Bell's Hopslam Ale - Is It Worth the Hype and Price?

This past Friday, we drank for the first time, several glasses of Bell's Brewery's seasonal cult-classic Hopslam Ale. Most of my associates were very familiar with the beer and the restaurant, Fireworks Pizza, ran out that evening. A nearby music venue, Galaxy Hut, also exhausted their supply in one night. What makes this double-IPA so special? Well, it starts with "six different hop varietals added to the brew kettle & culminating with a massive dry-hop addition of Simcoe hops". Now, you would think this massive dose of hops would result in an overly bitter concoction, but no, it is balanced by sweet malt and a dose of honey. The beer's aroma is the most powerful we've experienced, and the flavor profile complex and spicy - reminiscent of of a Belgium Ale. Truly a great tasting beer; but worth the $20-$25 price per six-pack. Well considering that same evening we spent $7 for average tasting beers at the 9:30 Club; at $4 a beer - its a bargain. Yea, there is still some sticker shock when purchasing a case, but this isn't the type of beer to guzzle in an evening - its one to savior throughout the year - hopefully our case will last that long.