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Recently, having spent the winter months taking in my share of stouts and porters, I wandered in the shop looking for something a little lighter in flavor. I had a been working on a taste for an IPA that just wouldn’t go away. Looking around, I saw a few new additions to the stock, and Caleb, the beer clerk, came around the corner and immediately started gushing about this amazing Imperial IPA they had called Hopslam. The way he was talking about it, you would think that this was the Jesus beer - i.e., the beer to save all beers. He informed me that it was in limited supply and if I wanted to try it I had better snag some because it would disappear fast. After grabbing a sixer, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t just a little excited on the ride home.

That night proved to be the beginning of a love affair. As I cracked the seal and began the pour, I was greeted with the pleasantries of perfectly balanced citrus and piney scents. After my pour, I was left with a beautiful amber color close to that amazing beverage we here in the south call “sweet tea.” Anxiously awaiting my prize, it took all I could muster to not dive right in. I could tell this was one I would want to savor.

As for appearance, it was beautiful. Again, I was reminded of the freshly brewed frothy glasses of sweet tea I drank so much of as a child. The head, after a good pour, settled to about a half inch on top and didn’t move. It settled down to a slight cloudiness which left it looking almost like a dark amber colored Hefewiezen.

One could almost argue that the smell is as good as the taste. It’s hard to say which. This IPA immediately hits your nose with the perfect amount of pine and grapefruit. First the pine and, after settling, the grapefruit. The closer you get to the glass, the hoppiness comes through. That first taste though, brings on the unexpected.

Honey. For those experienced in the realm of mead, imagine that, with a hint of hoppy bitterness. Sweet, and just biting enough to let you know that its an IPA. By the time it hits the back of your mouth, the sweetness turns into a splash of flavor very similar to that of a fresh ruby red grapefruit. Quite possibly one of the most refreshing drinks of any brew I’ve ever had.

Along the way, these flavors are carried by this lightly bitter, hoppy bite. Being a Double/Imperial IPA, and having experienced a fair share of overly hoppy IPAs recently, I was expecting an overpowering amount of hoppyness. This, however, was certainly not the case and the hoppyness added a crispness which worked to the benefit of the citrus flavors. Overpowering is certainly not a word I would associate with this brew.

The balance between the bitterness of the hops and the sweetness of the honey and grapefruit flavors made this brew go down amazingly smooth, and fast. Which, for those drinking this somewhere other than the comfort of their home, could be a very BAD thing. At 10% alcohol, this brew drank more like its 5% and 6% brethren. I had to stop myself after three, which turned out to be about about one too many and ended my quiet night at home rather early. Advice: Drink slow.

Hopslam is now my standard by which all Double/Imperial IPAs shall be judged. Sadly though, much like many seasonals, one can only rendezvous with this amazing brew during the months of January and February. So, if you like IPAs and see it for sale, drop to your knees and thank God for such a blessing. Then get up and grab it before someone sees you and thinks you’ve lost your mind.