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

THANAT0PSIS

Wisconsin

4.85/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Wow, this is a gorgeous beer. The color is a deep, rich gold, almost approaching an amber/copper color that is reasonably cloudy. The cream-colored, three finger thick rocky pillow of head that crowns this beer is the icing on the cake; though it does eventually subside into a much more manageable one finger, the foam takes its sweet time crawling down the glass and leaves a bit of lacing in its wake. This beer also sports some alcohol legs, though they are not very obvious, which is surprising at a massive 10% ABV.

Smell: Citrus, honey, pine resin, and just a whiff of alcohol simply pours out of the mouth of the glass, taking over any and all air above or around it. It is very densely hoppy, and really quite a pleasing (and perhaps sweet) smell. At the very tail end there is just a hint of apple.

Taste: This is such a dense and complex beer; it is a real challenge for the palate, in a very, very good way. The hops are there up front and pack a punch, but it is merely a glancing blow as the honey really balances this DIPA out. After that, in a surprise for an Imperial IPA (at least in this reviewer’s experiences), the malt comes through, adding a strong caramel flavor. Finally, the honey comes back, quickly followed by a second round with the hops, which the beer ends on. There is a bit of rind in the final bout with the hops, which adds a welcome astringency and forces the mouth to water.

Mouthfeel: "Thick" is the word for this beer. It is practically syrup sliding down the drinker’s throat and leaves the sticky residue one would expect. It isn’t overly fizzy, but it is still refreshing. After only a brief appearance in the nose, and a no-show in the taste, the alcohol finally sneaks its way into the mix by giving a very pleasant warming feeling as the glass empties.

Overall: This is a personal favorite of this reviewer, and it never fails to satisfy. It really has everything a drinker looks for in this style, plus an amazing addition in the honey, which balances this into one of the most drinkable DIPAs on the market. One must be very careful drinking these because of the ease that they keep going down, and the hurting another six-pack will put on the pocketbook. 19/20

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 20:55:39 | More by THANAT0PSIS

JakeEsterly

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +4.9%

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ha-sheem

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev -0.7%

06-19-2013 20:55:23 | More by ha-sheem

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Indiana

5/5  rDev +10.4%

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t_carterb

Georgia

4/5  rDev -11.7%

06-19-2013 15:44:54 | More by t_carterb

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Indiana

4/5  rDev -11.7%

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SDStoneEnthusiast

California

3.75/5  rDev -17.2%

06-19-2013 05:14:02 | More by SDStoneEnthusiast

UncleBuccs

Arizona

4/5  rDev -11.7%

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Tyrus

California

4.25/5  rDev -6.2%

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taylor714914

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -17.2%

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sudsy2drunk

Indiana

4/5  rDev -11.7%

06-18-2013 18:16:59 | More by sudsy2drunk

b2611

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +4.9%

06-18-2013 14:29:26 | More by b2611

PJTool

Hawaii

4/5  rDev -11.7%

06-18-2013 09:14:41 | More by PJTool

SawyerMI

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev -0.7%

06-18-2013 00:50:16 | More by SawyerMI

KyleMA

California

4.5/5  rDev -0.7%

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TargaFlorio

Indiana

5/5  rDev +10.4%

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McAndrew

North Carolina

4.75/5  rDev +4.9%

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MgoJohnStamos

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev -0.7%

06-16-2013 19:50:59 | More by MgoJohnStamos

jkurosaki

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev -0.7%

06-15-2013 22:52:25 | More by jkurosaki

SarcasticAaron

Virginia

5/5  rDev +10.4%

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TheGoof

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev -0.7%

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Canada_Dan

Illinois

4/5  rDev -11.7%

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alemiester

New York

4.5/5  rDev -0.7%

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beerinNV

Nevada

4.5/5  rDev -0.7%

06-13-2013 19:48:19 | More by beerinNV

JammyV

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +4.9%

06-13-2013 03:18:05 | More by JammyV