Bells Hopslam

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

Bottle. Pours amber/orange with only a slight head. Aroma is of hops obviously, very floral, citrus with underlying malt. Taste is extremely citrusy as one would expect from an imperial. Finishes bitter and clean. Alcohol is moderately well hidden even though it is detectable. A very nice beer from Bells, one which I’d drink as often as I could.

12oz. bottle into a sniffer. To me, the aroma was the most outstanding of the Hopslam’s features. It smells very fruity, of sweet citrus and even very unique notes of pineapple. This was all accompanied, of course, by piney hops. The aroma is not very strong, but it is unbelievably pleasant, unique, and fresh. It poured a hazy caramel orange with a great soft white head of descent proportion; the head faded quickly unfortunately. It has an average IIPA palate: medium bodied with a carbonated kick. However, it was surprisingly smooth. The 10% abv. is very well hidden beneath the fresh flavor of hops. At first I was almost disappointed regarding the hops, feeling as if they were not as strong as the name and reputation suggest. But, the more I drank, the more the hops came alive. There was still a remarkable balance of malty sweetness, like biting into a tart grapefruit. Overall, great IIPA. [RE-RATE] Bumping the score from 4.1 to 4.4. Sampled from a bottle again, same great look, same outstanding aroma, and even better flavor than I remember - such nice tart bitting and yet sweet grapefruit. So balanced. So NOT overly malty like many IIPAs. Alcohol hidden so well -- this combined with its soft feel and its outstandingly delicious hop profile makes this beer one of the most dangerously drinkable ones out there. One of the best in its class. Serve at cellar temp 50F. I serve nearly all my beers at this temperature and it truly seems to be the sweet spot for this one,

A deep golden color with light carbonation rising from the bottom. A medium white foamy head stuck around the edges for some time.The hopp aroma hits me first followed by sweet grapefruit and a light malt.Taste is very complex. It begins like a grapefruit peel, a little bitter and earthy. It then gets more sweet but the slight sour taste lingers. The aftertaste stays with you for some time.The carbonation and body are light. One of my favorite beers ever.

12oz bottle batch 8907. Thanks a ton to 17thfloor for this! Pours golden orange with a thick creamy white head. Aroma is very fresh pungent herbal hops and hop oils. Lots of pineapple and citrus zest with a nice creamy caramel malt backbone. Flavor starts with a soft sweet pineapple mellowness and lays soft on the tongue. But as soon as you start to swallow you get hit by a huge rush of hop oil bitterness that stays all the way down the throat. The alcohol is well hidden but you can detect that it is a heavier beer. Medium to full body and lively carbonation. This is very nice, much like Two Hearted and a great example of good balance with high hop and alcohol.

Appearance: A dark auburn-orange with an eggshell white, creamy head. After sipping, sudsy lace remains. Aroma: Green pear,mandarin orange, and peaches. I also find a smell associated with Orange Jell-o. Taste: Orange, mango and tart peach. After the wonderful lineup of fruit flavors, I get a mouthful of piny, spicy bitter hop notes. The level of sweet malt held all this fruity and spicy hop goodness together, but didn’t seem "sugary." Mouthfeel: A tad astringent, a bit on the heavy side, but not syrupy. The flavors linger for a while without coming across as sticky. Overall: My first Bell’s beer, and I am very impressed. I am a fan of an over the top Double IPA, and usually brace myself for something chewy or something that makes me pucker. This beer somehow packed all those hops in without compensating balance. Worth all the hype it receives. thanks daknole!

A wizard of the order of Hopoptimus ate hop buds and drank the sweet breast milk of voluptuous virgins. It aged in his yeast inladed cask belly for as long as it takes bucko and then out comes this stuff from his pristine piss rod. At your leisure sir. The check is now officially in the mail. Thank You Bells. 2009 12 oz.

Pours a hazy gold with a white head. Aroma of citrus and pine. Sweet citrusy flavor with some pine. So good.

I always smell the bottle right after I pop the cap to get that first whiff of concentrated aroma. I’m glad I did with this one. The bitter hop aroma is mouth watering. I love the sweet tropical fruit notes as well. Pineapple, peach, mango, grapefruit, this is my kind of IPA. It pours a clear copper color with a nice off-white head that disappears fast. Tastes very bitter with pineapple, peach, mango, papaya, grapefruit, and a touch of honeylike sweetness helps it go down smooth and easy... Oh yeah, sweet then buttery, then "slammed" by the hop. Great IIPA.