve had in some time. Gorgeous copper color with a tall soapy head. Clingy lacing with an aroma of hops and grapefruit. Taste is fabulously well-balanced-hops, citrus, and a touch of alcohol.
jeremyd365 (82), Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Aug 27, 2008 I’ve had this a few times before without yet reviewing it, but I finally popped open my last one from past January ’08 (Batch 8283). This is the holy grail of beer! Poured a dark amber-golden with medium clarity and medium to heavy carbonation with a slight white head. The hops are apparent at quite a distance, and once you actually put your nose in it, you’ve reached the motherland. On the tip of the tongue, the bitter hops are already being absorbed, and upon swallowing, the piney flavor melds with the monster hops to the most pleasurable blend imaginable. It’s medium to heavy bodied and a true hop-SLAM, yet goes down smooth and remains extremely drinkable. This seasonal is one to definitely one to stock up on to enjoy sparingly at special moments throughout the year! Thank you, Bell’s!
TOSG55 (32), Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Aug 24, 2008 Bottle. Pours an orangeish amber, with a thick white head. Aroma of honey and assertive hops. The flavor is a delicious blend of citrusy hops (very strong; the name "Hopslam" is well deserved), with a honey sweetness unlike the typical maltiness of many imperial IPAs. The 10% alcohol is also prominent, but not in a bad way. This is my favorite beer - highly recommended that you snatch a couple six-packs of it during the brief part of the year that it’s available (though not if you shop at any of the stores that I will be going to!).
lordeche (330), Bridgewater, Massachusetts, USA
Aug 21, 2008 Nice golden-copper pour with off-white head. Aroma is sweet and citrusy with tons of bitterness smoothed over with caramel malt and honey. Some light fruitiness in there as well, maybe cherry and peach, and a slight alcohol astringency. I have an inkling that the hoppiness would be damn near overpowering were it not for the abundance of honey, which brings out some sweet fruitiness and light herbal tea undertones without sacrificing the huge pine and citrus hops. Finish just lasts and lasts; you can taste it on your tongue for minutes after your last sip. Outstanding.
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