Bells Hopslam

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

16 oz. draft at Ashley’s. Golden orange, decent white head, citrusy, tons of hops of course, very strong, well-balanced and complete. Mmm.

Just awesome. Super fresh bottle. Great hoppy smell that filled the room with lots of grapefruit. Thick on the mouth. Alcohol is very well hidden under all the hops. Like getting slapped with a fresh hops plant. Wonderful.

Wow, what an aroma to begin with. This beer pours a golden amber color with a huge pine and citrus presence. I loved the pine sap in the smell, then the flavor was very sweet in the hops and biig in sweetness with a balanced finish, which is what separates the men from the boys in the Double IPA Category. Very grapefruity, more so than even 90 Minute, it is almost 120 minute hoppy. This is an outstanding beer.

Re-rate 1/16/09. 12 oz bottle. Pours slightly hazy amber orange with a nice, fluffy off-white head. Aroma is heavy on grapefruit and floral aromas, with some mild honeylike sweetness. Flavor is great, very strong grapefruit hops, with floral hops and again a moderate sweetness supporting them. A bit of biscuity malts are present to underscore the hops, but this one is all about the hops. The alcohol can be sensed very subtly in the bitter finish. Still puts the other IIPAs I’ve had to shame, and as such it unfortunately makes finding a satisfying IIPA all the more difficult by comparison. I’ll have to agree with my earlier review, too, that the label illustration is pretty entertaining.

Pours ornagish color with white head. Big grapefruit aroma. Sweet malt backbone with a good dose of grapefruit hop flavor. Very well balanced and alcohol is not noticeable. Medium body with average carbonation and a chewy mouthfeel. A great DIPA.

Poured from a 12oz bottle. Pours a bright orangish-amber color with a medium head that dissapates fairly quickly. The aroma is rich with citrus, hops, and even a touch of honey (as the bottle says). The mouthfeel and palate are rather large without being overpowering for the flavor. The bittering hops are so prevalent in the taste, this beer lives up to its "tongue bruising" hype! There are also elements of citrus (lemon) and a touch of sweetness at the nose. The flavor is also incredibly balanced for such a huge specimen. Wow!!

Thanks to emacgee for this one. Foggy orange pour with a tall foamy head with a lot of retention. The aroma had several types of hops on the nose with some floral notes as well. An alcoholic tingle is felt on the initial with a thicker than normal mouthfeel. Hops play a large role in the taste but there are also hints of honey and citrus. Well balanced flavors provide for a sweet finish. Fantastic!

Golden orange pour with a white. Strong hoppy aroma, like a pine a forest. A nice sweet citrus flavor hits the tongue with bitter hops on the finish. Just the right amount of hops flavor. It is perfectly balanced. This is an amazing beer. It is fucking delicious.