Yours for Good Fermentables ™: Pic(k) of the Week: Hop Slam on deck.

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Pic(k) of the Week: Hop Slam on deck.

"You call this Hop Slam? You should call it Malt Slam," beer tickers and tsk-tskers jave been indignantly Untappd-tweeting over the brief return visit of the "Double India Pale Ale" from Bell's Brewery in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

So, what does the 2016 edition Hop Slam taste like?

I tasted aromas and flavors of peach, mango, and tangerine (from, yes, a slam of hops); with a strong honey character (from, yes, honey) and an unctuous body (from, yes, malt); with a long, off-dry, and hopfull (spelling intended) finish; and a lingering buzz (pun intended).

If Larry Bell were to rename the beer Mighty Taste Slam, would that satisfy them?

No? Well, then, they can leave their Hop Slams for me. There aren't many to be had.

Pictured, served on draught, outside, upstairs on a pub deck, during a 60s °F winter afternoon in Atlanta (Little 5 Points), Georgia, on 18 February 2016. The circumstance augmented the experience.

Six different hop varietals added to the brew kettle & culminating with a massive dry-hop addition of Simcoe hops, Bell's Hopslam Ale possesses the most complex hopping schedule in the Bell's repertoire. Selected specifically because of their aromatic qualities, these Pacific Northwest varieties contribute a pungent blend of grapefruit, stone fruit, and floral notes. A generous malt bill and a solid dollop of honey provide just enough body to keep the balance in check, resulting in a remarkably drinkable rendition of the Double India Pale Ale style.
10% alcohol-by-volume (abv)
70 International Bittering Units (IBUs)
—Bell's Brewery

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Pic(k) of the Week: one in a weekly series of personal photos, usually posted on Saturdays, and often, but not always, with a good fermentable as the subject. Camera: Olympus Pen E-PL1.

Commercial reproduction requires explicit permission, as per Creative Commons.

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