Hop Heaven

HOPSLAM Heaven!

Hopslam - My Favorite Ale!

It’s that time of year again and Bell’s Brewery nailed it again – HOPSLAM ale!  If you are a hop connoisseur or IPA fanatic, this is it.  A double IPA at 10% alcohol, it is not for the weak.  This once a year specialty is available only in January and February and sells out fast.  I honestly have to say it is my favorite ale of all time!  If you grow hops and/or homebrew, this is what you shoot for.

As us Scandinavians say, “it’s a bit spendy”.  At $16.99 a six pack, it better be good and it is!  I can justify it by breaking it down to less than $3.00 a bottle.  This stuff is so awesome it must be experienced.  A tip – pour a glass and just smell it for a couple minutes.  It has an incredible “nose” or bouquet to it, savor it.  Ok, time to dive in, savor the smooth but commanding hop bite.  This is as close to a flavor orgasm as you can get – ok, maybe it’s just me but, damn is it tasty!

If I could come close to duplicating this with my own hops, I would have reached the pinnacle of my hop growing / homebrewing craft.  More likely I will have to wait for January and February to accommodate my taste buds.  I will keep growing hops and dream of a homebrew that comes close to this.  Once achieved, I would have more friends than I could want.