Bell’s Hopslam. I’ve been waiting nine months for this beer.  Since I last had this beer, we’ve gone through three seasons.  My roommate and I have been counting down the months until this beer.  Today, I picked up a sixer.  For $25.  Worth it.  Very, very worth it.

This is an incredibly hoppy beer.  It has an awful lot of amarillo hops in it.  A lot.

When you smell it, you smell hops.  Skunky, funky, citrusy hops.  You smell the booze.  Not a hard alcohol boozy smell.  It’s more along the lines of a glass of white wine.  

In the glass it’s pretty.  It’s really pretty.  Dark amber, close to orange.  This is the perfect looking beer.

Then you taste it.  Tiny sips.  It goes back over the tongue.  It goes up the nose.  This beer is floral.  This beer is delicious.

The flavor lingers.  Grapefruit.  Sweetness on the tip of the tongue.  Up through the nose.  I blew my nose prior to sipping.  My nose is clearer now.

This beer is good.  This beer is really good.  Is it the best?  That’s not fair to say.  As far as Imperial India Pale Ales go, I’ve only tasted another beer to come close: Pliny the Elder.  And it’s worth noting that I waited probably five years to drink Pliny.  The wait for Pliny was worth it.  The nine months I’ve waited for this beer was worth it.  This year is better balanced, more palatable, more approachable.  This may be the best beer in the world.

Thank you, Michigan.  You’re a-okay in my book.