Phlicker
also know as @PhillyBeerGuy
This beer gets an awful lot of attention when it's released every year. I managed to find it on tap at Capone's, a local beer bar/restaurant that has a bottle shop attached. One of the few places in PA where you can get decent beer in six packs w/o having to commit to a whole case. After enjoying a pint over lunch, I picked up a sixer to bring home. Below are both of my reviews. It's interesting to note the differences.
Bell's Hopslam Ale
ABV: 10.0%
Dates Available: Limited Release, January 7th through February
Brewed: Comstock, MI
On-Tap
Served on tap at Capone's. Poured into a pint tumbler with a one-finger head of light foam that reduced to a fine layer across the top of the beer. Lacing held on from top to bottom in the glass. Color was a bright amber with a slight haze. Very nice looking. Initial nose was of grapefruit and other citrus, followed by floral, fresh hops. The grapefruit/citrus taste is most evident at first, giving way to honey and a pleasant hop bitterness that lingers on the palate. Not a kick-you-in-the-face beer in terms of hops (despite the name and ABV), but overall very well balanced. Mouthfeel was crisp, bubbly, and mildly astringent.
Overall I truly enjoyed this beer. Drinkability is high on this one, as your palate isn't likely to get fatigued by the hops. Another fine example of a highly hopped beer that isn't all about the power and strength. The ABV will eventually catch up to you, but until then there are a world of flavors to discover in this offering.
Score: 4.5/5
Bottled
Appearance: Poured into a Nonic Pint Glass. Beer is a hazy pale orange color with a thin one-finger head of off-white foam that quickly dissipates leaving a fine layer across the surface of the beer. Fine lacing clings to the side of the glass.
Smell: Strong nose of piney hops with floral and citrusy (grapefruit and orange) notes. A hint of mango peeks in here and there. I could smell this all day...
Taste: Hops, hops, and more hops. The malt body here is tough to find amid the pine and bittering hops, as is the honey this is supposedly brewed with. Surprisingly, the citrus and floral nose I detected isn't very apparent in the taste. If you search for them, you can find them, though. "Tongue-bruising" qualities diminish as beer warms. Finish is short with a bitter aftertaste.
Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, thin, crisp, lively and carbonated.
Drinkability/Overall Impression: I actually liked this beer a LOT better when I had it on tap. I really wished this tasted as good as it smelled. I do enjoy my hops, but I prefer more balance between the bitter and floral/citrus varietals. Although I do enjoy this offering, I'm not sure how many I could have in one sitting before the 10% ABV caught up with me. That being said, would I have it again? Absolutely. I look forward to picking it up next year and working it in with my other IPA/DIPAs.
Score: 4.1/5
Bell's Hopslam Ale
Style: American Double/Imperial IPA
ABV: 10.0%
Dates Available: Limited Release, January 7th through February
Brewed: Comstock, MI
On-Tap
Served on tap at Capone's. Poured into a pint tumbler with a one-finger head of light foam that reduced to a fine layer across the top of the beer. Lacing held on from top to bottom in the glass. Color was a bright amber with a slight haze. Very nice looking. Initial nose was of grapefruit and other citrus, followed by floral, fresh hops. The grapefruit/citrus taste is most evident at first, giving way to honey and a pleasant hop bitterness that lingers on the palate. Not a kick-you-in-the-face beer in terms of hops (despite the name and ABV), but overall very well balanced. Mouthfeel was crisp, bubbly, and mildly astringent.
Overall I truly enjoyed this beer. Drinkability is high on this one, as your palate isn't likely to get fatigued by the hops. Another fine example of a highly hopped beer that isn't all about the power and strength. The ABV will eventually catch up to you, but until then there are a world of flavors to discover in this offering.
Score: 4.5/5
Bottled
Appearance: Poured into a Nonic Pint Glass. Beer is a hazy pale orange color with a thin one-finger head of off-white foam that quickly dissipates leaving a fine layer across the surface of the beer. Fine lacing clings to the side of the glass.
Smell: Strong nose of piney hops with floral and citrusy (grapefruit and orange) notes. A hint of mango peeks in here and there. I could smell this all day...
Taste: Hops, hops, and more hops. The malt body here is tough to find amid the pine and bittering hops, as is the honey this is supposedly brewed with. Surprisingly, the citrus and floral nose I detected isn't very apparent in the taste. If you search for them, you can find them, though. "Tongue-bruising" qualities diminish as beer warms. Finish is short with a bitter aftertaste.
Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, thin, crisp, lively and carbonated.
Drinkability/Overall Impression: I actually liked this beer a LOT better when I had it on tap. I really wished this tasted as good as it smelled. I do enjoy my hops, but I prefer more balance between the bitter and floral/citrus varietals. Although I do enjoy this offering, I'm not sure how many I could have in one sitting before the 10% ABV caught up with me. That being said, would I have it again? Absolutely. I look forward to picking it up next year and working it in with my other IPA/DIPAs.
Score: 4.1/5
