Bell's Hopslam Ale - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

MWolverines66

New York

4.86/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

After not having this beer for the past four years I was a little hesitant to dish out $20 for a six-pack, but I was pleasantly surprised. The aroma was just awesome! Floral with the sweet smell of honey and hops. The taste did a great job of masking the alcohol content.

I was never a big IPA fan but this beer completely changed that. Went out the next morning and purchased two additional six-packs. While I can't remember exactly how it compared to 4 years ago when I had it on tap at Michigan, I can say that this is most likely the best beer I have ever had out of a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2013 02:19:14 | More by MWolverines66

jjboesen

Maryland

4.85/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Ah! Hopslam. Just saying the word makes my mouth happy. We all know about this elusive bastard and the kerfluffle surrounding it. Let's start by looking at the label, which seems to depict some poor schnook being crushed by a giant hop plant. Yeah, I get it, it's heavy shit and such. This is a visual that brings to mind domination over the individual, who is overwhelmed by something more powerful than himself.

But Hopslam cannot be limited to visual; this is about the sensual aspect of human interaction. It represents sublimity as something tangible: a glass of delicious beer that serves as the journey into "something more powerful" than yourself.

The journey begins at first pour, as the golden elixir silently slips into the glass; there is a cloudy body of amber topped by a silky beige crown of foam - sleek and shiny. Watch it slowly sink; look at the trail of gummy lacing lathering the side of the glass.

Take a sniff: the nose is suddenly overwhelmed in a complex mish-mash of pineapple, peach and mango, while the palate receives an initial plastering of malty honey underlayed with some creamy hops and eventually replaced by a friendly blanket of mild hops - minute pinpricks of pine. The mouthfeel is wondrous: honey cream that provides a milky creaminess to belie the heavy alcohol content (10%)

Highly quaffable is this blasted Hopslam, It breaks all the rules and shouts a heavy beer is not a heavy beer; it is sweet and easy! Drink me Beer Whore. (Sorry, got carried away.) In anu case, the "schnook" on the label is me as I truly loved this beer, one that has earned its reputation. Oh, Hopslam, I am not worthy.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2013 01:59:15 | More by jjboesen

CHILLINDYLAN

Washington

4.54/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Clear Vibrant Tangerine. Creamy white head with decent retention. Beautiful Frosty Laces.

Plentiful Floral, Pine, Cirtus, Tropical Fruit, Spicy resin. Light toasty malts with some honey and a bit of booze.

Floral, spicy resins, juicy citrus. honey and booze over a very lightly toasted malt bill. Sticky floral resinous bitterness. Not as overtly bitter as other of the style.

Silky medium body that is sticky and drying. medium, pleasant carbonation.

Awesome tasty IIPA. Hops and honey = great floral hoppy treat. Thanks to a trade with a friend from Michigan. I'd love to have this one regularly.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 23:38:59 | More by CHILLINDYLAN

Hendry

Vermont

4.75/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Pours a semi clear amber/orange hue, nice soapy 1 finger white head.

Not the aroma I was expecting. With a name like HOPSLAM, I was expecting something in the area of Heady Topper. There was a presence of hops surrounded by sweetness, either from the mal, the honey or a combination of both.Bottle was 3+ months old, wondering if that played a part in the lack of hop forwardness.

Flavors are exceptionally balanced between hops and a sweetness that does not overpower.
There is a slight grapefruit peel vibe amongst the malt and honey sweetness, yet all flavors blend amazingly well.For a 10% abv, this is crazy drinkable!

Mouthfeel is medium, on the rich side of sweetness without overdoing it.

Amazing drinkability in a high abv IIPA makes for good times. Would like to get some closer to the bottle date this Fall.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 04:11:27 | More by Hendry

Roman5150

Michigan

4.98/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Bottle into pint glass, about 5 months old at time of review

Appearance: beautiful orange amber with 1 finger white head

Smell: heavy grapefruit, citrus, honey, simcoe hops, coriander, grape, apple, lemon,

Taste: follows the nose, huge simcoe grapefruit/tropical citrus notes, earthy hops, probably the smoothest double ipa ive ever had, honey, lemon, end is so refreshingly smooth this is a world glass beer that ANYONE would love. Absolutely no taste of alcohol, and it's a 10% abv. Even 5 months old from te bottle it tastes like it did on tap in January.

Mouthfeel: perfect amount of carbonation, not too full

Overall: My favorite beer of all time, narrowly edging Bells other staple, Two-Hearted. God damn, theres something about this beer that no other DIPA can touch. I think what sets it apart is the addition of honey, which creates a smoothness that rounds out the bitterness to a point where words cant describe how amazing this beer is. Good luck finding it, this sells fast everywhere, and its obvious why. The best DIPA i've ever had, no contest.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 05:25:21 | More by Roman5150

AllenChaney

Colorado

4.56/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

This is one of my favorite beers ever. The flavor is huge but not as big as it gets, more subtle than many Imperial IPA's. Reminds me of laying in a dew saturated field of wildflowers. Wakes up my entire olfactory system and excites me for the next sip. Not very "bite-y" and I love the floral notes.

Serving type: on-tap

05-13-2013 23:52:23 | More by AllenChaney

Beer_Bitch

Michigan

4.69/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Serving Type: On tap

Appereance: translucent and beautiful. LIke a golden goddess.

Smell: Extreme citrus scent. It smells like you've been placed in a vacuum sealed container for 5.3 years with grapefruit.

Taste: The taste is extremely powerful and complex. It smashes your palate with a right hook of citrus glory than delivers a powerful, but sure, upper cut to your adams apple of glorious hops.

Mouthfeel: light, like the touch of a doves wings

This beer is delicious. The first IPA that I drank and enjoyed. For anyone that has friends that would like to start drinking beers other than Pilsner this is the beer they should try. YUUMMM!

Serving type: on-tap

05-13-2013 00:19:13 | More by Beer_Bitch

STEELERFAN2390

Florida

4.91/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

PLEASE START MASS PRODUCING THIS!!
WHY DOES THIS ONLY COME OUT ONCE A YEAR?
PLEASE OH PLEASE CAN WE FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THEM PRODUCE MORE OF THIS?!?!? HAHA I LIVE IN FLA SO THIS BEER IS HARD TO GET. ONCE A YEAR YOU CAN GRAB IT A TOTAL WINE FOR 19.99$ A SIXER,WELL WORTH IT !!

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 22:53:27 | More by STEELERFAN2390

Wardo

Illinois

4.74/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

What a great beer, so, so sad this is only produced 1x / year. They need to follow suit with SN Hoptimum and produce more regularly. Lots of citrus, piney, little malt, hoppy, and just a hint of sweetness to balance out the bitterness. Certainly one of the top (if not the top) IPA/DIPA out there. I stock up on this every year to drink through spring and take camping in the summer. It's a great way to wind down an afternoon and set up an evening of big beers. We've put it up against Pliny's (fresh on fresh), and Hopslam wins out every time, hands down.

I load the basement fridge with a couple cases of this every year, and it lasts into summer. This beer is so good fresh, it's crazy. From experience, refrigerating the day it gets home has a big impact on retaining flavor profile.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 20:59:36 | More by Wardo

mattk1717

Florida

4.91/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Top 3 IPA's I ever had. So full of flavor, yet very drinkable. I love to taste the hops but not be overwhelmed and this seems like the perfect combination of hops. It does not taste like there is 10% alcohol in this beer. The flavor is addictive and makes me want to keep sipping.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 07:29:14 | More by mattk1717

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

4.56/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Appearance: It has a nice hazy golden/orange color to it. It has a nice thick off-white head that dies down moderately and leaves some nice lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitely give out hints of citrus, grapefruit, pineapple, pine and some subtle sweet caramelly malts.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has some citrus, grapefruit, some pineapple, piney resins, sweet caramelly malts and some sweet honey.

Mouthfeel: It has a low/medium carbonation with a great overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with great flavors and aromas.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 20:52:57 | More by SebD

Converge

Alberta (Canada)

4.54/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle into a yankee pint. Bottle in January. Not optimal freshness, but it'll do.

A - Pours a hazy rusty amber hue with a dense foamy off-white cap. Tons of effervescence flowing up the glass. Nice dense head retention and sticky, thorough lacing.

S - Super hop forward. Crisp pine, mango, pineapple, grapefruit and peach. Fairly fruity with a tropical twang to it. Subtle caramel malt, just enough. Nice mix of sweet and bitter in the hop bouquet.

T - Fantastic. A delicate balance of palate-intensive hop assault, but the bittering character is brought back just enough. And its tasty as hell. Pineapple, mango, green apple, and grapefruit giving it an excellent tropical fruit hop barrage upfront. Floral notes abound as well, with a crisp and zesty citric quality. Minimal malt in the profile. Overall, it feels very fresh, balanced and drinkable. Holy hell this is a great beer.

M - Medium bodied, but lots of lively but fine bubbles of carbonation. Smooth, but a little warm and oily, as DIPAs tend to be. Sticky on the lips too!

D - This is a benchmark for the style of the 'double' IPA. Most in the style are merely IBU bombs, with an obnoxious palate wrecking bitterness and lack of any real flavor. This isn't. Reminds me of a domestic favorite of mine, Red Racer IPA, in that it has tons and tons of flavor but is still immensely drinkable. Absolutely delicious DIPA, and that's coming from a guy who doesn't really care for the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 23:03:48 | More by Converge

rand

California

4.06/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

From 12 oz bottle poured into nonic tulip glass

A: Orange-apricot in color, forms a nice, frothy 2-inch head that leaves patchy lacing around the glass. Brew isn't as opaque as I'd guess.

S: Citrusy hop oil meets lots of honey-sweet notes and booze. Essence of grapefruit all over the place.

T: Flavors really arc as they pass over your palate. Citrusy and somewhat refreshing at first. Strong, sticky honey-malts roll through and the hop notes turn oily and bitter. Lots of booze. Grapefruit rind lingers throughout the sip and beyond, along with warming alcohol. Finishes long and bitter-sweet.

M: Really chewy and viscous, almost syrupy. Carbonation is there but it's almost overwhelmed by the gunky consistency.

Definitely accomplishes what it sets out to do - pound your palate with hops, and hop essence. It's not as refreshing as its West Coast brethren but I like the unique take on the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 06:19:43 | More by rand

brewskifan55

Mississippi

4.25/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a snifter

A: Amber with no head or bubbles. Light lacing.

S: The hops grab you by the olfactory and never let up. Grapefruit, grassy with a touch of honey.

T: Follows nose witha bit of pepper on the finish. This one's a hophead's paradise.

M: Light to medium. Dry finish.

O: If I were a hophead, I would buy this by the case. An outstanding representation of an Imperial IPA. The honey really smooths the bitterness out. You got hop-slammed, sucka!

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 19:18:48 | More by brewskifan55

yuenglingfan101

Indiana

4.95/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Another great brew from Bells. Poured into a pint glass. Golden to dark golden color. The aroma of hops filled my nostrils. The toaste of hops and fruit filled my mouth with great delight. The taste and aftertaste were completely smooth to me. Another great brew with great fan fare. Worth trying. This beer is so popular that we have customers ask for it by the case

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 17:39:44 | More by yuenglingfan101

AndyP612

Illinois

4.29/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Hybrid on tap from notes and bottle split btw 2 low balls collaboration review with Carol.

A- Golden cloudy with low carbonation.

S- Hops forward with apple, pear and citrus overtones. Sweet.

T- Very sweet, hops follow nose but not as much hop bite as is expected from the nose. Almost too sweet and not bitter enough to be a pale.

M- medium heavy bodied, almost syrupy, yet very sweet. Thick.

O- Very much so too sweet for my palate as I like my IPA's well balanced and drier. My tap review came from a shit hole that still had hopslam on tap 3 weeks after it hit the market in Minnesota (Casper's in Eagan, MN) gottah love it. It comes across as a little too syrupy from the bottle and lingers too long which can be good or bad. All in all a great ale but Surly Abrasive wins. Cheers.

Serving type: on-tap

04-19-2013 02:00:43 | More by AndyP612

emmasrue1

Michigan

4.71/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Very strong beer and not one that you can drink every day (if you want to be productive). It has a nice look to it in a pilsner and the aroma is rather fruity to me. I do really appreciate the strong taste. The beer lets you know you are drinking a good hearty ale. I do enjoy Hopslam just can't drink it that often nor have too many in one setting.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 17:27:42 | More by emmasrue1

UnderPressure

South Carolina

4.13/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Bottled: 01/16/13. Drank 04/14/13

Golden orange colored beer. Nice white head. So-so retention, great lacing.

Aroma is nice, but not as hoppy as I imagine a fresher bottle would be. More to the malty side. Sweet, kinda hoppy aroma.

Same with the flavor. The beer is plenty bitter, but not as much hoppy flavor as I'm assuming a fresher bottle would have.

Medium bodied. Carbonation feels harsh when coupled with the bitterness. Dry, everlasting finish.

After looking for a while, I finally found a liquor store with a few bottles of this beer left in stock, so I bought one. This bottle is nearly three months old, I'm sure the hoppy flavor and aroma I was looking for was much more prominent two months ago. There's always next year.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 17:35:52 | More by UnderPressure

WiscoBrewsco

Wisconsin

4.99/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured into a Sam Adams "Perfect Pint" glass

Appearance - Golden in color, medium thick head that doesn't linger, highly carbonated

Smell - Massive citrus hops, all types of hop smells really but citrus and floral dominate. A touch a sweet sugar smell as well from the honey

Taste - Wow! This beer is a force to be reckoned with. The massive hop flavor just wrecks the palate and dominates the whole mouth filling it with pineapple and grapefruit flavors. Then it is as if the beer reaches in and grabs your tongue and paints it with a layer of honey. The hops then wash down the back of your throat leaving a bitter finish but then the citrus works its way back up into your mouth and just sits waiting for you to take the next sip and start the ride all over again

Mouthfeel - The hop presence and carbonation and honey make this a very mouth coating DIPA. It almost sticks in your mouth and on your tongue anywhere it touches. Thick and rich are understatements.

Overall - This is without a doubt the best DIPA or IPA I have ever had. Even better than Pliny and Double Jack. It may not have the hop bill of Pliny or the intricacies of Double Jack, but the overall balance and experience makes it superior to them both and the use of honey in this beer is simply masterful. I could drink this beer every day and still not have enough. I don't know exactly what was in the Ambrosia that the Greek Gods were drinking, but I imagine it was something like this. Nectar of the Gods, indeed I have been Hopslammed

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 17:32:48 | More by WiscoBrewsco

Ultra-Plinian

Connecticut

4.74/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

A very special thank you to GAELIC for trading me the Hopslam. He also so sent me some other North Carolina Beers that I am looking forward to trying.

Poured from the 12 oz bottle into my NEBCO Gandhi Bot snifter.

A: Golden orange hue with about 2 fingers of worth of an almost white cap that subsides quickly with nice lacing.

S: Wonderfully inviting. Smellls of pine and citrus, begging me to take the first sip.

T / M : Biting and bitter, just like the bottle says. But in a good way. It is slightly sweet. Bitter and almost tannic and the bite and flavors stay on your palate for a long time. No clue that it is 10% abv.

O: One of the best DIPA out here IMHO. I guess I will be trading for more of this in the future as it is EXCELLENT. Or I could just go visit my friends in Pennsylvania a little more often.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 19:06:04 | More by Ultra-Plinian

Abbbp

Texas

4.75/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

So for whom the AbBBp is named for is who must be thanked prior to writing this post. Not only did he send us the sixer, but I also had the pleasure of sharing it with another AbBBp member, ole Ne.

Actually enjoyed this one properly, I think, in a tulip. In all regards this Kalamazoo product comes through.

Tasted fresh even though it was brewed about 2 months prior, but it didn't linger with a negative after taste. What was most enjoyable was in fact was the mouthfeel, very well carbonated almost like if they took a pine cone and turned it into a soda, that refreshing.

Took the General out for a walk, came back to bliss. The taste was fantastic, would love to get some more. The smell was oblivion, and overall it was anything box. Get if it you can, better yet send me some

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 03:17:53 | More by Abbbp

roundthewaygirls

Virginia

4.56/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

poured into a chimay chalice

A: gold color, clear, half a finger of head which dispersed almost immediately.

S: piney hops, fresh citrus fruit, grapefruit, with a hint of ethanol when swirled around in the glass.

T: extraordinarily hoppy, complex hop profile, a blend of many. citrus fruits, mango. syrupy sweetness of honey.

M: a little thinner than expected, moderate carbonation, clean with bitter finish, not particularly boozy.

O: excellent DIPA, one of the most complex hop profiles i've ever come across. while the honey is present, the mouthfeel was a litle thin. not perfectly balanced. definitely drink this one for the hops, definitive of the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 00:23:02 | More by roundthewaygirls

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.09/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

with all the hype around this I wanted it to floor me just like heady did, and just like the younger did, but it didn't. I mean, its a great beer don't get me wrong, but it didn't stand out to me as something worthy of the absurd praise its received. the pour is a nice hazy honey color with a creamy white head with fine retention, beautiful. the nose is oily hops, high alpha semisweet fruity hops, with some pollen character from the honey and a subtle but complimentary yeast strain. the flavor is boldly hoppy, both bitter as hell and oily sticky danky. its a beer with plenty of motion, moving from a fruity sort of vibe to a really gnarly bitter bomb. the sweetness of the honey is hard to pick out, and the alcohol is shockingly well hidden. you would never know this was 10% abv until you drank 3 or 4 of them and it walloped you! great mouthfeel with groovy carbonation and a fuller medium body. there is a great resinous feel left after the swallow. overall an outstanding imperial ipa, one of the better ones ive had honestly, but it just didn't blow my mind the way it has for others.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 18:03:37 | More by StonedTrippin

metter98

New York

4.46/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

A: The beer is hazy pale yellow in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a quarter finger high white head that only died down a little, consistently leaving a thin head covering the surface.
S: Moderately strong aromas of citrusy hops are present in the nose - grapefruit seems to stand out in particular - along with some hints of honey.
T: Like the smell, the taste is citrusy with flavors of orange and has some hints of honey. There is a moderate amount of bitterness.
M: It feels a little more than medium-bodied and somewhat crisp on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation. There are some bits of warming from the alcohol in the finish.
O: This beer is rather easy to drink considering its strength because the alcohol is well masked from the taste. There's enough bitterness to prevent this from becoming sweet, especially since it has honey in it.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 16:52:36 | More by metter98

patre_tim

China

4.64/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A: Honey with a slight amber tinge. I see suspended fine white particles, and a couple larger dark ones. 1 finger slight yellow head, nice lacing. Medium low carbonation evident

S: Tropical fruit, honey, pineapple, spicy heat, sweet tropical fruit punch, a slight bad breath stink. Pine.

T: Perfection. Now I see why this is so highly rated. Textbook. Smooth and balanced for this style. I get the tropical fruit and honey with a light sweetness that is perfectly, smoothly evident without negative qualities. Fresh. The bitterness waits until the end to show itself, then says a nice long goodbye, and ends the story without lingering. I get the tropical fruit and pine and pineapple, honey, and no bad breath. It is perfectly balanced.

M: Medium body, medium carbonation.

O: Perfect. Having this on the same night as Einbecker Mai-Ur-Bock. The the oldest bock style reputed by Luther as the best in the world, and one of the the newest styles, amongst the best in the modern world. Leaving NA soon for China, so glad to have found two such great beers.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 04:02:03 | More by patre_tim