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

KBomb

Minnesota

4.7/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Rich amber color. About two fingers of thick white foamy head that clings to the glass. Great appearance.

Smell is bursting with a bouquet of hops: floral and piney. Nearly balanced out by a caramel and honey sweetness (reminds me of a particular brand of "blackberry honey"-- distinct).

At first sip I'm taken aback by the dominance of honey sweetness, yet as it passes over the pallet a myriad of bitter hop flavors begin a dance on the pallet. Starts off piney, moving towards peppery, followed again by malt sweetness and a tiny bit of medicinal flavors, ultimately finished with just a straight up bitter hop bite (notably delayed, inviting another sip at a tempered pace).

Mouthfeel is quite dry, not thin and not thick, yet just a little sticky.

The label says this is 10%abv but I'm feeling like I just drank at 12-13% barleywine. Yet for as high of alcohol content as this baby boasts, its flavor is nearly invisible save for the slightest bit of warmth in the esophagus. Drinks like an amber ale, yet has all the flavors of an Imperial IPA blended with a honey bock.

Hopslam will probably go somewhere in my top 5 of all time. A truly fantastic beer!

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2011 04:37:01 | More by KBomb

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