Hyped on Hops: Hopslam and Nugget Nectar

Over these past few weeks hop heads have been rejoicing over the release of Bell's HopSlam and Troegs Nugget Nectar. If you look at Beer Advocate you will read about people frothing at the mouth discussing where and when both will be pouring and offering their first born for a bottle or two in trade. I have to admit that I got swept up in the hop excitement and chased both around Philly. Unlike with Pliny the Elder I did stop short short of posting all the bars that have been pouring the sought after beers. Most recently in my quest for both I managed to grab a glass of HopSlam at TJ's, pick up a bottle from Capone's and score a six of hard to find Nugget Nectar in my travels.

So are both beers up to all the hype? Not quite. Now before I hear it from all the devoted fans of each I will say that they are both great beers. I love them. The problem was that it had been a year since I had either one and I read all the opinions and reviews. The admiration for both is pretty amazing and I don't know if any beer could stand up to all the hop acclaim. OK, maybe Pliny the Elder. Just like a movie that is overly praised, by the time you absorb all the hype even a great film can seem slightly less spectacular. These beers can suffer the same fate so it's best to sample each with a clear mind.

My Nugget Nectar experience came from a bottle. To my surprise the aroma of hops wasn't as overwhelming as I had expected. The citrusy aroma didn't grab my attention until after I took several whiffs from the pint glass. Part of this was due to the slightly cold serving temperature. I have to remember to turn down the beer fridge. Once it did warm the sweet floral aroma was nicely present. Where the hops didn't show immediately in the aroma it was the opposite when it came to taste. There was a strong upfront hop presence that hit the tongue and stayed. The bitterness showed early and didn't fade; lingering at the back of my mouth. Although the hops hang on it's not thick and super sticky so this 7.5 abv hop bomb remains very drinkable. Most hop fans will be pleased; I was. Being a fan of Troegs I will seek out another six and enjoy another pint or two. However with soooooo many high hop options arriving regularly in Philly I can't say that I will feel any shortcomings if I don't immediately get back to the Nectar.

The hop experience ramped up with HopSlam DIPA. My first encounter this year was a snifter at TJ's a couple weeks ago. My latest was at home, this past weekend, from a bottle purchased at Capone's. From the time the cap hit the table it was hops, hops, hops and more hops. The aroma wafted from the bottle and only intensified when poured into the glass. Take time to smell this one. Remember this came from the same too cold beer fridge as the Nugget Nectar. In the glass the beer is a hazy copper color with a thick white head that settled after a few sips. A tip of the glass delivered a grapefruit blast, with hints of orange, straight to the palate. It's citrusy hops and bitterness combined with a sweet background. The sweetness then steps forward and the alcohol shows in the end. The bottle states, "Ale brewed with honey", but I had a hard time picking out a true honey flavor. This is a beer to savor. I understand why it's often served in a snifter. The 10% abv, the overly sticky mouth feel and alcohol that doesn't hide may offend and for some take away drinkability. It's not my favorite DIPA or the most balanced but it still makes its way into my hop utopia. HopSlam almost lives up to the hype. If this were on draft I would have a hard time passing it up.


With all the fuss made over HopSlam and Nugget Nectar the release of Founders Double Trouble DIPA has been in the shadows. Check Capone's and TJ's, it may still be on draft. Now the hop head focus in Philly is shifting to the upcoming shipment of Pliny the Younger. I am sure that there are more than a few people who already have their growlers in the car waiting to hear who gets the first drop. Hang on Philadelphia with Beer Week less than a month away the ride only gets more fun.