Just the other night, I had the unexpected opportunity to sample Bell’s Hopslam Ale and NABC Hoptimus side by side. I know too much for it to have been a blind taste test, but it didn’t need to be, seeing as Hopslam and Hoptimus are so very different from each other even if both are lumped into the “Imperial” IPA category.
Hopslam is released once a year by Bell’s, a brewery in Michigan. Hoptimus is available year-round from NABC, a brewery in Indiana (my brewery, of course).
Hopslam uses different hops (six varietals and Simcoe) than Hoptimus (Cascade). Hoptimus is deceptively drier, and Hopslam is malty sweet.
They both cost a lot to make, and neither is cheap on a store shelf.
My verdict? They’re both good, but markedly different.
Do you like basketball or rugby? Maybe both, depending on the mood, although beer and sports aren’t the same animal. Sports possess an objective system of measurement called “keeping score.” Beer has a wonderful tendency to lapse into flights of the subjective, fueling stories and irreconcilable bragging rights, which is why beer is good while viewing sports.
Hopslam and Hoptimus. Enjoy one, the other, or both.
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