(APOLOGY: I know the headline is somewhat redundant from last week, but believe me, I would have come up with a different headline last week if I knew what I was writing about this week.)Twenty years ago, Larry Bell and his merry band of brewers came up with a beer so audacious, so tasty and so darn limited that EVERY craft beer lover just had to have it! Bell's Hopslam was among the first so-called "Double" or "Imperial" India Pale Ales (IPAs) (although it was simply called "ale" at the time). Other early examples included Russian River Pliny the Elder (possibly the original DIPA in 1994, originally known as "Inaugural Ale") and Stone Ruination IPA (2002). A "Double" IPA generally refers to both the alcohol-by-volume (ABV) strength (usually 8-10% or more) and the hoppiness. What made Hopslam unique was its use of honey as an ingredient, lending a sweetened edge that smoothed out the robust, 10% ABV brew.The Beermudgeon joined the commercial beer racket in 2008 and can safely say, without a doubt, Hopslam has been his most requested beer throughout his career. One year (at another store), the requests started coming in August for a beer that was released in mid-January. By release date, we had a list of more than 120 requests for the brew. Some wanted just a six-pack, while others wanted multiple cases. Luckily, I was able to procure 25 cases of Hopslam (at the time, the most of any store in northern Virginia), which meant 100 customers got one six-pack each, and the Beermudgeon had to make 100 phone calls to the lucky recipients. The next time around when people started asking about Hopslam, I told them I could put their name on a list, but the first person on the list would get NONE. (Ha ha.). We had 100+ requests that year again.In recent years, double IPAs have proliferated. Practically every brewery has at least one in their portfolio, often year-round. There are West Coast DIPAs and hazy DIPAs and fruited DIPAs and Black DIPAs and ... well, you get the picture. Currently, we have at least 12 different DIPAs in stock, including one non-alcoholic version. (Really!) While demand for special-release beers like Hopslam has waned, we are still excited when they arrive and we hope you are, too. (Last year, thanks to a SNAFU by our local distributor, Hopslam was not available at all in Washington, D.C., much to the consternation of your Beermudgeon and many customers alike.)Which is a long way of saying: "Bell's Hopslam has arrived at Calvert Woodley!" Come and get it while you can. Those other year-round DIPAs can wait their turn.Cheers!Jon, Your Slammed BeermudgeonP.S. As we prepare for our annual inventory day on Monday, Jan. 26, we do not expect any new beers to arrive next week. Thus, Notes from the Beermudgeon will be on hiatus for at least one week. See you on the other side.To submit a question or comment, please email us at: beer@calvertwoodley.com.Got this from a friend or viewing online and you want to subscribe? Please email us at: beer@calvertwoodley.com
