Where's the Bell's Hopslam 2019 love?

I'm reading that stuff more as "you can't complain about the price any more because now that's pretty commonplace". It sure doesn't stand out in that regard like it did even 4-5 years ago.

 

Yeah you're totally right about that. It just strikes me a bit interesting to see an "old school" example embody so many of the complaints about the newer school stuff.

 

Do you have a price point per beer style that you will not cross?

For the sake of openness and transparency I will report that I have never paid $20 for a 4-pack of a 'NEIPA' beer. I also have never paid $20 for a 6-pack of a DIPA beer.

I am reticent to state this but I did ask a local retailer to special order me a 4-pack of TipoPils. When I showed up to learn it was a 4-pack (vs. 6-pack) and those cans I were 12 ounce cans (vs. 16 ounce) I was 'disturbed'. And when he informed me that the price for that 4-pack was $23.40 I must have had a look of shock on my face because he quickly stated: "You don't have to buy it". I will admit I was conflicted but the fact that I pretty much 'nagged' him to get this beer for me kept me from following my initial thoughts of "Hell no! I am not buying this beer!!" I instead gulped and purchased the 4-pack.

So, what are you prepared to pay?

Cheers!

 

Sorry, I’m a fan of the ‘slam. Yes it’s pricey but it’s once per year and it’s damn good. I’m looking forward to a sixer or two next week.

 

Love Hopslam, but might not be getting it.

Reason: Fridge loaded with Lawson, Hill Farmstead, and Alchemist beers from a recent trip to Vermont.

 

Apologies if I ended up derailing the thread a bit. I didn't mean to be making a point about price, sweetness, or ABV at all. I was just a bit humorously struck by how easy it was to laud an older school beer for exactly the properties that are sometimes lamented in newer beers.

To answer your specific question though, I'm generally a cheapskate and will only begrudgingly, and with a fair bit of hand ringing spend more than $15 on a 4/6 pack

 

I've known about Hopslam for years, but it wasn't until a buddy from PA picked me up a 6pk in 2017 that I first got to try it.

That's the thing though. I don't have those experiences of first drinking this 7-8 years ago back when the craft beer market was a more humble experience and there weren't hundreds of other IPA/DIPA options.

By the time I first tried Hopslam, I'd already had my fair share of Tree House, Trillium and Other Half. My palate was getting accustomed to that New England IPA profile. However, before those breweries and that style became all the rage, there were plenty of "old school" IPAs that I absolutely loved. Beers like Hop Ranch, Double Trouble, Space Dust, Palate Wrecker and even Nugget Nectar (not an IPA, but still damn hoppy). I'll never forget my first time drinking Great Lakes Chillwave. That beer totally blew my mind!

Do I dislike the new generation juice bomb IPAs? No. I enjoy them as well. They are almost a totally different style of beer. My point being, I can still very much enjoy a super dank West Coast IPA or a throwback East Coast IPA loaded with hops and a sturdy malt backbone. Those are the IPAs I started out with and the ones that made me fall in love with the style.

I ended up really liking Hopslam. People always question the price or whether it "lives up to the hype" which are completely subjective factors. All I'm talking about is the liquid. If all you know and enjoy is the current crop of NEIPAs then it may not be for you. However, if you still have a nostalgic palate that appreciates an old school IPA profile, chances are you'll like Hopslam as well.

 

I’ve grown to like Hopsoulution now that it’s always available, so the release of Hopslam is wait and see. I’ll try one on tap and decide on buying more.

 

I would have done the same thing as you did. As they used to say grin and bear it! (or grin and bare it on pinups!)

 

I completely agree they are different styles of the same genre, no debate there. My comment was drawn from the other guy saying no NEIPA was in the same league as Hopslam which is incredibly laughable. As far as quality and what you are getting for the cost, a well made NEIPA will 10/10 times blow the doors off Hopslam, its just an inferior beer imo.

 

Ah, I didn't realize I had the exact same taste in beer as you do. Thanks for clearing up for me what I like.

 

When shitlords upcharge those breweries cans by over double, and then you still need to pay for a label to get them to you. No thanks, I will take a beer basically being delivered to me over that route.

Not to say those aren't all great breweries, they just take way to much effort to obtain when you live in the middle of the country.

 

I swear, the worst parts of the NEIPA bro crowd are probably the most annoying segment of craft beer discussion for me. No matter the topic, they'll be sure to tell you how great they are and try to convince a dude who lives in Montana how great Treehouse is and how he should be drinking these too and everything that he's drinking is garbage. News flash dude, not everyone cares about that style, not everyone wants to spend that much money on beer when they live thousands of miles away.

 

Broke asses...... *puts in air pods and opens can of treehouse*

 

No NEIPA haze bro here man. NEIPA is only one of the many styles of beer I enjoy. I cut my craft beer teeth on West Coast and American IPAs and still love the style but there are way better interpretations of the style out there than Hopslam. Alvarado Street, El Segundo and Noble all make excellent versions and at the same if not lower price point than Hopslam.

 

There are those who can afford good beer and then there are those who buy grocery store beer. Much like anything else in the world, you have to pay for quality!

 

There are also those who can afford expensive beer but choose not to buy it, like me. Our definition of quality differs, it's almost like we're different people.

 

I freaking love Hopslam. I appreciated it when they started putting it in cans, too.

I wish it wasn't $20. I'd rather it was $2, and I would buy 10 6-ers.

Hell, I'll still buy at least two if I get in on it early.