Bell's Hopslam Ale

So, tonight will be the first actual beer review featured on GULP! Hopslam by Bell's Brewery, out of Comstock, Michigan, is the latest buzz online. In fact, on Beer Advocate, there are almost 2000 reviews of this baby. I bought it at the local Total Wine store, of course, and was pleased that for the most part, they had a pretty good number of the single bottles, especially considering all the hype it was getting. So, I was pretty excited about the whole thing; also because it's the first Double IPA I'll have tried. But, I'm jabbering, so without further adieu, let's do this thing.

Holy mother of hops. If you don't like hoppy ale's or IPA's, this beer is NOT for you. There are a few emergency signs of what you will experience with this Hulk Hogan of a Double IPA. First off, the name is Hopslam, and wow, this baby is hoppy! The back label warns you with: "a biting, bitter, tongue bruiser of an ale. With a name like Hopslam, what did you expect?" That, slogan, we'll call it, is pretty close, but don't expect to fall off your chair calling 911. However, it does measure up to 10% ABV, so make sure you have some grub beforehand.

Hopslam pours a beautiful golden honey orange with a decent sized head. The aroma is intense, full of hops, honey, and citrusy fruit. On the way down, you'll notice a creamy texture, and you will get a hoppy aftertaste. Overall, it is really tasty, and quite drinkable. For some reason, it puts me in the mood for some vanilla ice cream. I can't figure out why, maybe because I was craving some beforehand... perhaps I thought it would go well together. I'll have to think some more about that. Vanilla Hopslam. You listening Bell's people?

Now, at the request of a friend of mine, I'm going to provide ratings for the brews at the conclusion of the write up. That being said, on a scale of 1 to 10, I'll give Hopslam a 9. It's very drinkable, nice to look at, and full of flavor. So, go out to your local package store, such as Total Wine (plug) and buy yourself the beer that could possibly be  a finishing move in the WWE - HOPSLAM BROTHER!!