Beer of the Weekend #201: Hopslam Ale
The second beer of the weekend is a special release brew I was able to get my hands on before its second shipment to Dirty John’s sold out: Hopslam Ale, brewed by Bell’s Brewery, Inc. of Comstock, Michigan.
Joe Hotek, the bier guy at Dirty John’s, gave me a tip about Hopslam. After we discussed possible LV recommendations a few weeks ago, he said the store was receiving a shipment of a very limited, fresh, and quickly aging beer that night. (After just a few weeks, he said, the beer was past its prime, which shocked me. How can a beer have a one-week shelf life?) The beer in question was the famous Hopslam Ale, and if I wanted some I needed to be there when the shipment came at five o’clock. I wasn’t, so a few days later I asked if they had any left over. The first order sold out, he told me, but another was scheduled to arrive that evening. I didn’t want to return later just for a freakin’ beer, but changed my mind after Joe offered me a free sample; I was back at five sharp to secure myself some Hopslam. However, the shipment never arrived.
I thought the local window for Hopslam had closed tightly on my fingers for this year. But yesterday, as I walked into the beer room, Joe said, “We got some more Hopslam in.” He slowly closed the door to the storage cellar to reveal a shelf full of single Hopslam bottles behind. Boom — I was on it, picking up two bottles.
Serving type: Two 12-ounce bottles. The “10094” batch code on the back label corresponded to a January 4, 2011 bottling date. At the age of almost four weeks, this bottle, amazingly, may be too old.
Appearance: Straight pour into a tulip glass. The color is a slightly hazy honey color. One finger of slightly off-white head developed and dissipated quickly to leave a bubbly lacing and ring around the edge. There is some very minor carbonation: one or two bubbles float to the top.
Smell: An invigorating and pleasant grape fruit citrus socked me in the nose. It is mostly citrusy, but there are also aromas of pineapple, pine, caramel, and honey.
Taste: The wait to let it warm a little was agonizing; I could hardly resist the urge to lift the glass to my mouth and pour it in. My first sip was a mouthful of lovely bitterness — major hop bitterness. It was, however, not overpowering; it let the flavors shine through: grapefruit citrus, pine spice, caramel, and honey. The pineapple element from the smell was there, but its presence was not as strong. A pleasant, bitter aftertaste left my tongue and cheeks tingling and lingered in my throat long after each swallow. The alcohol was completely masked.
Drinkability: Until now I did not think I was a big hophead. However, I wonder if my taste is evolving. Very tasty, good, and drinkable stuff. Get it while you can.
Fun facts about Hopslam Ale:
-Style: BA classifies it as an American Double/Imperial IPA. It sounds wicked:
-Price: $3.99/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 50-55ºF.
-Alcohol content: 10 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends barbecue, peppery cheeses (Monterey/Pepper Jack), sharp cheeses (Blue, Cheddar), pungent cheeses (Gorgonzola, Limburger), game meat, grilled meat, and salmon.
-The Bell’s website says the shelf life for Hopslam is six months. Joe Hotek said he had a bottle that was a month old and it was worthless compared to a fresh bottle.
The Quiet Man’s grade: A.
Joe Hotek, the bier guy at Dirty John’s, gave me a tip about Hopslam. After we discussed possible LV recommendations a few weeks ago, he said the store was receiving a shipment of a very limited, fresh, and quickly aging beer that night. (After just a few weeks, he said, the beer was past its prime, which shocked me. How can a beer have a one-week shelf life?) The beer in question was the famous Hopslam Ale, and if I wanted some I needed to be there when the shipment came at five o’clock. I wasn’t, so a few days later I asked if they had any left over. The first order sold out, he told me, but another was scheduled to arrive that evening. I didn’t want to return later just for a freakin’ beer, but changed my mind after Joe offered me a free sample; I was back at five sharp to secure myself some Hopslam. However, the shipment never arrived.
I thought the local window for Hopslam had closed tightly on my fingers for this year. But yesterday, as I walked into the beer room, Joe said, “We got some more Hopslam in.” He slowly closed the door to the storage cellar to reveal a shelf full of single Hopslam bottles behind. Boom — I was on it, picking up two bottles.
Serving type: Two 12-ounce bottles. The “10094” batch code on the back label corresponded to a January 4, 2011 bottling date. At the age of almost four weeks, this bottle, amazingly, may be too old.
Appearance: Straight pour into a tulip glass. The color is a slightly hazy honey color. One finger of slightly off-white head developed and dissipated quickly to leave a bubbly lacing and ring around the edge. There is some very minor carbonation: one or two bubbles float to the top.
Smell: An invigorating and pleasant grape fruit citrus socked me in the nose. It is mostly citrusy, but there are also aromas of pineapple, pine, caramel, and honey.
Taste: The wait to let it warm a little was agonizing; I could hardly resist the urge to lift the glass to my mouth and pour it in. My first sip was a mouthful of lovely bitterness — major hop bitterness. It was, however, not overpowering; it let the flavors shine through: grapefruit citrus, pine spice, caramel, and honey. The pineapple element from the smell was there, but its presence was not as strong. A pleasant, bitter aftertaste left my tongue and cheeks tingling and lingered in my throat long after each swallow. The alcohol was completely masked.
Drinkability: Until now I did not think I was a big hophead. However, I wonder if my taste is evolving. Very tasty, good, and drinkable stuff. Get it while you can.
Fun facts about Hopslam Ale:
-Style: BA classifies it as an American Double/Imperial IPA. It sounds wicked:
Take an India Pale Ale and feed it steroids, ergo the term Double IPA. Although open to the same interpretation as its sister styles, you should expect something robust, malty, alcoholic and with a hop profile that might rip your tongue out. The Imperial usage comes from Russian Imperial stout, a style of strong stout originally brewed in England for the Russian Imperial Court of the late 1700s; though Double IPA is often the preferred name.
You can thank west coast American brewers for this somewhat reactionary style. "Thanks!"
-Price: $3.99/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 50-55ºF.
-Alcohol content: 10 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends barbecue, peppery cheeses (Monterey/Pepper Jack), sharp cheeses (Blue, Cheddar), pungent cheeses (Gorgonzola, Limburger), game meat, grilled meat, and salmon.
-The Bell’s website says the shelf life for Hopslam is six months. Joe Hotek said he had a bottle that was a month old and it was worthless compared to a fresh bottle.
The Quiet Man’s grade: A.
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