James wrote:
Totally agree with Yada, though I'll add the Double Cream Stout as being good.
I recently had a bottle of the Expedition Imperial Stout, and it was meh. Maybe because i sat on it for a year and a half, but from what i had read that one was supposed to get better with age.
And the $12 i paid for Nugget Nectar six pack makes the $20 I paid for Hopslam seem like a ripoff. Still, glad i got a sixer of hopslam. And regarding hopslam: drink it quick. Just had a bottom fro mthe late January batch the other day and it's already fading badly.
Yada wrote:
walkonby wrote:
today is my birthday . . . and i am getting so fucking drunk today . . . starting now. oh hell yeah!!!
plus, before i lapse into a hop induced coma . . . i don't get the bells hopslam. and no this is not a rage of someone who did not get it. yes i did not get it this year. barely missed out. oh well. but i have tried four other bells beers; three of which were bad; one of which was down right shit; with the fourth being average at best (amber / best brown / winter white / oberon). so is the hopslam really worth the hype. i don't believe written reviews, only people i can speak with who have drank it. i just can't buy that it is good . . . but what do i know; i used to think mickey's big mouth beer was the shit.
$25 a six pack good, questionable… Good, yes…. However, my love of Bells other than Two Hearted Ale has gone down the tubes as of late. They really don't put that great of beer other than Hopslam/Two hearted IMO.
Amber, Winter White, and Oberon just aren't very good. A lot of people love Oberon, but I've never been a fan and I'm a huge Bell's fan. Best Brown, i happen to really like, but that's with tempered expectations, it's just a brown ale.. nothing special, but I do think it's a solid brown ale, actually one of my favorites.
I think Bell's wheel house really is in their limited/seasonal release stuff. Outside of Two Hearted, their year round lineup doesn't have anything that great, but I wouldn't call any of it bad; for my money they're easily a top two or three brewery with a solid lineup, but that is leaning on their seasonal offerings.
But if you haven't had anything you liked, try Hopslam (not at $25 though), Double Cream Stout, or two hearted. I've never seen the Oracle (DIPA) in these parts, but it's really good as well. Also, if you need a winter/christmas beer.. go for their Christmas Ale, way better than Winter White is admittedly quite boring. Bell's definitely makes good beer, give them another shot.. and then proceed with hating them if they don't live up to it.