Bells Hopslam

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

Pours a lightly hazy orange with a sizable, creamy, off-white head that leaves patchy lace sliding down the sides of the snifter. The aroma is huge, and the name is certainly appropriate. As soon as the cap left the bottle, I could smell big citric hops. In the glass, the aroma is both sweet and bitter with notes of grapefruit, blood orange, light caramel, simple sugar and faint resin. Medium-bodied and quite slick with a transition to a tongue-squeezing, bitter and resinous finish. The flavor is sweet and malty up front with a fluid transition to pink grapefruit (with sugar sprinkled on top) and tight, resinous hops at the swallow. Both the hops and the sweetness linger for quite some time. For a beer packing 10% ABV and sporting a name like "Hopslam", I was pleasantly surprised to find a brew that is amazingly well balanced and supremely drinkable. I now understand why this beer never lasts more than a day or two on the shelves each year. If Bells ever decided to make this a year-round brew, it would be a permanent fixture in my refrigerator. Thanks for securing this sixer for me before it flew off the shelves, Tom!

Bottled sample via Oakbluff on IIPA Saturday. Light amber in colour with medium carbonation. Huge hop aroma with notes of Centennial hops (orange/grapefruit), cut grass, and a bit of sweet tropical fruit. In the mouth, this beer is still all about the hops with loads of citric and light tropical flavors. Some sweetness is present as well, but the beer is not overly malty. Good drying bitterness. Great stuff!

bottle thanks to sloth. poured a clear gold with a thin whit head that fades. aroma of some nice fruity citrus and grapefruit. flavor is sweet, citrus, and pine. medium body and carbonation. i found this to be a great IPA. alcohol was rather well hidden.

Thanks to decaturstevo for the bottle. Deep orange in color with avg. sized white head. Big nose of citrus, pine and carmalized sugars. Very hoppy up front with alcohol to boot. I found the balance a good match. Great mouth feel and finish, wish I could have more!

12oz bottle, courtesy of kkearn. Thanks! I had HopSlam last year but it was not fresh. May I say fresh is better for sure. Pours cloudy orange with a thin, sticky white head that leaves a good bit of lace on the glass. Smells citrusy, slight metallic twang, fresh hoppy. Tastes citrusy as well, on the sweet side of hoppy bitter. Full body, nice carbonation that fades quickly. Top 10 DIPA for me.

This certainly ranks near the top. Wonderful honeysuckle mango sort of nose with distinct hop character. The taste is sublime as the hops are quite aggressive, though far from astringent. Whatever it is that they did, they did it well. Very nice.

Pours a hazy golden orange with a white head. The aroma is full of hoppish qualities of grapefruit and pine. The flavor is excellent with citrus and pine and the finish is sharp and pronounced.

The name says it all. You know what you’re expecting when you buy it. Hops and it’s Bells. C’mon. No complaints.