Let’s ‘Slam a Can! Bell's Hop Slam Review

by Jack Horzempa
originally posted on Beer Advocate

It’s that time of the year again: Bell’s Hopslam was recently released.

First let me provide a BIG thank you to a good friend who gifted me with this can.

I have had this beer a few times before on draft but this is a first for me in several ways:

• My first time drinking this beer from a can
  
  
• My first time drinking this beer so fresh

I suspect that the second bullet is likely a more important aspect. All of my previous drinking experiences were at least one month after the release timeframe and in all probability a couple of months. For hoppy beers, time is not an ally for peak of beer drinking flavor.

Permit me to first discuss some history about Hopslam and how this beer was distributed in the recent past. The Wholesale Distributor for Bell’s in Southeastern Pennsylvania is Shangy’s in Emmaus, PA. Shangy’s also has a license to be a retailer (what we call a Retail Beer Distributor in PA). Well, Shangy’s the Wholesaler would provide the majority of Hopslam to Shangy’s the Retailer since their records indicate they were the largest seller of Bell’s beer. Does this have the appearance of the fox guarding the henhouse to you? Well, the net result was very little Hopslam was distributed to non-Shangy’s retailers. Most craft beer drinkers would drive to Shangy’s in Emmaus to purchase one case of Hopslam. There was a rule of only one case per car so carpooling was disallowed. This was how craft beer Extreme Exuberance was practiced then. Today you get to wait in lines for hours at beer releases like they have weekly at Tired Hands.

In case anybody was curious, I never drove up to Emmaus to buy a case of Hopslam. Between gas and tolls (PA Turnpike) that was too much money for me (also the travel time would have been several hours).

It probably is not necessary to discuss the hype associated with Hopslam but needless to say this is a highly sought after beer and folks are willing to pay BIG BUCKS to buy this beer.

Below is the description for Hopslam from BA:

“Starting with six different hop varietals added to the brew kettle & culminating with a massive dry-hop addition of Simcoe hops, Bell's Hopslam Ale possesses the most complex hopping schedule in the Bell's repertoire. Selected specifically because of their aromatic qualities, these Pacific Northwest varieties contribute a pungent blend of grapefruit, stone fruit, and floral notes. A generous malt bill and a solid dollop of honey provide just enough body to keep the balance in check, resulting in a remarkably drinkable rendition of the Double India Pale Ale style.”

I will not discuss my previous drinking experiences with Hopslam since as I noted above they were less than fresh.

Drum roll please!! How does a fresh can of Hopslam taste?

Served in my Spiegelau IPA glass

Appearance:

Golden colored with a BIG white head.

Aroma:

The dominant aroma is citrus but there is some sweetness there as well. Kinda reminds me of candy orange slices.

Taste:

The flavor pretty much follows the nose. There is citrus accompanied by sweetness. There is a firm bitterness as well. There is just a very tiny bit of alcohol perception here.

Mouthfeel:

Nicely carbonated, medium body with a soft mouthfeel.

Overall:

I enjoyed drinking this beer. It was on the hairy edge of being too sweet for my palate but it did not cross the line.

I think that folks who are aficionados of the DIPA beer style would enjoy this beer more than me. When it comes to hoppy beers my personal preference are IPAs. I sometimes find DIPAs to be too cloying. As I mentioned above Hopslam approached that aspect.

This one can will suit me for 2017. Maybe I will drink one can next year too?


Jack Horzempa is a longtime friend of the store and an extremely knowledgeable home brewer, brewing some of the best beer I have ever tasted. Jack's palate is well seasoned and he has been a valuable source of beer expertise to the store. He has graciously allowed us to repost his review/posts from Beer Advocate where he has achieved Poo-bah status. Since joining Beer Advocate 12 yrs ago, Jack has posted more than 20,000 times and earned over 25,000 likes.