Bells Hopslam

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

12oz. bottle, batch #7741. Aroma is suitably dominated by hops, these bringing a fresh and strongly fruity, piney, citric and lightly floral character, and with mere suggestions of honeyish and lightly toasty malt sweetness underneath. Medium golden color with amber highlights and a rapidly thinning head. Strikingly bitter, resinous hop flavor profile, immense pine, juicy grapefruit, lemon and spice throughout with a malt presence that is more felt than tasted, although there is a small amount of sugary maltiness to find late. Oily, prickly mouthfeel with a medium-full body. Finishes very long and lingering, seeming to show off a much fuller spectrum of hop attributes as the beer is allowed to warm sufficiently. Alcohol is nicely hidden here. Fittingly named as it will serve nearly anyone’s hop fix.

Thanks to Rusty Diamond for this puppy! Poured a bright orange-amber with a small sudsy whitish head. Lots of grainy, resinous and sweet notes. Like many big hoppy beers, but strangely balanced by the honey and bland of malts and hops. Still quite bitter, but a nice imperial IPA. Much love!

One of three from a trade - Thanks shigadeyo! I probably should have gotten a six. This is a fabulous IPA, the kind that makes you want just one more sip after you’ve already discovered the bottom of the bottle. Grapefruit and pineapple and pine and fruit and cramel and nuts. Whohoo!

12oz bottle. Pours a slightly hazed deep golden color with a faint orange hue. A wispy off white head with great lacing rounded off the appearance. Bursting with floral hops and citrus. A great bitter finish with good malt balance.

12 oz. bottle via trade with lukin013 - Pours a hazy golden color with a small white head. Light spotty lacing. Has a sweet tangerine and light resin aroma. Wow! Has a tangy citrus hop flavor. Like a glass of OJ with a kick. Light to medium body. No lingering bitter aftertaste. Man, I wish Bell’s would make it out West. An excellent beer. Thanks Jon.

Bottle: Clear orange in color with a medium white head. Aroma, pine, some pine needles, some resinous notes, and then some more pine with a splash of citrus. Basically my dream come true for the aroma. Flavor, some light maltiness, and then the resinous piney notes, with some fruits to it as well. Nice bitterness on the finish, but the flavor isn’t as bright as the aroma would lead you to believe. Still it’s damn good.

Bottle courtesy of jsquire. Thanks for the awesome bonus!!
Pours a gorgeous cloudy glowing thick orange with an offwhite head that stuck around for a bit. Bottle is a year old at least, so not sure how much hops have faded, but the smell is more caramelly and of orange with lighter hop backing in the nose, but still nice. Sweet hopped flavor, and the bitterness is somewhat restrained. The flavor is fruity, orange, caramel and a touch of alcohol, and the body is rich and thick, but with prickly carbonation, making for an outstanding mouthfeel. Extremely drinkable DIPA, and one I look forward to trying fresh. Great beer!

Rerate of fresh bottle. Much more vibrant hop character, obviously, along with big fruity bittersweet apricot and floral flavors. Still very drinkable, and brimming with flavor, but alcohol is a bit noticeable.

12oz bottle. An orangish gold pour with small head and nice lacing. A sharp aroma of hops right there to meet you at the door. A rich malty flavor that hints of apples followed by a hard pleasant hop slam (I made that up) to finish. It relights everytime you rub your tongue through your mouth. A full rich palate that is close to perfect. A really nice beer for the style.