Bells Hopslam

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

Beer puors very chunky with lots of hop particles floating and a nice off white head that is retained with some nice lacing. Aroma is massively hoppy, with lots of fresh crushed fruit, especially grapefruit. Smells juicy and wet. Initial flavor is pure grapefruit juice, very bitter and biting. The finish mellows out a bit, but is still bitter. This is one hell of a double IPA. This is actually the fourth one I have consumed and I had not a clue this is 9.5% ABV. The most hidden high gravity beverage I have every had. I could easily drink several of these, but they would obviously make an impact.

Red orange (about an 11 on the Lovibond scale? I happen to have one in front of me as I rate, ha) with a large off-white head that is slowly but mostly diminishing. Humid sweet and citric hop aroma - peaches and grapefruit - very pleasant, puckering and heavy. Highly bitter, moderately sweet malt flavor, loads of tingling pine resin and sticky sweet caramel malts. Cool, tongue-numbing finish. Bitterness hides the alcohol quite well, but you can still get a hint of alcoholic burn at the immediate end of the flavor profile. Superb double IPA.

Pours a slightly cloudy orange color with a decent, but not exactly rocky head. Aroma was wonderfull piney, citrusy hops. Flavor was full-on but more balanced by sweet malt than the Hop Slam name would imply. Full-bodied, bracing hops flavors abound. This beer is great for the first three quarters of a glass but I found its attributes surprisingly faded for the last portion. Can’t explain it. I love hoppy beers and this is a good one. Might have been a fluke. I’ll try another bottle tonight. Quality and attention to detail is evident. This is a fine ale made with top-notch ingredients.

outstanding... anyone who remembers the initial releases of two hearted ale will be very pleased with hopslam. it’s not as wildly grapefruity or out of control as two hearted once was but it’s still awesome... the bottom end is full and unending... it’s a perfect compliment to the total facial this brew gives... overall, very smooth, very harsh, very good.

Nice deep amber aroma with a hint of white foam. Nice citrusy floral aroma. Slight malty sweetness gives way to delicious lemony hoppy goodness. An amzing beer that drinks smooth and leaves just a slight hint of hops in the mouth afterwards.

Murky orange color with no head. Incredible hop aroma of orange, flower and, well, hops. Duh. Wow... the taste is incredibly smooth. Tons of bitter orange hops with a little piney leftover. Oddly enough, it is not overpowering at all. Very nicely done!

Okay after already drinking two sixers of this beer I will finally rate it, snakeboy from Drakes be damned...Served in my GI IPA tulip: The pours is a clean golden hue with a fading frothy head and okay lace. The aroma is pure bless with lots of tropic and citric fruit esters, some pine and pepper, light bready malts, and a note of alcohol snap.

The flavor profile backs up the nose with a MOSTLY BALANCED fruity and bitter taste and some soft grainy malts. The finish is astrengent and metallic but works within the framework of the beer. Truly a straight forward yet not remotely boring big hoppy beer. The mouth feel matches the flavor components exactly, everything is where it should be.

Get ya some right now. It is all you should ever want in a IIPA. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, I DIG IT, IT ROCKS!!! Top 50 worthy IMO.

Bottle: Huge hop aroma with lots of citrus, grapefruit, pine, and pineapple. Pours a hazy golden-orange with a large white with orange tint head that has good retention. Very good lacing. Flavor starts pretty sweet with orange and pineapple. Big hoppy finish with lots of grapefruit, pine, and light acidity. Definitely a hop monster, but still balanced. Lingering grapefruit aftertaste. Mouthfeel is rather creamy with very mild carbonation. Glad to find out this wasn’t a "one and done". A beer that I will make sure is always around the house.