Hopslam is hitting the shelves in my area at some point today! I was contemplating about cellaring a few bottles to see what they might become. Perhaps a white barleywine? In alll honesty, I'm probably not going to have the will power to keep them in the cellar...so I guess I'll have to stick with enjoying them fresh
First time I had Hopslam it was 6 months old. Nowhere near as good as a fresh one. Don't cellar is my opinion.
I would never take a beer that is world class in its category while fresh and not drink it just to see what it becomes after what makes it so great fades.....
It might be fun to try it with a bottle or two. Worst case, you're out a couple of bucks. Check this out: http://chicagoist.com/2013/01/19/getting_your_case_of_hopslam_this_w.php
AVOID. There is no need. Trust me, it comes back every year. No need to hang on. Enjoy it as fresh as possible.
If you like uncomplex malt bills, and hops that have lost all their sweet fruity goodness and kept nothing but root beer and pine tar, then you are likely to enjoy aged Hopslam, as that is generally what happens to aged IIPA's. Hopslam is too good fresh to experiment with aging.
I'll let you know. I actually had one slip through the cracks last year and by time I got to it it was well past it's prime-decided to save for this year and do a side by side. My expectations are very low.
Why anyone would intentionally cellar DIPA's amazes me, they're made to drink as fresh as possible. You want to cellar one to experiment, fine, but don't ruin a whole lot more and be disappointed.
I am sitting on a bottle that is coming up on a year old, I am going to keep one of this years batch for a year and do a nice three year vertical with a fresh one included when complete. It will probably be a train wreck, but we'll see.
It's not like Hopslam is hard to come by when it's released, so why not just set one aside for yourself and see? You'll never know if you don't try it. Hopslam doesn't have a complex or robust malt bill, mostly pale malts with maybe a few specialty malts for nothing but color, so you probably shouldn't expect much out of it, but again - why not give it a shot?
I tried this when I first turned 21. I tried it after 6 months and a year. Both junk. Dont do it. It does NOT improve at all. it does not turn into a good barley wine like you may think. just drink the crap out of it while its fresh.
I will find out what a year old Hopslam tastes like soon, I had 1 bottle slip through the cracks last 'Hopslam season' and will try it when I get a fresh 6 'er. I'm sure it will be crappy.
Yeah as others have said it's not nearly as good and really falls off. Some IPAs surprisingly taste amazing with some age on them, Central Waters Illumination being one of them, but saving Hopslam is just a waste.
Well I appreciate all the responses! I picked up my sixer and after my first sip, I concluded...I'm enjoying them all FRESH! Cheers!
Just had a year old hopslam that a friend brought over. I was amazed that ALL of the hop presence was compeltely gone. Side by side with fresh, I wouldn't even guess they were the same style, much less the same beer.
2.5 years is though. I accidentally lost a bottle of this in my cellar and found it a lot later. It was absolute garbage.
I want to find the guy who started this myth about IIPAs turning into barleywines when you age them, and force him to drink all the beer he helped ruin.
