Bells Hopslam

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

Bottle. 6-pack for $8.99 from Hollywood Market. Pours a deep golden yellow, with a little white head, Smells a huge, hoppy, honey, citrus, sweet aroma. Taste is huge, complex, and full of citrus, hoppy IPA flavor. Each sip of this brew is more complex, thick, syrupy, and great. Nothing about this brew is light or subtle. This is in your face from sip to after taste and the flavor is distinct all the way through. Very good. Going to cellar one of the 6-packs I bought.

I love a lot of Bell’s brews and this has to be one of my favorites. It not only represents a great Double IPA, but it let’s you know that Kalamazoo is a little demanding of the quality of their beer. Larry Bell said, "Drink this and shut up!" You got to give the guy cradit with this well balanced brew that takes it’s grapefruit, pine,and honey notes to give your palette the time of it’s life. It almost makes you feel guilty for enjoying other Double IPA’s. What a fool I am. If I only knew it got this good, I would’ve broke their hearts years ago.

I’m a huge fan of insanely hoppy beers, this is far from dissapointing. I want to make out with this glass of beer. $17 for a sixer, but damn! Can’t be beat. Plus, I support Bell’s as a regional company willing to take a risk. Chicagoland anyone? Pulling out from a huge market because your distributers refuse to carry anything but your flagships is awe inspiring.

Bottle, thanks Acknud! Wow what a beer. Pours a vibrant orange/amber color with a soft white head. Nice lacing. Aromas are hops, honey and more hops. Flavor is grapefruit, some honey, slight malt and more sour citrus. Bitter? Hell yes! But the honey balances this beer to perfection. I wish I had regular access to ALL Bell’s beers!!

A beautiful beer. If I could live on a desert island with an endless supply of this, I’d die happy.

Great beer. It had a nice hop flavor that was mildly bitter sweet. It also left a pineapple-like after taste.

I love this beer! A great example of what an Imperial IPA should taste like. Aroma is strong with hops with notes of citrus, pine, and grass. The taste is just the same although the sweet honey shines through as it sits on the pallet. The Carbonation level is perfect. This beer has a strong bitter finish, the alchol is not very noticable, despite the 10%. An awesome IPA for any hophead! Thanks Eric for telling me about it.

What a piece of art. Pours to a partially cloudy, mid-toned amber with a lasting, beige head. The nose is an intoxicating (no pun intended) medley of bright hops, spring flowers and a little citrus. Upon tasting, you’re hit with hops and honey. The bitterness sets in for just a second, then thick honey takes over putting the hops in the back seat. After a while of drinking, you can feel the back of your tongue giving a standing ovation to performance of this perfectly balanced beer. Amazing.