Bell's Brewery's Hopslam

"You know I dreamed about you
For 29 years, before I saw you
You know I dreamed about you
and I missed you, for, 29 years"
-The National

All collectors and hobbyists have a "Grail", an article or item that they seek above all others. They have seen pictures, heard stories, and read articles about it. They dream of the day when they get to see and experience the object of their desires, whether it is a 1953 Corvette, a wedge of Roquefort cheese, or an Inverted Jenny. For the last several years, Bell's Brewery's Hopslam has been the Grail for this enthusiastic beer enthusiast. The first time I heard of it, I asked for it by name at a local bottle shop. Much to my dismay, I was informed that Bell's does not distribute to Upstate New York. My first tasting of Hopslam would have to wait. Thanks to the generosity of a very dear friend, I was recently shipped 3 bottles of this beer that I now have the good fortune to taste.

The beer comes in an appropriately colored light green labeled bottle, with a hop-man character as its logo(or a man with a big hop on top of him, I can't tell). This is considered a Double, or Imperial IPA, which means that it is aggressively hopped and has a higher alcohol content than typical beers. Coming in at 10%, this beer weighs in at over 100 IBUs(International Bittering Units). As a point of reference, Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale is measured at 37.

Hopslam pours innocently enough, with a translucent golden hue and an understated lacy head. I choose a tulip glass in order to concentrate the aroma of the beer that I expected would be quite impressive. The first thing I did was smell the cap, and right away I knew I was in for a hop explosion. The aroma of this beer is unlike any I have had before. As a novice homebrewer, I can accurately describe the smell of this IPA as similar to the smell of a handful of hop pellets before being thrown into a boiling brew. I wish they made incense that smelled like this. Flowery, fruity, woodsy, fresh, delightful.

The first sip of this beer is like a firm handshake from an old friend. I feel as though I have had this beer in a previous life. It is as though I have had this experience every night of my life, and it is my favorite and most treasured memory......and yet we have never met.

Of course there is a large blast of hoppy bitterness as Hopslam first meets your tongue. This impressive feature alone would be enough to make this beer a favorite of hop heads everywhere. Where many DIPAs fail to follow through on this up-front "bitter awakening", however, Hopslam succeeds in providing an effective 1-2 punch of hop and malt. The sweet, syrupy, multidimensional malt backbone is a meal. It is here that the Hopslam lives up to its hype. You can put as much hops as you want in beer. Many breweries have gone down this road, not recognizing that the massive hop additions of this modern hop-crazy beer world must be balanced by an equally massive malt bomb, in order to leave the drinker with that warm, rounded, satisfied finish. Hopslam has the goods(malt) to back up the hype(hops). It is as though the hops throw up an innocent arching toss, and the malt comes in and SLAMS THAT S THROUGH THE RIM. Thus the name, Hopslam. The finish has a delightfully sweet and tangy lingering effect, which lets you know that this is indeed a higher than average alcoholic beer.

I have built up this brew in my mind, and I was unsure if it would live up to my expectations. I tried not to let my prior thoughts impact my opinion of this beer. As soon as I tasted it, I forgot what I even expected out of this drink. I was immediately reminded of all the great beers I have had in the past, and tried to place it among them. I am not one for ranking beers, but if I were, this would be near the top. It is on the same plateau in my memory reserved for such legends as the Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout, the Rochefort Trappistes 10, and the Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine. In a tribute to collectors and enthusiasts everywhere seeking after their Grail, I give this beer 10/10 Inverted Jennys. If you love hops, you must try this beer. Find it at any cost, and bring home a case if you are ever in Michigan and it is available. I also have two more, and am willing to entertain interesting offers....


















Thank you Jenny.

Thank you Brian W.

Thank you Bells.

Avery Brewing Company: Maharaja Imperial IPA

First Impressions: The Maharaja Imperial IPA from Avery Brewing Company struck my eye in the store. Avery is in Boulder Colorado and the front of the label said something to the effect of "Bottled from 11th barrel of 2009." I had never heard of Avery and it looked good, and I'll never turn down an Imperial IPA, so I had to try it.
The Maharaja is the second from the left.

Smell: The Maharaja has an overwhelming hoppy smell. Imagine adding an ounce of cascade hops to the wort during the boil and then sticking your face over that for the smell. Thats exactly what the Maharaja smells like. Very strong aroma.

Taste: Once you get past the extra hoppy smell, get ready for more hops! This is like licking hops. This beer made me believe that there is such a thing as too many hops. I enjoyed sipping it, but it was just peeling away at my teeth. The hops did well to hide the high alcohol content of this. The bottle said 10.69%.

I'm a big fan of hops, but even I thought they went a bit overboard with this one. Since it peels away your enamel so much, you need about 6/10 golden grills to drink it.





That looks weird.

Great Lakes BC: Christmas Ale

Last Friday, Peter, Anne and myself bought six varieties of beer to each try at the same time and discuss. The six beers are all pictured next to the Christmas tree and they will all be blogged. The first beer of the night was the Great Lakes Brewing Company's Christmas Ale. The beer has a spicy smell with a lot of cinnamon. There is also honey and ginger which you can smell after reading the bottle. Anne enjoyed the O! Christmas Ale song on the bottle as well as the environmental tips about what to do with your Christmas tree that were built in to the song. The beer was tasty and went well with the season, the spices weren't too much. I like this a bit more than winter lagers, but I don't really know what to compare it to since I don't usually drink spicy Christmas ales. Anne noted that it had a bittersweet ending at the back of the tongue.

Overall, I would give this beer 5/10 Recycling Signs.

Stone India Pale Ale

I had heard many good things about the Stone Brewing Company's IPA but had never taken the opportunity to try one until this past weekend. I'm a sucker for a great IPA and this one does not disappoint, in fact it's quite amazing. Incredibly flavorful with the prefect amount of bitterness. Smooth going down but still very rich. Each gulp was better than the last, and i was quite disappointed when the final sip had come and gone. Probably not recommended for your average beer drinker, but if you enjoy IPAs this one should not be overlooked next time you're at the package store.

This really should get a 10 but because its my first review i'll give it a...............


9/10 Doug Fluties

Harpoon Leviathan Imperial IPA

The Harpoon Leviathan Series was first produced at the company's two breweries (Boston, MA and Windsor, VT) in the summer of 2008. The series is available in draft and 4 packs and was an attempt by the brewery to take an "exploration in brewing big beers for adventurous palates." This series is a definite step up for the brewery which has focused mostly on its award winning IPA and UFO brand.

The series takes its name from the "leviathan" a mythical sea beast that has been alluded to in everything from literature (Paradise Lost, Moby Dick), philosophy (Thomas Hobbes 1651 work the Leviathan discussed the need for a social contract to create the ideal state), and religion (both in Judaism and Christianity). What this has to do with brewing beer we could only venture to guess, however, the series's Imperial IPA comes in living up to the stature of the Leviathan in terms of big taste and alcohol per volume (10%).

What's the scenario? Trip to East Ave Wegman's always begins and ends in its above average beer section. I was looking for something I had never had before, my interest were peaked when I found an Imperial IPA with an unusual name I had heard somewhere before. The name Leviathan sparked an aisle discussion of Thomas Hobbes early work on government formation (which I knew a lot about) and its religious connotations (which my girlfriend knew a lot about). After examining the blurbs about the beer on its packaging I knew this four pack was coming home with me.

Appearance: A really smooth finish, with a really solid head that pours nicely into any pint glass. A bit lighter than I had expected for an Imperial IPA.

Smell: As with IPA's of any variety, you get a huge smell of hops right away. However, there also something a bit fruity, even tropical at the back end. The hoppy smell is due to the fact the beer is made using 4 different types of hops. I am no beer making expert, but the website informs that the beer is also dry hopped at a rate of over 1 lb a barrel. All of which accounts for the brews smell.

Alright, alright how did it taste? First I have to admit I have a bit of a bias here. I would put IPA, and particularly Imperial IPAs, at the top of my beer list. With that being said, the Leviathan Imperial IPA deliver. The brew has a larger amount of bitterness which is expected, but is still extremely smooth and easy to drink. It is a big beer, but I would not call it overpowering at all. You get the bitterness upfront, but the hop flavor continues throughout with a nice bit of citrus at the end. All and all this is very well rounded beer and the drinker can tell everything about this beer was feel thought out and produced at an even higher standard.

Rating: With "1" being never ever ever go for this beer and "10" seek this beer out no matter the costs, I would have to give this beer 8.5 Thomas Hobbeses. This is definitely up there on my list of best beers, but I do not think it is an everyday beer given its apv.

Dogfish Head India Brown Ale

This Brown Ale is brewed with some IPA-type methods such as dry hopping to make it a hybrid of sorts. It is one of the most widely available beers from my favorite brewery.

What's the Scenario?: It was a quick trip out to get dinner, an Italian Sub from Wegmans. With such a light dinner, I thought I would go for a heavier beer.

Appearance: As you can see in the picture, this beer pours with a luxurious, thick, light brown head.

Smell: A strong hoppy aroma, mixed with sweet sugaryness and maybe a hint of syrup or molasses?

Alright, alright, how did it taste: Sweet and malty, with almost some maple syrup type flavors. Plenty of hoppy bitterness, but the heavy maltiness balances it out so that the hops become fairly subtle. This is a beautifully balanced beer, giving you the satisfying full bodied flavor of a good nut brown combined with the pleasant bitterness and aroma of an IPA.

Rating: 8/10 Sam Calagiones

SteepleChase Brewing Company: Three Dead Red

This is the first beer we have homebrewed in a while, and I have the pleasure of being the first one to try it. The name comes from a disgusting story. I had left some dishes in the sink for a bit too long and last night I noticed some little red flies in the sink. So I did the dishes, killed a handful of flies, and cleaned the sink with bleach. I went to work in the morning and forgot about the flies.

On my way home I stopped at Wegman's to get some ingredients for a delicious dinner. When I arrived at home I was excited to try the freshly brewed beer, but before popping a sixer in the icebox, I noticed something in the sink. Three dead red flies. And Three Dead Red was born. [Fun Trivia: this is the second SBC beer to have Three in the name]

I had put one Three Dead Red in the fridge earlier and so I cracked it open as I prepared dinner. I didn't have much time to think about it as I prepared one of the best meals of my life. Let me set the scene:

The Scene:
Take Red, Yellow and Cayenne Peppers and saute them with some onions in a pan. Slice open a nice Angus steak and line it with pepperjack cheese. Stick the peppers and onions in there and throw the whole thing on the stovetop. Cook it like a man... rare.

The Result:The steak yielded some great gravy for the mashed potatoes and I waited until it was all done to open my second Three Dead Red.

The Beer:
The secondary fermentation did a great job and I could pour this bottle straight up. Perfect amount of carbonation, I should put it all in the fridge now so it doesn't get overcarb'ed. The smell is kind of light and pleasant. Pretty much what you would expect. The taste follows suit. Its nothing special, but it goes down easy. And with an ABV around only 4%, this is a beginner's homebrew. I'm no expert at pairing beer and food, but I feel like this went perfect with my dinner. It didn't try to push to the forefront and overpower me with flavor, the meal had plenty of that. It was always there for me when I came across a bite filled with cayenne pepper. Its not really a beer to sit around and discuss, but it plays the part of supporting actor to perfection. And in honor of that comparison, I will give it a rating system based on the best Best Supporting Actor ever.






5/10 Cuba Gooding Jrs.