Hopslam Ale

Reviews

1. 

   Review by Jon Crawford

   Rating: 90

   Jon Crawford

   drank this beer from a Bottle

   Jan. 13th, 2009 at 1:59 p.m.

   Comment:

   If you like extremely hoppy, bitter beer, you’ll love this beer. It’s thick and syrupy and leaves the flavor on your lips after you drink. This is probably my favorite Double IPA, but at $10-13 for 6, it has to be a special occasion.

   Characteristics: bitter hoppy

2. 

   Review by kellik

   Rating: 95

   kellik

   drank this beer from a Bottle in Gainesville, FL

   Jan. 13th, 2009 at 6:46 p.m.

   Comment:

   This Double IPA is one of my faves, although with its limited release, it’s hard for me to find. It’s sweet citrus flavor complements the bitterness perfectly. The name “Hopslam” is the perfect way to describe this beer. It is very, very intense in its hoppyness. It was less cloudy and carbonated than I expected.

   Characteristics: citrus Double hoppy IPA sweet thick

3. 

   Review by Brian

   Rating: 88

   Brian

   drank this beer from a Pint glass in Louisville, KY

   Jan. 14th, 2009 at 9:12 a.m.

   Comment:

   Bright with citrus and floral notes, Hopslam is a great IIPA. My only personal dislike is the slightly thick mouthfeel of the ale, which is mildly off-putting for a style that generally evokes notions of “fresh” and “clean.”

   Characteristics: bitter hoppy thick

4. 

   Review by Steve Smith

   Rating: 90

   Steve Smith

   drank this beer from a Tulip in South Bend, IN

   Jan. 14th, 2009 at 11:13 a.m.

   Comment:

   They have this on draft at Fiddlers Hearth on Thursdays. Served in a 10oz tulip, it’s definitely a sipping beer. Finishes warm and smooth, if not a little heavy. Very nice aroma. Goes wonderfully with cheese, bread, and chutney.

   Characteristics: citrus hoppy smooth warm

5. 

   Review by Jampics

   Rating: 95

   Jampics

   drank this beer from a Goblet in Cleveland, OH

   Jan. 25th, 2009 at 4:05 p.m.

   Comment:

   Just about as good as it gets. This is the holy grail for hop heads. Sure, there’s Pliny and Dreadnaught but there’s just something about a fresh (as in bottled 5 days ago) Hopslam that makes my tastebuds holler with delight. Starts off with a deep golden pour - you can actually smell the hops clear across the room. Pineapple orange juice with a hint of grapefruit in the nose. Sweet and smashingly hoppy - this literally bashes you over the head with its honey backbone and piney/citrus kick. These hops are straight up gangsta - the centennial/amarillo combo act like bank robbers, plundering the vault of my mouth and leaving no tastebud behind. At 18 a sixer, it’s still less than a 22oz bomber of many brews. Absolutely world class and worthy of the highest score I’ve given to date. Pliney is a close second, but Hopslam takes my mouth on a magic carpet ride I never want to end. Larry and Co, you ROCK!

   Characteristics: bitter citrus golden grapefruit honey hoppy oranges pineapple sweet

6. 

   Review by RallyPoser

   Rating: 95

   RallyPoser

   drank this beer from a Pint glass in Maplewood, MN

   Jan. 26th, 2009 at 5:20 p.m.

   Comment:

   To me, this is 2 pts away from a perfect beer for my pallet. In every beer review, I take price into consideration. There are plenty of single IPAs which taste nearly as great and are 40% of the price. That being said…

   I haven’t been a fan of any other Bell’s beers, so this was a huge surprise. (GREAT SUCCESS!)

   Once your arm begins the ascent to your cranium, a fist-full of citrus aromas repeatedly punch your sinus before you even touch the vessel to your lips. Once a swig is in motion, you have little chance to prepare for the horrendous wave of hops about to crash on your taste buds. You need to take a deep breath to realize what Bell has just hit you with.

   -One aside is that I can’t taste or smell any honey, despite it saying “ale brewed with honey”

   Hopslam: For whom the Bell’s tolls

   “I found God in a bottle of Hopslam” —Cloud Cult

   Characteristics: citrus grapefruit hops supermanhops

7. 

   Review by Bull E. Vard

   Rating: 91

   Bull E. Vard

   drank this beer from a Tulip in Kansas City, MO

   Jan. 28th, 2009 at 7 p.m.

   Comment:

   Had this on tap in a tulip glass. Might be the finest IPA I’ve had with Dogfish Head 90 minute IPA in the running. I would like a head to head matchup. The hop smell was overpowering. But the taste had just the right amount of sweetness to match up with the hops. Just a great IPA. Gets marked down a little because of the cost.

   Characteristics: grapefruit hops

8. 

   Review by michaelparenteau

   Rating: 97

   michaelparenteau

   drank this beer from a Pint glass in Columbus, OH

   Feb. 13th, 2009 at 11:22 p.m.

   Comment:

   If you love Hops…. this is one of my favorite beers ever made! On draft in a pint glass, I did indeed enjoy this. It was a surprise by every sip! Beautiful floral notes.. not real bitter at all. Just a wonderful beer. Words can’t appreciate this beer. Just go and find a pint!

   Characteristics: delicious floral flowery hoppy slightly bitter

9. 

   Review by Phil Dokas

   Rating: 85

   Phil Dokas

   drank this beer from a Pint glass in Ann Arbor, MI

   Feb. 16th, 2009 at 12:47 p.m.

   Comment:

   Where Bell’s Two Hearted is perfectly balanced yet quite hoppy this beer revels in being ridiculously over the top. While not as bitter as you’d expect for a beer with this name make no mistake: this beer is hoppier than just about anything (though not 120 Minute). They must, however, use a number of hops in this, the flavors are all over the floral spectrum. Where 120 Minute tastes like alcohol and sunshine, this tastes more like pine trees and flowers. Hopheads will love this.

   Characteristics: bitter floral hoppy

10. 

    Review by Slack

    Rating: 70

    Slack

    drank this beer from a Pint glass in Holland, MI

    Feb. 23rd, 2009 at 2:18 p.m.

    Comment:

    Characteristics:

11. 

    Review by Darmok

    Rating: 95

    Darmok

    drank this beer from a Bottle in Union, MO

    March 18th, 2009 at 9:36 a.m.

    Comment:

    An excellent blend of heavy hitting hops, with a smooth and sweet taste of the wisely added honey (that doesn’t come through so much in taste, but rather in mouthfeel i suspect). A perfect brew for hop lovers and the next natural step for fans of the beautifully balanced Two Hearted Ale.

    Limited availability and price make this a treat to enjoy and savor at the start of the year. Thank you Bell’s.

    Characteristics: floral hoppy smooth

12. 

    Review by Andrew Hunn

    Rating: 82

    Andrew Hunn

    drank this beer from a Bottle in Columbus, OH

    March 26th, 2009 at 7:26 a.m.

    Comment:

    This is a wonderful double-IPA from Bell’s that exhibits a lot of that sprucey wood taste I love. Brewed with honey, you can definitely recognize the texture of a simple syrup in the aftertaste. A bit odd in presentation, but goes great with more intense cheeses and the like.

    Characteristics: clear honey spruce sugar

13. 

    Review by Wilk

    Rating: 90

    Wilk

    drank this beer from a Pint glass

    March 30th, 2009 at 4:52 p.m.

    Comment:

    This double-IPA is one of the finest I’ve ever tried. Bell’s fails to disappoint yet again. If you like a great IPA and are willing to take the taste-bud beating that Hopslam delivers, then drink on!

    Characteristics: delicious hoppy

14. 

    Review by ChickenArise

    Rating: 93

    ChickenArise

    drank this beer from a Pint glass

    April 2nd, 2009 at 12:52 p.m.

    Comment:

    For me, Hopslam is everything I could ask for from a DIPA. The ABV packs quite a punch, and I’d often prefer it lower, but this beer is simply delicious.

    Characteristics:

15. 

    Review by WoodenMonkeyLamp

    Rating: 94

    WoodenMonkeyLamp

    drank this beer from a Snifter in Richmond, VA

    April 2nd, 2009 at 1:04 p.m.

    Comment:

    The end-all-be-all for Imperial IPA’s as far as I’m concerned. Bells hit it out of the park with this one. Do take it easy though; the high alcohol content will sneak up on you.

    Characteristics: alcohol bitter citrus floral grapefruit hoppy strong

16. 

    Review by mikegee

    Rating: 95

    mikegee

    drank this beer from a Pint glass in Miami, FL

    April 19th, 2009 at 11:29 a.m.

    Comment:

    Wow, what a nice surprise. I had heard of Hopslam before but its only available for a couple months out of the year.

    This one sits right between a 90 minute and a 120 minute, with that same flavorful experience.

    Color: Honey

    Head: White and frothy

    Aroma: Hoppy as hell, sharp citrus

    Taste: Hoppy, but a great malty backbone, lots of flavor

    Mouth: Medium to full

    Characteristics:

17. 

    Review by Brad Chmielewski

    Rating: 90

    Brad Chmielewski

    drank this beer from a Pint glass in Chicago, IL

    May 8th, 2009 at 5:32 p.m.

    Comment:

    Poured from a 12 oz bottle into an American pint glass. The off white head really went over the glass, had to give to a minute to reside before I poured the rest from the bottle in. The lacing that was left behind was really nice and clung to the glass till the last hoppy sip. The colors was a glowing amber, a bit darker then most DIPAs. Sweet hops come out in the aroma, but not a smack you in the face aroma. But the hops hit you big time in the taste. Even though the hops are big up front it finishes smooth and clean leaving you ready for the next tasty sip. If this guy wasn’t around 10% I could drink it all night, but I could see myself getting in trouble trying to do just that.

    Characteristics: drinkable hoppy

18. 

    Review by GoldenChild

    Rating: 91

    GoldenChild

    drank this beer from a Pint glass in Gaylord, MI

    May 30th, 2009 at 5:50 p.m.

    Comment:

    This beer is like a punch in the mouth i love it but you have to be a hophead. its a bitter beer with a whole lot of flavor.

    Characteristics: hoppy