Bells Hopslam

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

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

UPDATED: MAR 9, 2010 Can Larry Bell live up to the hype again? 12oz. bottle purchased from Top Shelf Liquor in Allen Park. As soon as I pop the cap, the excellent aroma lets me know I’m in for something special. Appearance: Pours a nice golden orange hue. This is slightly hazy due to the yeast that I poured into my Bell’s snifter. Nice off-white head with nice lacing. Very inviting... Smell: What an excellent aroma. Starts with a slight hop burn follow by grapefruit, pine, and citrus. You can almost taste the hops...My fricking mouth is watering. Taste: Tastes just like the aroma. Nice hops up front with grapefruit, pine and citrus notes. Malts come to the party later on to add a beautiful balance to this masterpiece. Mouthfeel: Nice smooth mouthfeel. The hops hang around for a bit and coat the tongue and roof of my mouth. Drinkability: I could definitely put back a sixer of these, but I’d rather savor this bad ass Double IPA with one or two. Hoppy, malty, and exceptionally balanced. The first time I tried this, I had it next to Rouge I2PA and DFH 90 min. IPA. This was exceptional compared to the other two. The Rouge wasn’t too bad, but the 90 tasted like a malty barleywine. I used to think the 90 was a hop-bomb....not anymore. I would love to try this next to Dreadnaught...from memory, they are similar except for the fact the a 22oz of Dreadnaught was $9 and a sixer of Hopslam came out to be about $12. Once again, Larry and the Bell’s crew put out an excellent beer. If it’s not the best double IPA, then it’s definitely in the top five. This should be the new benchmark for the style. Hopefully Bell’s decide to make this a more regular offering. Pick this up if you see it...you will not be disappointed.

This is the first time I have experienced HOPSLAM. What a great beer from start to finish on draft. Nice combination of piney – fruity flavors with a hint of honey. Great presentation – golden color with nice head and lacing. Another great beer from Bells. I need to stop by the liquor store to buy a six pack to enjoy later this week.

Bottle. Great beer. Pours a hazy orange with a medium white head. Great citrus/grapefruit hop aroma and flavor. The hop flavor is partially balanced by a hint of caramel and honey. Alcohol is very well hidden.

Absolutely delicious, but doesn’t taste as rare as I remember. Still a killer beer. Draft pour with a full finger head into a snifter, beautiful deep gold. Aroma is rich hops, light citrus and grapefruit. Flavor is heavy hop forward, nice and bitter. Good fruit notes, grapefruit, bitter and rich. Body is medium with decent lacing for a IIPA. Really decent and enjoyable.

Pours a nice golden orange with a nice two finger head that lingers. Aromas of pineapple, peach, apricot, citrus. Smells amazing. Initial taste is sweet, almost like pineapple juice. Orange, and a slight hop bitterness. No alcohol flavor whatsoever. Pretty impressive considering its sitting at 10% abv. Flavors of peaches and sticky malt/sugar linger. Mouthfeel is very sticky and slightly oily with a little hoppiness hanging around. Overall...this is probably the best ipa I’ve ever had, period.

12 oz bottle poured into a standard pint glass. Hopslam is a slightly hazy golden honey liquid with a very small head of tiny white bubbles. Nose is full of sharp evergreen scented hops, about what one would expect from a double IPA. First sip is rather subtle at first but explodes in mid mouth with bright hop taste. Mild to mid bitters, just a hint of honey and maybe some evergreen or citrus tang. Body is medium liquid. Alcohol level is not in your face. Warming on the swallow all the way down. Good Bitters on the finish. This beer has become somewhat of a legend around Columbus, OH. Finding a six is quite a quest. I’d say it’s well worth the challenge, and the price.

Bottle because Danny is making me finish this. Thank God. Clearish orange pour. Lots of hops. Sweet flavor with more hops. I know this is good, but ipas aren’t my thing.

TOP marks when fresh! Perhaps I’d lose .5 if it’s a little older but it’s still always an outstanding beer. Amazing green hop notes, citrus, candy sugar, golden syrup on the nose moving toward soft honey. Brilliantly full and mouth coating with a really fantastic interplay between sweet sweet honey and full bodied pale malts and then green hops and fresh assertive bitterness. Delicious

I can say this beer is fantastic and I look forward to it every year. Some will say by the time you read this ratting the hops have already started to fade. DRINK IT ANYWAY!