BEER#13: BELL'S HOPSLAM

The thirteenth beer I chose to film was Bell's HopSlam. One of the most talked about Double IPAs I can think of. Found it at Capone's bottle shop while visiting the Philadelphia area in March.

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS BEER: Good looking beer, nice head and cloud on top with some spots of fine lacing on the glass. Smell and taste are great. Upon opening, a blast of hops left the bottle and could be smelled from several feet away. The aroma and taste were both a good balance of caramel malt and fruity/citrus hops. Orange, apricot, pineapple and grapefruit come to mind for the hops. The taste also has a large peel flavor to it. A great moderate level of bitterness is employed in the mouthfeel. The actual body of HopSlam was extremely creamy. On par with most pricey Double IPAs but definitely worth it. 10% IIPA that retains the style's characteristics rather than going toward more of a Barleywine feel. A very nice balance of the signature Bell's caramel malt flavor with great hops.

The only thing that could really be improved is the looks. The lacing and head were a bit lackluster. I have had better tasting and smelling Double IPAs but this one is not far from the best.


FINAL GRADE: 4.35 / 5 = A (for great taste, smell and mouthfeel, good looks and drinkability)