Hopslam - Bell's Brewery, Kalamazoo

In terms of hype Bell's Hopslam is right up there with Pliny the Elder and Dark Lord. An important difference here is that Hopslam is actually available down the street from me, even if it sells out in a matter of hours. I've had both Pliny and Dark Lord and only one lived up to the hype. I could see myself happily standing in line for Dark Lord with a thousand other beer nerds. Pliny was a different story, it was good but I prefer a dozen similar style beers, I just didn't see what the big deal was. Pliny is similar in style to Hopslam so I was a bit hesitant to drop nearly $20 on a six pack, but here we are...

Hopslam is a seasonal Imperial IPA from Bell's, a brewery that seldom does me wrong. They're beers a pricier but usually worth every penny. Hopslam wasn't really that tough of a sell for me, I really like Bell's Two Hearted so I trust them with large quantities of hops. Hopslam didn't smell as hoppy as I remember Two Hearted being. Imperial IPAs aren't always just twice the hops, so this was very promising.

Hopslam pours a light orange golden color and only has a medium sized head, for some reason I was expecting a glass full of suds. The aroma seems a bit ambiguous, it's not really hoppy and it's not really sweet. These are the only two things I thought I'd get from a beer with hops in the name and honey on the label...

The flavor certainly made up for it. Hopslam has loads of sweet honey that stays with you as the hops run across your palate. This is a simple beer, it's hoppy and it's got a distinctly honey flavored sweetness. Simple and delicious. My hesitation in drinking my IPAs is that too many are bitter to the point where I don't enjoy the flavor. Hopslam is not bitter at all and showcases a great hoppy and sweet combination that other beers haven't quite figured out. The flavor combination isn't unique but the execution is.

There's a reason this beer sells out within hours of hitting the liquor store. It's a fantastic beer with an infinitely enjoyable flavor. I'm glad I didn't wait another year to try this beer. I've jumped on the Hopslam bandwagon and I have no regrets.