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

mwa423

Ohio

2/5  rDev -55.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

a - pours a slightly hazy burnt orange with no head to speak of.

S -orange bitters, lots of alcohol and hints of hopslam's citrus glory.

T - incredibly barleywine like with overwhelming alcohol and a harsh biting bitterness that cloys to the back of the throat.

M - mouthfeel is overly rich, biting and slides down the throat like slime.

Overall, avoid the cask. What is amazing in bottles and life changing on tap is actually awful to drink.

Serving type: cask

03-30-2011 23:11:16 | More by mwa423

stimulus

New Jersey

2.4/5  rDev -47%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

12 ounce bottle.
Batch #9470, bottled in December of 2009.

A: Pours a slightly hazy orange with light white lacing.

S: Aromas of melon and hops are prominent.

T: Melon and other citrus flavors show up, but they are absolutely dominated by the hop bitterness and alcohol burn, which linger.

M: Medium bodied and sticky with very high carbonation.

D: This is not a very drinkable brew, imo. Knowing this was a hop bomb, I tried aging it about 9 months, and it's been 8. That didn't help this brew one bit, as the hop profile STILL annihilates any semblance of a malty balance, and not to my liking. After having and enjoying beers like Ruination and Arrogant Bastard, and even any of the DFH DIPA's, I feel like all of them are very well balanced, but this was not. Bad batch perhaps, but I have been unable to find any indication of the sort. Note: compared side by side with DFH 90 Minute and Double Trouble, both of which showed balance in comparison.

2/26/11 Edit: After going through a fresh six pack, I feel like the beer was a bit past its prime when I initially rated it, but I feel like the beer still suffers from a lack of balance. I tasted a lot of honey rather than melon, but the honey never blends well with the hop character and the malt bill is just not enough to keep this beer from being overly harsh. At one point, I compared this to a Troegs Nugget Nectar, and the difference was remarkable: The NN tastes like a finished product while the Hopslam is still a mess.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2010 22:05:14 | More by stimulus

afoltz2

Kentucky

2.42/5  rDev -46.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

I'm one of the few that wasn't head over heels for this brew, and the reason is very simple - Hopslam has a very strong mango flavor to it, and I don't care for mango. That flavor even comes through in the smell, which I confirmed from another person before I poured it out of the bottle.

I liked the way the brew felt due to the hoppiness, but the end of each sip proved too citrusy for me. The beer, despite a high ABV, did not have a strong alcohol taste, which was nice, and had a good appearance in the glass.

HopHeads who love this beer and appreciate the citrus flavor rightly make this their beer of choice, my brew taste just runs towards ambers & stouts.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 18:00:59 | More by afoltz2

SpinachEater

Michigan

2.45/5  rDev -45.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Batch # 9471. I am not sure what is going on with this batch. My local store usually carries outdated beer so I had to double check the batch number on Bell's site to make sure this wasn't last years batch. It is fresh...packaged on 21 of Dec 09.

Huh...the reason why I checked was because this batch has no bitterness to it. None. I have been a huge fan of Hopslam but it seems like it has been getting weeker and weeker over the years. Twohearted is way more hoppier than what I am drinking right now. This seems to be roughly the same bitterness level as a Sam Adams (~32 IBU)...enough to dry the palate but not enough to produce any bite.

A few years back this beer was thick, dark orange, malty as fudge, and supercharged with IBUs. You seriously felt like the dude in the picture when the hops kicked your butt. Last year it seems like they backed off on the IBUs (perhaps because of the hops shortage?) but it still filled the room with hops aroma.

This year I get only a small hint of hops in the nose. It is mostly just honey that I smell. The taste is really sweet as well. Way too much honey and residual sweetness for my ideal DIPA. This is more of a mead than an IPA, for sure not a double IPA/Imperial IPA.

I am pretty disappointed with this batch. I honestly think that I have a batch that they forgot to add the bittering hops to. So sorry Bells...I wouldn't recommend Hopslam to anyone if they are looking for a good DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2010 02:23:36 | More by SpinachEater

rawhydes1

Pennsylvania

2.53/5  rDev -44.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Was really looking forward to having a "rare" Hopslam. So maybe I'm just feeling let down.

This beer seems extremely unbalanced to me. Nothing but HOPS, as the name suggests. Over the top piney flavor.

Bitter, syrupy, sticky finish.

Not impressed.

I would much rather have a SN, Nectar, DFH.

Maybe just TOO EXTREME for my taste.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2009 02:54:38 | More by rawhydes1

mrasskicktastic

New Jersey

2.55/5  rDev -43.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

A - Very hazy golden copper brew with about one finger of foamy white head that dissipates in about a minute leaving decent rings of lacing in its wake. Streaks of lacing up and down the glass. A pretty beer.

S - HOPS!!! Very strong. It practically fills teh room with hop aroma. Grapefruit pith and a strong, but soft pine (simcoe hops possibly, or one of its ancestors). The smell is strongly of resin. A bit of white peach. Alcohol is a little noticable at higher temperatures (If the mouthfeel wasn't so caustic, I would have drank this much faster and I never would have found this out).

T - The flavor is actually pretty mild. It has a bit of a pine and grapefruit flavor upfront that shifts into a mild pine bitterness aftertaset with a touch of grapefruit pith. The alcohol is very detectable in the back of the mouth. Pretty boozy. This isn't even very bitter really. Where are the 106 IBUs? I don't think this could be about 65. I really expected more flavor out of this beer.

M - Drying (partially from the alcohol) to the point of it being hard to swallow. I am having trouble drinking this with a glass of water. Seriously, this beer goes down about as smoothly as a shot of cheap vodka. Ridiculous. On top of that the carbonation makes it a bit harsh.

D - I love hops, but this mouthfeel is unbearable. A beer that I can barely choke down with a huge glass of water is not a drinkable beer by any standards. I don't think I will have this again. It is definitely not sessionable. It might go with some foods since it has a somewhat mild flavor. All and all a beer I don't care for - it makes your breath and burps smell very nice though.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2006 02:54:51 | More by mrasskicktastic

OrangeCharlie

Delaware

2.6/5  rDev -42.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A: Poured a nice deep golden, almost copper color.

S: The nose is great...pretty much all hops. Good blend of earthy, pungent with a touch of citrusy strains in there too.

T: Way too dry for the hop level, way off balance. Bitterness is just harsh and overpowering. Very hot and boozy on the swallow. I know the beer is 10% ABV, but I really think you can brew a much smoother beer at this level.
Too much honey...it doesn't add anything but dryness. And too much at that. I can see what they were trying to accomplish, but it was just too dry for the hop level. Overall, the beer just comes off as an overly bitter, one note flavor.

M: Nice body, good carbonation level. Everything is OK here.

D: Again, the booziness and bitterness make this beer tough to throw back. I like DIPA's...I've even had very quaffable ones that are around 9-10%. But I put this beer down after two sips and a friend took over.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2011 14:33:20 | More by OrangeCharlie

Phoenix2443

Texas

2.63/5  rDev -41.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Slightly hazy orange with very little lacing.

Smell: Hops, Piney, Strong smell of alcohol (not good)

Taste: Overpowering taste of hops and just pure alcohol. I know this is a hop bomb but jeez, a little balance would've been nice.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and sticky.

Overall: Not in my top 10 choices for a DIPA, I would like to see more malt to balance this out as everyone has said the honey does wonders but I didn't see it in this serving. I had a six of this and didn't really enjoy them, not worth the search IMO.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2011 16:44:45 | More by Phoenix2443

masstransplant

South Carolina

2.65/5  rDev -41.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

A-Clear, pale orange with a thin head

S-Aside from the hops, which was not overwhelming, some pine, citrus and ginger. Very nice, however the pine reminded me of a christmas candle. As the beer warmed the smell grew more intense and more pleasant. I spent a long 30 minutes finishing the last half of the glass, mostly because I enjoyed the aroma.

T- Sweet at first, and sweet in the end, but with strong, bitter hops in between. Finished with some notes of orange peel. Very tasty.

M-Decent carbonation; smooth finish

D-A great beer to linger over....I look forward to drinking this as the weather warms as I think it will be very refreshing.

Overall an excellent Imperial IPA. Not my favorite Bells offering but I will drink this again and recommend it to friends.

Edited after finishing the 6 pack...I looked less and less forward to each beer in this 6-pack, anticipating the ever-present Yankee Candle Christmas Pine-Tree aroma. As I compared it with other beers in my fridge, I found it the least appealing and by beer number 5, was looking forward to saying goodbye. I've at least learned to appreciate good balance in a beer and will probably not favor too many of the high-hops choices that are out there. No more Hopslam for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 15:33:06 | More by masstransplant

beerindex

Michigan

2.68/5  rDev -40.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

Pours a hazy orange-brown color (almost cider-like) with a modest and quickly fleeting white head that left a respectable lace behind. Smell though was this beer's best selling point. The aroma was heavenly, perhaps the best I've come across of any beer. The smell was of citrus fruits, mostly lemon and pineapple, with a bit of honey too.

With respect to the beer's taste, it wasn't anything to write home about. I picked up a bottle because it is cheap and local, and most people seem to love it. As much of a hops fan as I am, this simply didn't do anything for me. I couldn't detect the honey it was supposedly brewed with. Instead, it had an odd medicinal sort of taste that was bitter in a way I don't expect with this style.

Not something I'd care to drink again, especially when Bell's has much better beers in their line-up, and even better locals brews exist (see: most stuff from Founders).

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2009 19:16:52 | More by beerindex

ViveLaChouffe

Georgia

2.73/5  rDev -39.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

It pours a clear orangey copper with a frothy ivory head. Lots of fine spiderweb lacing. Beautiful smell. Floral and sweet citrusy hops. Hints of tangerine and apricot, orange rind and a hint of alcohol.

In the mouth, the alcohol is quite apparent. Quite hot actually. It is quite sweet but the malt provides very little body to offset the copious amounts of bitingly bitter hops. The hops are pretty unpleasant actually without the malt to offset the spice. It comes off exceedingly harsh. And thin! Long hoppy aftertaste.

Wow, really lacking as a double IPA. It's kind of a mess. Horrendously overrated. A fantastic brewery (the best brewer of stouts in America in my estimation) but this is a beer that is surprisingly lacking in craftmanship and taste. Miss it.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2008 23:18:12 | More by ViveLaChouffe

jminsc76

California

2.73/5  rDev -39.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

And that friend alex3891 is referring to (i.e., me) gives the HopSlam a comparable rating and review.

It pours a very impressive, large head - thick and bubbly - giving one the impression they may be about to experience something spectacular. The hops swirl and dance as you pour. Excellent lacing down the glass as the head dissipates. The body is a slightly reddish orange and quite attractive. The carbonation dances as you open it up.

The taste anticipation is heightened as the smell is fresh and hoppy, with hints of vanilla and butterscotch. Malty aromas as well. But then I taste it, and, well, not much. As I continue sipping, I hope more will come through than the slightly hoppy and malty flavors that match the characteristics of the aromas, but not the aromas' intensity. It's hoppy, it's bitter, but there isn't a lot of oomph! to it. The taste exists, and that's all it does. There's no punch-in-the mouth the way an Imperial IPA typically delivers.

The sight is exceptional, the smell is as well, but the taste is, well, nada mucho. The only thing truly redeeming this beer from total disappointment is how I feel from its 10% ABV. That makes me rather feel rather benign. And similar to alex3891's review, I too am trying to understand how this beer received the ratings it did. Did he and I drink a bad batch or something?

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2009 00:27:03 | More by jminsc76

guinnessfan

Pennsylvania

2.78/5  rDev -38.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Tried on 3 separate occasions and finally decided to review.

A: Clouded copper color, with thousands of floaties. Small head, no retention, but decent lacing.

S: Pine and citrus hop smell.

T: Too medicinal and boozy. Sweet and bitter at the same time. It's not the hops, because I love hops, it's that astringent taste that's nasty.

M: Stinging carbonation bubbles from a constant flow in the glass.

D: Not very good. Reminds me of hop-flavored Nyquil.

Major disappointment to me.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2007 02:01:40 | More by guinnessfan

RaulMondesi

California

2.81/5  rDev -38%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Wow... Wow... Did Raul just get himself a diet Stone? Mild aroma, thin-ish textures on the tongue, and a taste about as inspiring as a Kardashian having a baby. Raul was stoked on getting hooked up on this through a trade, but for now he will be looking forward to Zombie Dust.

Peace!

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 01:57:14 | More by RaulMondesi

Ryan011235

Ohio

2.91/5  rDev -35.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a Delirium snifter on 1/21/13

11645 Pkgd 1/03/13

Slightly hazy and browned honey color with a one finger head that starts a quick decline. Soapy retention and some drippy, sandy lace; neither holds up over by the end of the glass.

Hop oils and alcohol are strong on the nose; apricot, peach, pollen, hints of grapefruit and a vague notion of lemongrass. The malts are fairly neutral but in abundance, so there's a lot of sweet cracker and biscuit coming through.

The taste leads off with a moderate pine bitterness which is peppered with citric pith and rind. The hop oils ooze together; picking out distinct flavors is laborious and largely pointless. Similarly, the malts become part of the whole lending a sweetness to the concoction. Tropical booze lasts long on the finish.

Oily. The feel is so oily. It clings across the palate every which way. The body is on the high end of medium but the hop oils weight it down. The carbonation is capable; lively in conjunction with the hops but not sharp.

The first few times I had this I loved it, but year after year I try Hopslam and I keep coming to the same conclusion that it is simply ok. I like to have a pint and a bottle or two each year just for kicks, but plopping down close to $20 for a six pack just ain't gonna happen.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 20:51:10 | More by Ryan011235

beerlove82

Illinois

2.93/5  rDev -35.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: Pours like dark honey with some darker amber tones. Nice two finger head that seems to want to stay for a bit.

S: Hops Hops Hops! And a hint of honey.

T: Don't taste any of the honey, its overtaken by hops, Alcohol is high in this one (10%) but the hops hide it well. Don't like the hops so much and a tart unpleasant aftertaste. A pine needle note im getting.

M: Dry finish carbonation is right on.

D: Everyone is raving about this beer its not a bad brew just not my taste.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2011 19:19:51 | More by beerlove82

timobkg

New Jersey

2.93/5  rDev -35.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Poured into a small chalice.

Pale golden with a thin layer of foam.

Aroma is strong pine, like I just crushed a handful of pine needles in my hand.

The flavor is piney, and very bitter. I'm surprised as this has the least IBUs of any DIPA I've had, paired to some of the most alcohol. And yet, to me, it tasted overwhelmingly bitter. Maybe it was served too cold, and didn't warm up enough, but I didn't get any honey sweetness from it.

The mouthfeel is very thick, and chewy. Combined with the aroma and flavor, it made me feel like I was chewing on pine needles.

I was really excited to try this beer, as it sounded like a DIPA that I'd love. Sadly, it tasted too bitter and piney, and overall disappointing..

Serving type: on-tap

04-05-2011 20:13:49 | More by timobkg

Phinner

Michigan

2.93/5  rDev -35.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had this and Founders Double Trouble the same night. No real comparison. Hopslam delivers the hops for sure, but the balance was not right. Its not smooth whatsoever; the hops seemed to generate a heat sensation and other off flavors that weren't quite right.

Overall, its a fair DIPA, but definitely not worthy of the hype.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 15:03:03 | More by Phinner

Philousa

California

2.95/5  rDev -34.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a clear honey gold with little head. Pretty typical for a Triple IPA. Very Grassy, piney hops. Sweet honey kissed biscuit with an alcohol tinge at the end. Very dank. Hop resin sums up this beer in two words. That's nearly all you need to know. Sweet, chewy white bread malt turns bitter grassy, then very alcoholic bitter aftertaste. Lingers very plasticky, band-aidy in the mouth. On the syrupy side, very dry finish.

I really liked the aroma, but that phenolic plastic aftertaste really buried this one for me. I got this in a trade, so I'm really hoping this one was sitting in the sun or something because this has a lot of potential. FYI, I wouldn't normally give something I suspect to be "damaged goods" a review, but I really don't have any other means by which to review this beer. This is more for my notes so i can go back and try it fresh in Chicago one day to compare. Gotta say though, even with the plastic phenol taken away, it's pretty syrupy. After the DIPA fest, I can say I've had several beers that lack this characteristic that still fit the TIPA style. So I guess I'm saying that my below average review is still warranted in my eyes.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 05:03:22 | More by Philousa

bowersdm

Ohio

2.98/5  rDev -34.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle poured into a german pilsner glass. This beer was fresh from the distributor

A - rust color with a 2cm head.

S - sweet, with the usual floral, citrus notes of hops (I'm new to hops, so can't really go into detail about them.)

T - sweet beginning and then a ton of hops are shot at me. whoa! That's a lot of hops. Too much for me, I think. Again, floral and citrusy.

M - it's a fresh Bells beer.

D - too many hops for me. I may have jumped to the DIPAs a little too quickly.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2009 09:24:49 | More by bowersdm

DaveAnderson

Minnesota

2.98/5  rDev -34.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This is one of the most inconsistent beers I have ever rated. I liked almost everything about 2009 and 2010, except the honey aroma.

Everything changed in 2011, though. Suddenly, I was drinking a near-perfect DIPA. Abundant pine and citrus on the nose, and balance on the tongue.

Too bad I am reviewing 2012, then. I found very little to like about this beer. It looked great in the glass.

But that's where the fun ended. I took a whiff, and was happy to note the absence of honey. But where was the rest? This beer is supposed to smell like *something*, for crying out loud. I was halfway through this beer with my nose buried in the glass before I could sense anything at all.

And where was the balance? There's no sweetnes to balance the bitterness. This might have been OK in an aromatic beer, but not in this one.

Blech.

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2012 22:14:15 | More by DaveAnderson

Minkybut

Virginia

3/5  rDev -33.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I poured this brew into my tumbler at 50 degrees. The beer was musty smelling and had a really thin head. The beer was a little bit cloudy and smelled really hoppy. It tasted really hoppy also as it is suppose to. I thought it was kinda grassy tasting. I did not like the beer but hop heads will go for it for sure. A great crisp summertime hop beer if you like that kinda thing. Not buy again

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2008 15:28:06 | More by Minkybut

drgarage

California

3.03/5  rDev -33.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Sampled three bottles from a sixer in Michigan bottled on Jan. 9.

A: Nice, golden IPA, nice head with minimal lacing. Pretty much what you look for, but nothing spectacular.

S: Nice citrus hops, but a bit faint for my liking. Pales next to Lagunitas Sucks, for example.

T: Big and sticky and lacking in complexity. I get no honey at all, and the hops just don't come together in any interesting way. It stuns me that many have rated this higher than both Younger and Elder, each of which is significantly superior. I am impressed with how successfully the high ABV is hidden.

M: A bit thin. Good carbonation, nothing to write home about.

O: A good solid DIPA, but nothing to write home about. I'm from Michigan, so I was ready to have my socks knocked off. I can only conclude that anyone rating this above the best west-coast IPAs, Heady Topper, etc., have never had any of those fresh. This just isn't terribly special. Disappointing.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 22:14:45 | More by drgarage

ibbjamin

California

3.05/5  rDev -32.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

REVIEW FROM 01-26-2011 05:16:58
I last reviewed this in May of 2009, but later found that it was almost a half a year after bottling, so I attributed my high rDev to faded hops. I just didn't understand how everyone sweated this beer. Don't get me wrong, I love Bells, just didn't understand the Hopslam. Well I thank Dee from Bobby's Liquor in San Jose, CA for graciously hooking me up with a fresh 12oz bottle from the 2011 bottling. I'm tasting this one fresh and pouring into a large snifter to review.

Yields a small quarter inch head after a somewhat aggressive pour. The head dissipates quickly leaving little retention. Cloudy golden orange in color. Good lacing.

First smell impression: sweet, hoppy and balanced.
Lots of hops with some grapefruit and pine, but these are held up with some hefty hops as well. Hinting towards an east coaster, but this one is a no-coaster! Honey sweetness also detected.

Taste is quite sweet with lots of balanced hoppy flavor. I do detect a bit of the booze from this 10% DIPA monster. I'm getting an almost off flavor of rubbing alcohol as well. Not so sure about this one, certainly overrated.

Medium body with good levels of carbonation. Long balanced hoppy and honey sweet finish.

I don't think the hops fade as quickly or noticeably as PtE for example. I also don't think it is fair to the best DIPAs to put this in the same discussion. They nailed it with their Two Hearted, but I'm in the minority to say they missed it with the Hopslam.

REVIEW FROM 05-20-2009 02:31:19
Paid $14.99 for a six pack of 12oz bottles from Discount Liquor in Milwaukee, WI. I'm reviewing on the last bottle of the second six pack I've drank in the last couple months, so I am rather familiar with this brew. My bottle has the numbers 8907 on it. I pour into a snifter.

Light, fizzy, off-white head of about a half inch after a fairly aggressive pour which dissipates very quickly. Cloudy deep orange/brown in color with some transparency. OK lacing.

Strong, boozy, hoppy, sweet and malty all at once. Sweetness of honey with a strong malt backbone and a healthy dose of somewhat subdued hops.

Sweet honey, light malts and resinous, oily hops dominate the mouth. Nothing is used lightly in this beer. As described on the back of the bottle; "A biting, bitter, tongue bruiser of an ale."

The mouth is thick and moderately creamy. Resinous oils from the hops lead to a long, long finish. Full bodied and very lightly carbonated. Goes down pretty smooth.

My main complaints are the lack of a real distinguishable hop character. The hops are overly balanced with sweet honey malt and the alcohol could be better contained. A good beer, but not at the top of its class which I am in the minority in saying. To me this would be a malt lover's DIPA of choice. At first I thought I did not have a fresh batch, but after purchasing a different pack from a different store that tasted similar, I ixnayed that idea. Ah well, to each his own.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2011 05:16:58 | More by ibbjamin

Solomon420

California

3.08/5  rDev -32%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I chose to list the serving type as "On Tap" since the beer was poured from a 5 liter mini keg. Appearance was darker honey color. Not as nice looking as most DIPAs I prefer. I like a DIPA that has an orange hue rather than a reddish amber hue. Smell was too sweet for me, I am a hop head and like really hop-forward beers. The smell for me was too malty and not enough hops. Taste followed the aroma...way too sweet and malty for a good DIPA. The hops were not forward enough for me to enjoy this. It reminds me of an English style IPA more than a hop-forward DIPA. I guess I was expecting a better beer, but I get spoiled living in California, and expect the higher rated DIPAs to taste as good as the ones here do. To each his own, I guess.

Serving type: on-tap

04-07-2011 20:36:34 | More by Solomon420