Hopslam Monday!

I've never seen more anticipation for a cask tapping at the Brick Store. The bar was packed, all eyes glued on that little silver can. Pictures snapping, smiles gleaming. Bell's Brewing has landed in Decatur, and the energy in the pub was very festive.

Oberon and Special Double Cream Stout were on tap, but the real star was the rare cask of Hopslam. The bottled version is one of my most loved double IPAs, and I was very curious to taste the cask version.

The firkin was tapped at 4 on the dot and kicked around 6:30. I found the cask version of Hopslam just delightful. Of course it didn't have the carbonation bite, but the flavor was packed full of pine and grapefruit hop flavor rounded out with chewy bitterness. As the glass warmed, the honey flavor poked her head out unlike the bottled version where the honey flavor was on the front end. Cannot wait for a keg of FRESH Hopslam to come out next January/February.

Look for Bell's this week at The Grange Public House, Thinking Man Tavern, and of course the ole BSP.