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

bigman147

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Hazy orangish color. Almost a green character as the aroma fills the room as I inspect the appearance. Good head which settles to solid lacing on the glass.

Smell: It smells like hop harvest time in Idaho. Thick piney, fruity aroma that sticks to your clothes. It almost smelled good enough to smoke if you know what I mean.

Taste: Hops and more hops. A good balance of bitterness and flavor. Its a little thing considering the 9.3% ABV. Sweet citrus fruits accentuate the bitter character. I wouldn't believe that it is 100IBU but it definitely has some bite.

Mouthfeel: Alcohol burn and slight mouthcoating stickyness. Bitterness is slightly lingering with a slight astringency/tartness. Carbonation is medium and helps cleanse the palate but also tends to dry.

Drinkability: I think this beer would be a perfect hop head session beer. Its flavorful yet not overpoweringly bitter. The alcohol would limit the amount I would drink. If I could get it year round, I would definitely drink this pretty often.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2007 18:59:59 | More by bigman147

wezzul

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev -0.7%

05-24-2013 16:35:50 | More by wezzul

kspongeworthy

Texas

4.5/5  rDev -0.7%

05-24-2013 14:57:46 | More by kspongeworthy

SwG237

New York

3.5/5  rDev -22.7%

05-24-2013 03:51:32 | More by SwG237

BeerGardener

Nebraska

4.25/5  rDev -6.2%

05-24-2013 03:42:58 | More by BeerGardener

cnewton

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev -0.7%

05-23-2013 18:58:23 | More by cnewton

blguillen

California

4.5/5  rDev -0.7%

05-23-2013 18:43:53 | More by blguillen

sblank

Florida

4/5  rDev -11.7%

05-23-2013 17:59:14 | More by sblank

visionaries

California

4.75/5  rDev +4.9%

05-23-2013 17:04:30 | More by visionaries

kvnstfrd

Missouri

1/5  rDev -77.9%

05-23-2013 13:48:30 | More by kvnstfrd

AaronBricking

Kentucky

4.75/5  rDev +4.9%

05-23-2013 04:59:21 | More by AaronBricking

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

mikeincharleston

South Carolina

4.25/5  rDev -6.2%

05-23-2013 01:18:38 | More by mikeincharleston

Dpayne

Michigan

4.75/5  rDev +4.9%

05-23-2013 00:46:29 | More by Dpayne

Stickler

Michigan

4.75/5  rDev +4.9%

05-23-2013 00:42:57 | More by Stickler

JoeStepOner

Michigan

5/5  rDev +10.4%

05-22-2013 22:49:37 | More by JoeStepOner

hodak1172

Michigan

5/5  rDev +10.4%

05-22-2013 21:18:27 | More by hodak1172

Novabrewer

5/5  rDev +10.4%

05-22-2013 20:46:50 | More by Novabrewer

velcrogrip

Florida

4.75/5  rDev +4.9%

05-22-2013 18:24:32 | More by velcrogrip

zacky_U

Michigan

5/5  rDev +10.4%

05-22-2013 16:57:21 | More by zacky_U

Bigtwin

Michigan

4/5  rDev -11.7%

05-22-2013 16:29:42 | More by Bigtwin

RichGord

South Carolina

5/5  rDev +10.4%

05-22-2013 13:03:51 | More by RichGord

scottyu27

Virginia

4.75/5  rDev +4.9%

05-22-2013 13:03:07 | More by scottyu27

ackeeper

Illinois

5/5  rDev +10.4%

05-22-2013 02:01:06 | More by ackeeper

aleman39

California

4.25/5  rDev -6.2%

05-21-2013 21:18:16 | More by aleman39