Bell's Hopslam

Bell's Brewery
Comstock, MI

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3
Clear, effervescent. Lots of bubbles. Thin, white head. Pretty gold color.

AROMA: 4/4
Pine, grapefruit and more grapefruit. Citrus overload. Honey, orange peel. Sour notes. Glorious–sets the bar high for taste.

TASTE: 9.75/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 4/4: Tons of hop flavor. Grapefruit, pine. Floral. Bitterness and hop flavor coexist in perfect balance throughout.
Aftertaste: 3/3: If hop flavor is in the driver's seat, bitterness rides in the sidecar. Both stay with you throughout.
Mouth-Feel: 2.75/3: A really light feel, which is deceptive, given the insane ABV.

OVERALL: 3/3: My God, this is incredible. Perfectly balanced–this can't be 10%. Any real hophead needs this on his or her beer bucket list.

TOTAL: 19.25/20–Keep 'Em Comin'

NOTES:
Matt: This is really dangerous–you could easily drink ten of these (if you could find them, that is) and wrap your car around a tree. The upside is, you'd die happy. Just about perfect.
Ben: I've died and gone to beer nirvana. I'd put this up with Pliny the Elder as one of the all-time greats.