Bell's Brewery - "Hopslam" double India pale ale

Recently, my friends at Irving Wines and Spirits informed me that Bell's "Hopslam" would be coming to the shop, and asked if I wanted any. I declined initially, since I admit to you that I didn't quite know what it was and I wasn't interested in paying $23 for a six-pack of an unknown beer. But, based on the near-universal excitement on Reddit's DC beer community, I figured I should at least try it - for science. Enter the 10% ABV Hopslam.

It's a double IPA from Galesburg, MI-based Bell's Brewery. According to my research, it's made with six kinds of hops and is then dry-hopped like crazy with Simcoe hops, a famous West Coast strain of hops. It's got an original gravity of 1.087.

You may have heard the term "high gravity" beers or "original gravity". It's a term of art used to describe the relative density as compared to water. It's a way for brewers to check the progress and health of their beers during the brewing process, by using special tools like a hygrometer. Some brewers like to put that information on the bottle itself.

But speaking of the beer - one thing I have learned is that people love this beer. Reddit's DC beer community was abuzz with talk about Hopslam. Everyone seems to be talking about it and looking for it. There was an article a few years back by Sam Hiersteiner in the Washington City Paper titled "The Lowdown on Hopslam - Searching DC for this Rare IPA? Good Luck." More recently, the Washington Post has kept readers abreast of Hopslam's arrival by indicating where to buy it and where kegs were being tapped in the city. Most distributors were only allotted small amounts. I saw a guy walking out of the Harris Teeter on 17th and Kalorama holding a case of the stuff. If what I paid at Irving is any indication, that guy dropped almost $90 on beer.

And so apparently this is a Very Big Deal. And now I must try it! A big shout out, as usual, to my buddy Jesse at Irving Wines and Spirits, who hooked me up with today's six-pack for $22.50.

Cracked it open; it pours swiftly with a honey / straw color and generates a nice white foamy head.

I let the beer sit for a while, and it throws an aroma of hops, honey and some pine smells. So far so good! I'm preparing myself to be blown away. There's a nice bright orange color when candled, mostly clear, with little carbonation bubbles rising to the surface here and there.

Dipped into it after letting the beer come up to temperature a little bit. It has strong hop flavors up front, like any IPA, but dies away quickly and gives way to a smooth, slightly sugary, honey taste. It was interesting how fast that hops taste dropped off. The finish is sugary hops with a pleasant alcohol aftertaste that warms the tummy.

What struck me most about this is the drinkability. It's super smooth, very warming, and lacks any bite whatsoever. It doesn't taste like a 10% ABV, that's for sure! Given all the hops they jam into this thing, it's amazing it isn't more bitter. The honey adds a cool aspect too, since it's not something I encounter terribly often (especially not in a double IPA!) Few beers that I have tried use honey in the way that Hopslam does, and I like the end result - a pretty drinkable, tasty beer. I don't know if its necessarily worth all the hype it's getting, but it's delicious nonetheless and is definitely worth a try.