I had a Hopslam on Wednesday as my bi-annually consumed beer. It was less hoppy than I recall.
agreed. couldn't bring myself to spend 27.99 + DC tax on a sixer, but they also had singles for 4.99 so i grabbed one just to say that i tasted this year's batch. my tasting notes:
bottled on 1/21, so a little over 3 weeks old
initial impression: interesting mix of bitter and sweet
with a few more sips, sweetness overpowers the bitterness so it's not crazy bitter (despite the reputation)
aroma was decent but underwhelming
complex hop layering - nice. i'm getting some chinook in there, and not much simcoe despite what beels said (maybe 3 weeks is enough for the aroma hops to drop out?)
hint of hot alcohol
strangely enough this beer became less interesting as it warmed. aroma receded, bitterness became softer, mouthfeel became spongy - overall, became quite similar to ranger IIPA
respectable IIPA with an interesting twist (sweetness) but not mind-blowing
glad that i only bought a single, and instead of a full pack and instead of a full pack i got 2 packs of Founders Breakfast Stout.