2015 Hopslam Release

I've been looking forward to it since last year!

 

I swung by on my way home and picked some up. They even had their sign lit up with it. Can't wait to crack one open tonight.

 

You're not the only one. I had it on tap today and also missed some of the sweetness. To me, that's always been one of the things that separates Hopslam from other DIPAs. I thought last year might have been a little over the top in terms of the honey taste, but this year's version seems much drier and thinner, almost like an overcorrection. Then again, maybe it's just a difference between bottles and draft. In either case, based on the reactions it's been getting, I'd say that you and I are probably in the minority. Oh, and I also loved Mars.

 

D. Schuler's always has the best selection.

 

This is probably the only time I'm happy to be a grocery store employee. My Meijer only receive 3 cases, so I put a case for myself aside in my cooler. When the rep put the last 2 out, they sold is less than a minute. Win for me, though this will probably be my last year with that benefit since I'm going to be moving on to more rewarding jobs soon =D

 

anyone see it in AZ yet?

 

264 ounces of yum.

 

Screw that, you must be young. Keep the job so you will always have 1st dibs on the good stuff.

 

Has anyone been trampled yet? Like Black Friday sales at Target?

 

Correction 288 ounces. no need to short yourself 2 beers. Enjoy!

I just picked up a six today(limit one 6 per customer) and can't wait to try one.

 

Has anyone else noticed a lack of yeast on the bottom of this year's bottles? Usually Hopslam has a thick layer of yeast that starts stirring once you pick up the bottle. Is this year's batch not bottle conditioned? It tastes great as always.

I even compared it to an unopened bottle from last year that I'm cellaring for experimental reasons. Aged Hopslam becomes a honey flavored barley wine in my past experience. Gonna see what 2 years does to it.

 

Man, I don't get the love for this beer. It is a good beer... That is all...

 

I live in Nebraska, and our craft beer selection, while growing, is still subpar compared to many other states. My father lives in Missouri, which has many more craft selections than Nebraska. He visits frequently, and I always give him a shopping list of beers to bring to me. Most recently, he brought me Firestone Walker Union Jack, Firestone Walker Double Jack, and Bell's Hopslam. I had never had any of these offerings, as they aren't distributed to Nebraska. I was so excited to try these beers, especially Hopslam, considering the ratings on this site and others.

I cracked open the Union Jack first. Wow, what an impressive beer! After finishing it, I cleansed my palate and waited about forty-five minutes before trying Hopslam. I have to say that I was pretty disappointed. The aroma seemed quite muted for a DIPA, and the honey dominated my palate. Don't get me wrong, it was incredibly smooth, and I couldn't detect any alcohol, but it just wasn't what I look for in a DIPA. It feels like a beer made to sway people that don't normally like IPA's or DIPA's. It's a very well-crafted beer, but not hop forward enough for my tastes. Do I need to take an IBU tolerance break? Do any of you feel the same way about this beer? Maybe my palate is just too sensitive to honey, but that was the dominating flavor for me.

I wish I would have asked for more Firestone Walker...

 

Anyone seen this in florida yet?

 

Try hopslam on it's own as the first beer you drink for the day.

I drank a MBC dinner the other day and then drain poured a Heady Topper and a hopslam they tasted so bad. It was like drinking cigarette ash. The very next day I drank two hopslams, specifically drinking two different bottle dates and they tasted great.

I don't know how taste buds work, but this terrible experience was a strange eye opener.

 

Thank you for the tip! I will try this tonight.

 

It's a ton better than next years version , that is for sure

 

You were absolutely right. Hopslam was my first beer of the night, and it was delicious. The other day, all I could taste was honey, and I wasn't a huge fan. Tonight, I was able to get some juicy hop flavors and a little bit of bitterness. The aroma was still a tad muted, but it's hard to complain when it tastes that well. I normally wouldn't start my night off with a DIPA, but this has changed my way of thinking a bit. Thanks!

 

A lot of people slamming hopslam--why?? It's a fantastic beer worthy of the hype. Anyone hating has objectively bad taste

 

This is a very interesting point to me. A while ago I had an OTWOA, followed pretty soon after by a Dirtwolf. The Dirtwolf tasted pretty subpar to me that day. But every time Ive had a Dirtwolf since then, without anything else first, it has tasted excellent as usual. So I agree, having a certain beer just by itself is/can be a completely different experience from having it after a different beer.