Hopslam!

According to Young & Hungry, Hopslam is available in DC. Actually, it's been available for most of the week, I'm just a bit behind. I've enjoyed Bell's Beers pretty much since I turned 21, which is longer ago than I care to think about. They're all good, but my favorite regularly available brew is Two Hearted Ale, which I knew of as just a great beer before IPA was a thing. So it's understandable that I love Hopslam, which is their souped-up IPA. Sadly, they only release it once a year, it's availability is sharply constrained, and it's very expensive. A six-pack on the cheap end will run on $20, and that's only if you're very lucky.

What makes Hopslam so special? It is an exquisitely balanced beer. For all the hops that go into it, it's not too hoppy -- even people who aren't hopheads, such as my wife, love this beer. Greg Engert, beer-master, says, "It's beautifully balanced, hoppy but not a fruit bomb. Not too piney, but with great tropical fruit and herb notes." The first time I tried it, at RFD, it was the best beer I had ever had.

Is it worth the price and the effort to find? It depends. At the end of the day, unless you're really into hoppy beers, it's probably not quite worth it. You can find plenty of imperial IPAs that are almost as good as Hopslam, but are half the price. But if you like hoppy beers, you should try and find this one. It's one of the best.