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

tharper

North Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

O.K. here we go:
S - Oops I just ran over a case of grapefruit while I was mowing my lawn
T- sticky sweet grapefruit meets everclear
M - dry but resiney and my tongue still hurts
O- Alright I am a brewer with a ridiculous contract for Amarillo hops. I decide to make an over-the-top DIPA and let the craziness begin. 10% abv - but still with a final gravity in the 1.020 range- with the honey o.g. must've been in the 1.120 range. Mash around 150 please.

Sorry, I digress. This is like a Mitt Romney tax rate. Too much cash and the rest of the world can just suck it.

I drank one, o.k.that was extreme,. I drank two. I'm fuzzy. I split one with some DIPA homebrew - that was still pretty sweet. Split it 33% TO 67% HopSLAM to Homebrew DIPA- no need to dry hop ever again . . .

I wonder if the Amarillo hops quota and supply would even out if we would stop paying $20 a sixer for this.

Stop the madness and allow a bit of subtlety please. Someone else might like to use some of the amariillo supply.

Aargh! pirate retort.

Still on the pliny train.

Serving type: can

01-27-2012 04:31:49 | More by tharper

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Oh damn, any regrets that I may have had in not going to Philly for the fest at the shipyard evaporated when I saw this on the table yesterday (Central PA Bottle Share, Sa, 05 Mar 2011). As the late Mickey Spillane would have said, "I creamed my jeans"! I was so cowed by its presence that I had to ask ffejherb for permission to open it, to which he enthusiastically assented. I had to read the directions, because if I screwed the pooch, I would be a pariah and it was so early on. The big Q for me was the initial venting, but I remembered the pull, twist and pour from my Best Brown in the Fall.

I got a finger-and-a-half of soapy ecru head with decent retention off of my pour. Color was a solid amber with NE-quality clarity. BUPGOO! Yeah, give this to the kiddies. Nose was so piney that I began to swoon. It was, in my addled mind, like licking a pine tree. Mouthfeel was medium and the hops had already begun to mute, so the taste was heavier on caramel malt, but I still got some hops on the tongue. The finish was likewise caramel-like initially, nut lingering with hops. Dang, but I would like to try this absolutely fresh! No matter, I CAN now die h(a/o)ppy, having had some. Did I mention the excellent lacing throughout? Glug!

Serving type: can

03-06-2011 15:36:36 | More by woodychandler

AleWatcher

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

5 Liter mini-keg. Served in Imperial Pint glass.

The wife said the minikeg was taking up too much room. So I decoded to have a few friends over to watch the Oscars. Printed up the nominee list and made some wagers... And, more importantly, finally cracked my minikeg!

Pale orange in color-- somewhere between dark gold and showing slight hints of copper. Off-white head of 3 sudsy fingers leaves nice thick streaky chunks and ringlets of lace behind.

Smells like Hopslam still-- grapefruit and pineapple! Little malt... Some orangey notes. Huge citrus hops. Me likey.

Taste is great. Just enough malt backbone to act as a solid delivery vessel for a mad hop attack. Some light sweetness early, but huge citrus hops towards the back lingering bitterness at the finish! Man is this good.

Body is pretty full. Strong assertive carbonation helps the beer feel prickly and punchy. Very nice. A light resin and oil feel after the swallow, but it is tasteful and well integrated.

I could drink this all day.... I guess it's cool I have a minikeg! I'm going back for more right now!
Lots of people say this beer fades too fast- while it is true that it fades, I've enjoyed many a Hopslam through July! The trick is to tuck them at the back of the fridge (the regular cold fridge!) where the temp is around 34-36 degrees. They stay out of the light back there too.
Cheers!

Serving type: can

02-27-2011 23:44:47 | More by AleWatcher

SFLpunk

Vermont

4.6/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to qspandrew for hooking this up! A generous soul if there ever was one! 5L mini keg.

Pours a crystal clear medium amber with slowly exploding off-white head. Got 2 fingers out of a gentle pour. Lots of staying power and almost stains the glass with lacing.

Nose is sticky and lush with lots of tropical fruit notes, some floral honey in there for sure and it just smells like sticky buds (hops and otherwise).

Palate is wide and full of juicy hop oils, pink grapefruit, mango, orange blossom honey, pale caramel, and guava puree. Really fruity and luscious. Gripping bitterness is balanced by sticky malt sweetness. Ridiculously drinkable despite being 10% ABV.

Notes: A friend of mine described the flavor as being like "fresh, juicy" hops instead of "boiled, cooked" hops. I agree 100%. I'm tasting similarities in the Mid-West IPAs and the VT IPAs lately. Loving every juicy sip.

Serving type: can

01-24-2011 05:22:45 | More by SFLpunk

jdense

Oregon

4.47/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Mini-keg shared by Eric at inflateablechair's epic Imperial Stout tasting, as a 'palate cleanser' :).

Deep gold body, big foaming head (forgot to bleed the keg second time), significant carbonation rising up glass, big lacing. Nose is pretty complex for such a hopbomb, the honey is fairly noticeable in the nose, dryish bready malts, and big citrus with guava tropical aromas. Taste is more hoppy than the aroma, piney up front, honey and bready malts in the middle leading to a sweetish resiny, not bitter, finish. Mouthfeel is medium full, good effervescence in light of funky packaging. I could have drank a lot of this, but, heh, there were about 100 stouts that were calling my name. I see what the buzz is about, I can't imagine a more drinkable DIPA in this ABV range. World class.

Serving type: can

01-24-2011 01:14:30 | More by jdense

crossovert

Wisconsin

4.97/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

5l minikeg.

From the minikeg this one looks amazing. The head is much larger than the bottled version and it recedes to some nice lacing. Not as much carbonation bubbles as the bottle once it is poured.

The smell is perhaps a bit sweeter in the minikeg, I am also having it colder than I would a bottle, I can't wait for it to warm up.

With the cooler temp it definitely has a ncie bitter hop bite, I would say a bit more piney flavor than when it is warmer.

It is as good in the minikeg as any style of vessel, just let it warm up a bit.

Serving type: can

01-23-2011 03:01:38 | More by crossovert

beerhan

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Shared a mini-keg between three of us. Just from turning the little knob at the top you can just smell the sweet nectar from far away.

It was a real treat to have this. Incredible carbonation, nice one inch head that left my glass nice and sticky with a lot of remnants of the foam. It smells like hummingbird feeder food. Just this sweet nectar mixed with the fruit aisle at the grocery store. Tastes incredibly grapefruity and kind of piney. The honey is not that noticeable but it is there. I feel the other flavors really outshine it. Aftertaste is a subtle bitter slam of hops. Hopslam has an incredibly creamy mouthfeel and it just goes down so smooth. One of the most drinkable high abv beers ever. We each had at least 4 and change and could definitely feel the alcohol but it does not get to be a burden. Mini-keg is the best way to have hopslam ever.

Serving type: can

01-17-2011 17:12:11 | More by beerhan

JohnnyChicago

Illinois

4.55/5  rDev +0.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Sampled from a fresh bottle first, but this is from a minikeg; poured it into a Duvel tulip.

A: Beautiful, really! This is as pretty as a DIPA can get: perfectly hazeless honey colored body with a fluffy white head.

S: Hop. Bomb. Just a ton of hops here: grassy, piney, lots of orange and pineapple, honey is also present.

T: Follows the nose. Just a plethora of hop sweetness, tang, and bitterness. There is a cornucopia of hop flavours and the sweetness balances it out perfectly.

D: Way too drinkable; I mean it! The mouthfeel is downright creamy and their is no dryness from the honey, just pure balance.

Overall: The definitive no-coast IPA and one of the greatest DIPAs in the world, without a doubt. The balance that the folks at bell's have achieved with this beer is proof of their skill. Highly recommended!

Serving type: can

01-14-2011 18:49:08 | More by JohnnyChicago

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