Hopslim?

[GuldTuborg]

I treated myself to a "build your own" six pack for the holiday weekend, and included one of this year's Hopslams, newly arrived a short while ago. With reverence and great anticipation, I pop the cap, pour into my Fuller's nonic (nice, I know), and promptly stick my nose in the glass to inhale the heavenly hoppiness...only to find the aroma pretty lacking. Bland, in a word. Perplexed, I take a taste, hoping for the usual mind blowing bitterness to make me cringe (it hurts so good!)...but there's nary any bitterness to be found. WTF? I just spent in excess of $3 on a 12oz. beer only to find it with no more bitterness than your typical APA? What the hell is going on?

Has anyone tried this year's Hopslam? Did I just get a bad bottle, or is there something funny going on? For the past 4 years I've been buying Hopslam, and I've always gotten a consistently hoplicious reward. Not this year. I'm sorely tempted to write to Bell's and see what they have to say. Damn.

 

[schweaty]

Last year I had it on draft and when it first got to the table I felt the same way. As it sat and warmed up the aroma became much more potent but the group I was with was certain that it was old. I was sorely dissappointed as well and realized that like many other DIPA's, Hopslam is better when it is fresh. Hard to tell how long ago they packaged those bottles.

 

[Homercidal]

No, I haven't got one from this year yet, because one of the guys who works at my local bottle shop buys all they get!

 

[remilard]

Hopslam is never very bitter. As for the aroma, put it on the counter for 15 minutes after you take it out of the fridge and then come back for it.

Are you sure it is from this year? What kind of idiot would put bottles of Hopslam in a $9.99 build your own six pile (the six pack of hopslam is $18 or so, why not just build your own six of all hopslam for half the price)? Those are usually full of old or returned beer. Enter the date code from the back of the bottle at the link below and see if it is really from this year:

http://www.bellsbeer.com/index.php/batch-search/

 

[kingmatt]

Haha, I thought this was going to be a thread looking for a zero calorie recipe for HopSlam!

 

[moosetav]

Wow. I just had hopslam this weekend from two different sources and It's as good as ever. Very pungent nose with citrus and pineapple. Flavor is there too with the bitterness, but not overpowering.

 

[GuldTuborg]

Hopslam is never very bitter. As for the aroma, put it on the counter for 15 minutes after you take it out of the fridge and then come back for it.

Are you sure it is from this year? What kind of idiot would put bottles of Hopslam in a $9.99 build your own six pile (the six pack of hopslam is $18 or so, why not just build your own six of all hopslam for half the price)? Those are usually full of old or returned beer. Enter the date code from the back of the bottle at the link below and see if it is really from this year:

http://www.bellsbeer.com/index.php/batch-search/

I left it out over a half hour, so it must have been around 50-55F when I poured it. I'm quite familiar with Hopslam, and while you're right that the IBU level is quite ordinary, the taste and aroma of the hops is usually quite intense. It was totally lacking in this one.

The sixer was not $9.99. Don't know where that was stated. I paid over $3 for the bottle. Each bottle was priced differently (no stale bottles in this store, they break up some sixers and cases to sell individually). Thanks for the batch search; I wasn't aware Bell's did that. According to Bell's, my Hopslim was packaged on January 3rd. That's only 2 weeks in the bottle, so it was pretty darned fresh. Well, you win some and lose some.

 

[remilard]

I left it out over a half hour, so it must have been around 50-55F when I poured it. I'm quite familiar with Hopslam, and while you're right that the IBU level is quite ordinary, the taste and aroma of the hops is usually quite intense. It was totally lacking in this one.

The sixer was not $9.99. Don't know where that was stated. I paid over $3 for the bottle. Each bottle was priced differently (no stale bottles in this store, they break up some sixers and cases to sell individually). Thanks for the batch search; I wasn't aware Bell's did that. According to Bell's, my Hopslim was packaged on January 3rd. That's only 2 weeks in the bottle, so it was pretty darned fresh. Well, you win some and lose some.

You said "build your own six pack" which implies that there was a fixed price for a mixed six pack. I've never heard single bottles that are individually priced and can be bought in any quantity described that way.

 

[GuldTuborg]

I've never heard single bottles that are individually priced and can be bought in any quantity described that way.

It's quite common where I live. Most decent stores do it. Some force you to buy in quantities of 6, others don't care how many you buy.

 

[BrookdaleBrew]

I treated myself to a "build your own" six pack for the holiday weekend, and included one of this year's Hopslams, newly arrived a short while ago. With reverence and great anticipation, I pop the cap, pour into my Fuller's nonic (nice, I know), and promptly stick my nose in the glass to inhale the heavenly hoppiness...only to find the aroma pretty lacking. Bland, in a word. Perplexed, I take a taste, hoping for the usual mind blowing bitterness to make me cringe (it hurts so good!)...but there's nary any bitterness to be found. WTF? I just spent in excess of $3 on a 12oz. beer only to find it with no more bitterness than your typical APA? What the hell is going on?

Has anyone tried this year's Hopslam? Did I just get a bad bottle, or is there something funny going on? For the past 4 years I've been buying Hopslam, and I've always gotten a consistently hoplicious reward. Not this year. I'm sorely tempted to write to Bell's and see what they have to say. Damn.

Are you sure it's a 2011 bottle? What is the batch number on the back? I had a fresh one last week and it was as awesome as I remember.

 

[Primetime]

I bought a case of hopslam last week, on tuesday, the first day it came out in this area. I have never tried it before, so I was very excited to do so. I had 6 friends over from a brew club we started last year, they all have had this beer before. I cracked the 1st bottle, and it was awsome!!! great hop profile, made me just want to smell the stuff. I wish I could splash some on my wifes neck as prefume. Everyone else agreed that it was as good as ever, and worth the wait. I paid 70 for the case, just under 3 per bottle.

 

[BeerWars]

You said "build your own six pack" which implies that there was a fixed price for a mixed six pack. I've never heard single bottles that are individually priced and can be bought in any quantity described that way.

Total Wine does it in Tampa FL. You can grab a beer from any 6 pack in the store and they ring them up for all different prices.

 

[GuldTuborg]

Are you sure it's a 2011 bottle? What is the batch number on the back? I had a fresh one last week and it was as awesome as I remember.

Yeah, my batch # is 10093. Anyone else have one of these?

 

[remilard]

Total Wine does it in Tampa FL. You can grab a beer from any 6 pack in the store and they ring them up for all different prices.

Yeah almost every good beer store in every state other than PA let's you buy singles. If I but a $3 hopslam it is kinda silly to call that "build your own sixpack", because I only bought one.

 

[BeerWars]

Yeah almost every good beer store in every state other than PA let's you buy singles. If I but a $3 hopslam it is kinda silly to call that "build your own sixpack", because I only bought one.

They have empty cardboard 6 packs. Fill it with 6 beers and you just built a 6 pack.

Could you buy 1 or 2? Sure. But I ALWAYS grab a cardboard 6-pack and buy 6 beers.

 

[IffyG]

Are you sure it is from this year? What kind of idiot would put bottles of Hopslam in a $9.99 build your own six pile (the six pack of hopslam is $18 or so, why not just build your own six of all hopslam for half the price)?

Must be related to the idiots that work at my local grocery store and the whole foods. They have a build your own sixer for 9 bucks. Dogfish and Stone Beer regularly show up in these selections. I feel like a thief getting a six pack of Stone IPA (less the Stone Packaging) for 7 bucks cheaper than they sell it for otherwise.

 

[GuldTuborg]

Could you buy 1 or 2? Sure. But I ALWAYS grab a cardboard 6-pack and buy 6 beers.

I'm the same way. Somehow it just seems wrong to walk of of a store with empty spaces in the cardboard carrier.