This One Goes To 11 Ale - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

3.96/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

12oz bottle served in a perfect pint glass.

L - somewhat hazed amber color with a off-white head that stayed around for a while leaving a few streaks behind.

S - malty, similar to a scotch ale aroma with a floral background.

T - what starts out sweet and malty takes a turn to citrus rind bitterness finishing with a sticky sweetness on the lips.

F - medium bodied, it's a little chewy, warm and it is a sipper for sure.

O - whatever style this beer may be, it is a tasty one.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 01:01:26 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

BobZ

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz Bottle poured into a Duvel tulip. Bottled on 9-19-12

Appearance: Bright orange/amber with a nice 1" head that hangs around, very nice lacing.

Smell: Still (after all this time) some nice hop aroma over a malty sweetness.

Taste: The hops held up very well as they balanced the beer with the caramel and toffee notes from the malt. This beer is drinking very well right now as all the flavors are working well together and no single flavor dominates. Again, a pleasant amount of hoppy bitterness balanced with malty sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Clean and crisp on the palate.

Overall: At nine months this is still a very enjoyable beer, I imagine the hops would have been far more dominant fresh.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 19:51:22 | More by BobZ

Immortale25

Florida

4.24/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a snifter. Back label says PKGD 09/13/12

A- From a heavy pour comes a 1/2 inch tan head that retains well before becoming a thin ring around the edge of the glass and a sheer half patch of surface foam. Semi-resilient lacing streaks down the glass.

S- Sweet malt aroma with notes of raisin, sherry and brown sugar. Very complex as it entices more sniffs.

T- More caramel-like sweetness with a hint of bourbon. Remarkably well-balanced with the hops providing enough bitter to counteract the sweetness and booze. Kind of drinks like a barleywine but exhibits a surprising smoothness that's uncommon for that style. Truly unique. Notes of dark fruit and rum-soaked raisins.

M- Moderate alcohol sting and a bit on the dry side. Medium carbonation and a body that leans toward the fuller side.

O- Easy drinking in the beginning but it kind of wears on you after a while and becomes a slow sipper. Still quite different from other strong ales I've had.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2013 02:18:39 | More by Immortale25

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a hazy amber pour with a finger of head (bright white) which quickly dissipated. smells of caramel malt, grassy and piney hops, honey. an amazingly delicious boozy amber ale profile that leans towards an american strong ale/barleywine with its heavy alcohol bite and earthy bitterness. tastes of caramel, brown sugar, grassy hops. a full bodied modest in carbonation ale, leaving a nice warmth from its alcohol percentage in place. i honestly wish i knew this was an amber ale before i decided to just hold onto it in the cellar. although, it's delicious now, i wish i had it fresh to compare.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 01:56:29 | More by facundoCNB

CMUbrew

Michigan

3.8/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Review from Fall 2012

A: Pours with a small white head that faces quickly. Dark red/copper color. Bright red in the light.

S: Mostly pine, some citrus peel, and maltiness

T: Pine, lemon citrus rind, dark fruitiness probably from the alcohol, a little bit of booze, bready/doughy maltiness.

M: Pretty big body, medium-full, almost chewy, slick and oily feeling.

O: Not quite as good as I was expecting, especially in the hops department, but I am probably mostly put off by the dark fruit flavors, which I generally don't care for.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 20:33:00 | More by CMUbrew

oline73

Maryland

3.98/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a standard pint glass.

The beer pours a reddish amber color with just a little off white head. The head fades to a thin ring around the pour. The smell is sweet and malty but there is a fruity hop undertone. I'm getting mild caramel, cherry, and some citrus fruit. The taste is sweet, but there is a lot more bitterness to balance things out. Right off the bat I got some pineapple. The sweetness really shows up in the end. I'm getting a bunch of citrus peel bitterness in the finish as well. The body is on the thicker side with a good amount of carbonation and a finish that isn't as dry as you would expect it to be.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 02:44:44 | More by oline73

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

4.08/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A little bit of orange, red and auburn make up the color profile for this beer. Small offwhite head. 1/2" in depth I'd say.

Aroma was way hoppier than expected, waves of tropical citrus, caramel, orange, rind, grapefruit, and toastiness. A little bit of bitter alcohol wafting up to the nose as well.

Taste, delivered plenty of that citrus and caramel experience. Came on just as much like a double ipa as a barleywine, its all a matter of degrees I guess, and freshness. Plenty of caramel malt notes throughout it though. Sweet, toffee bitterness to it. Brown sugar and oranges.

Wicked funny name by the way, I got all drunk running around saying in a weak English accent "You see, this one here, this one goes to 11." Bummer we had to drink this one at Layne & Courtney's because El Dorado bar manager David Hurley decided to go back on a pre-approved bottle share situation, and lie to our face, because it was hurting his BMC sales receipts I guess. Don't support the El Dorado, they don't support beer, or honor their own word. We'll take our $$ elsewhere. Drink this beer instead. Respect beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 16:55:56 | More by Beerandraiderfan

arlingtonjoe

Illinois

4.19/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

a: reddish-orange coloring, light 1 finger cream colored head with decent lacing but beer will layer on glass as you drink.

s: pine, citrus, bread, molasses, and a little spice

t: a little citrus bite upfront followed by roasted caramel malt with a litlle fruit sweetness (maybe currant or raisin), finishing with a lasting resinous pine/rye aftertaste

m: smooth with medium carbonation and i love the resinous aftertaste

o: great beer, a little more intense when it was fresh but has held up well so far. seems to have traded some intensity for smoothness. look forward to trying it again in 3 months.
cheers

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 04:38:07 | More by arlingtonjoe

merc7186

New York

4.31/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle into pint glass.

A: Dark Amber Hue, Passes Some Light, White Head, Decent Lacing

S: Molasses, Sweet Bready Malts, Citrus

T: Cherries, Pineapple, Sweet Bready Malts, Piney

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Mildly Sweet, Mildly Drying

Overall, pretty solid for the style and you dont get the booziness at all with a beer of 11% ABV, that pretty impressive on its own.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 03:42:41 | More by merc7186

1up

District of Columbia

4.74/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into my Spiegelau tulip, dated 9/13/12.
A - Beautiful copper/amber color with red higihlights and amazingly thick, light brown head.
S - Smells really good, cherries, tropical fruit, pine/citrus, butterscotch, grass, small amount of alcohol.
T - very smooth, can barely taste any alcohol at 11%, amazing balance. Starts sweet and finishes slightly bitter.
M - full bodied for a hoppy red ale, very smooth.
O - One of the best hoppy red's I've had, better than G'Knight and right up there with Red Rocket from Bear Republic. I love hoppy red's the most when they have tons of malt like this one. Not as big of a fan of hop unbalanced beers. Even though it's 11% and thick I still found myself downing this pretty quickly. Too bad they don't make this all year long.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 03:27:24 | More by 1up

scottfrie

California

4.33/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle into snifter. Dated 9/13/2012. Thanks Jay!

A: Pours a lightly hazy deep golden amber with a finger of off-white head that faded rather quickly into a bubbly collar.
S: Citrus peel hop nose with hints of sweet flowers, perfume and pineapple. Maybe some honey or other sweet sugars as well.
T: Follows the nose with a powerful flavor profile. Flavors are strongly bitter yet sweet, like a strong ale mixed with a barleywine. Hop resin and pine sap dominate next to the sweeter flavors of the nose. Citrus, sap, pineapple, sweet honey and caramel.
M: Fluffy carbonation, soft bubbly and rich mouthfeel, solid bitterness, no alcohol burn, heavy body.
O: A really good brew, definitely a hoppy sipper. This definitely went to the 11. Thanks jbck109.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 01:04:30 | More by scottfrie

philbe311

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - A cascading late to develop fingers worth of crisp light khaki perfectly level froth with a couple of big chunky bubbles mixed in... Minimal retention gives way to a full veil of lacing and moderately thick collar... The color is a deep dark bronzish amber... A slight bit of moderate paced carbonation bubbles rising randomly throughout... A moderate bit of lacing clings to the glass...

S - A wonderful mix of subdued but inviting hoppiness and a potent malty sweetness... The hops take an a muted piney character... The malt base is outstanding... Dark fruit... Caramel... Toffee... Biscuit... Perhaps even a slight hint of brown sugar...

T - A decisive malt base takes forefront on the palette... Caramel... Dark fruits... Sweet breads... Crust... Brown sugar... These all combine for a fairly complex and enjoyable fist salvo... The hops come in the next wave and do nothing more than compliment the malty goodness... The take on a piney character and add additional depth and complexity... A very light bitterness lingers on the finish...

M - Medium to full bodied... Sturdy... Rich... Slightly sticky... A very sharp carbonated bite hits the tongue... Very satisfying...

D - Another Bell's success... A big time American Red Ale that is well balanced and rather complex... I love hoppy beers that have an assertive malt backbone and this one definitely fits the bill... Perhaps not my favorite Bell's anniversary brew (Batch 9000 is tough to beat), but not too far behind either...

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 02:35:30 | More by philbe311

Pencible

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: This poured a hazy dark copper with a little light tan head.
S: It smelled like oranges and nectarines, with some sweet honey and pear.
T: It tasted like orange and nectarines, with some sweet honey and sweet pear and a little pine. It had a clean and bittersweet aftertaste with a little alcohol warming.
M: It was somewhat thick with moderate carbonation. Nice full body.
D: This was a nice brew, reminiscent of Flying Mouflan, with clean and delicious scent and taste. The body was solid, and the finish was pretty smooth, although it was better to sip. Would probably age nicely, but it was fine fresh. Yum!

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 22:49:32 | More by Pencible

andrewjraab

Michigan

4.41/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A. Reddish amber with a thin line of creamy head.

S Fresh hop aroma, very oily with herbal and piney notes. Smells is amazing.

T. This is a phenomenal brew with nice juicy hop punch but has a firm malty backbone.

O. Drinks like an American double. This is a 5star recruit. I will pick this up again next year for sure.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 04:07:01 | More by andrewjraab

AgentMunky

California

4.21/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a twelve ounce bottle into a brandy snifter. Bottled 13 September 2012. Many thanks to xxcarpxx for the trade.

A: Gorgeous, ruddy auburn is lightly translucent and shines with tantalizing appeal. Light tan head is subdued, but leaves heavy and comprehensive lacing.

S: Mmmm. Bright hops, slightly sour fruit, supporting sweet-strong malt base. Intriguingly and enticingly floral. Otherwise, it smells much like other 'imperial reds' I've sample (e.g., G'Knight).

T/M: This is very good. It is not exceptional. But still...it is *very* good. The ABV is nearly undetectable, but the bitterness is welcome and omnipresent. Still, the balance is nigh impeccable, and voluminous, sweet malts mitigate the presumably high IBU. Perhaps a touch undercarbonated, but with an 11% ale, I'll turn a blind eye. The finish is hoppy, fruity, and intoxicating.

O: I love Bell's. I love this beer. Best brewery in America. That said, if you don't get your hands on one, don't work yourself into a lather. It's not THAT good. If you do, then gloat. Would drink again and again.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 04:54:36 | More by AgentMunky

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.43/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A : Poured a clear reddish, grapefruit like color with a nice off white creamy head. Head retention is good with spotty lacing.

S : Big hop aroma, wowzers. Did not expect this from this style. Toasted bread and light caramel behind a pungent array of hops: pine, citrus and flowers. Some alcohol in the nose but for 11% it's really subdued

.T: Light caramel malt backbone blended with some light bread and then wham. Clubber Lang hits yu with hops. Tropical fruits, pine needles and flowers sting the palate. A booze sting hits the palate. FInish is a tad hot, lightly sticky and somewhat sweet but nice and enjoyable

M: Well carbonated, medium bodied, sordove slick on the tongue, nice bitterness bites back

O: Very good.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 22:46:25 | More by barleywinefiend

iabeerbaron

Iowa

3.56/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A buddy of mine lucked into this beer at a Hy-Vee in Cedar Rapids. He saw it behind the counter and luckily the woman working had no clue that she wasn’t suppose to sell it and let him purchase a six pack of this beer and he was nice enough to share a bottle with me.

Categorized as an American Strong Ale or an Imperial Red This One Goes to 11 was rather obscure on the market this year. I know this beer comes with a hefty price tag but I do think a wider release of this beer would be great because this beer packed a ton of flavor and would be a definite buy again. Nice thick head with tons of lacing, the aroma of the centennial, simcoe, and mosiac hops stand out with grapefruit and citrus, followed nicely by the caramel and toasted aromas of the malts. Flavor resembles the aroma with a deceptively smooth finish.

Bells really brings their A game with this beer and they continue to impress with their limited release beers. Not as talked about as Hopslam is when it comes out, this beer should be on your list of beers to try, especially if you are into reds, ambers, or Belgian strongs, but watch out for that ABV, it can sneak up on you.

From the brewery:

“This One Goes to 11 Ale opens with bright, juicy aromas such as tropical fruits & ripe cherries, largely derived from massive kettle & dry-hop additions of Southern Hemisphere hop varieties such as Galaxy, Motueka, and Summer. The citrus & resinous pine notes of the Pacific Northwest hop family are also well represented, making their presence known through Simcoe, Citra, and the newly released Mosaic varietal, just to name a few. A wide range of specialty malts anchor the hops to this IMPERIAL RED ALE, contrasting the assertive bitterness & juicy aromatics with a robust, toasty depth of flavor. Fermented with Bell’s signature house ale yeast, This One Goes to 11 Ale finishes with a lingering warmth.”

REVIEW

STYLE: American Strong/Imperial Red

ABV:11%

PURCHASED AT: A Hy-Vee in Cedar Rapids.

Pour: Amber pour with a thick white head; great lacing on the glass.

Aroma: Grapefruit, caramel, toffee.

Taste: Very well balanced between the hops and malts, very drinkable for 11% beer.

Overall: B+

My Recommendation: Find it, try it. A great beer to try and if you are new to this style this is a good place to start.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 18:53:26 | More by iabeerbaron

SportsandJorts

Michigan

4.61/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Type: 12 oz bottle
Glass: Snifter
From: Main Street Liquor in Ann Arbor
Price: $19 a 6-pack

Appearance: deep orange color with a finger of foamy head. head receded to a bit of the lacing along the side.

Smell: some sweet malts and a bit of a strong hop presence

Taste: pretty strong citrus hops, caramel malts, a bit of fruits and alcohol. definitely a hoppy barleywine taste. the sweetness prevails in the taste but the bitterness of the hops comes in for the aftertaste. really well balanced flavors, very delicious

Mouthfeel: pretty heavy in body and a bit sticky. nice level of carbonation. this one will warm you up a bit.

Overall: This is a fantastic beer. I have been drinking them on occasion since the release. I enjoy in now that the hops have started to mellow out a bit. It really reveals a lot of taste that was previously masked by the hops. Can't wait to crack another one open after a bit more time to see what happens.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 18:17:46 | More by SportsandJorts

lonewolfcry

Minnesota

4.03/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Figured I better drink one sooner than later.
Missed the boat on the release and only found a single - my mistake.

A ~ Nice burnt orange, with maybe a half a finger of cream colored head which gave way fairly quick to just a whisper a round the edge. No lacing, but alcohol legs are there..
S ~ Toasted malts, a little booze, almost a little wine like.
I can't really pick up the hops too much on this as other people are.
T ~ I wish I would've tried this fresher, so I could compare what 4 months does to this beer.
Nice dark fruit taste, almost like a Belgium strong dark ale. Alcohol is definitely there (which is alright with me) and I get a little of what's left of the hops at the end.
M ~ Not a lot going - fairly thin & a little sticky.
O ~ I really like the taste of this one, and that's all that matters to me in the end.
Like I said...I wish I had some more.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 23:57:59 | More by lonewolfcry

barczar

Kentucky

3.95/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy amber brown with a quarter inch foamy cream head that dissipates fairly quickly, leaving thick lacing around the rim.

Toasted and fruity amber malt combines with light citrus hop notes, accompanied by a boozy note to form the aroma. Caramel, resin, and pine emerge late. Subtler than expected.

Flavor reveals more hop character. A fairly strong grapefruit note begins the lightly tart profile, leading into pretty sweet caramel and toasted, bready malt, finishing fairly bitter and resiny. Some of the amber malt fruitiness eventually comes through.

Body is moderate, slightly syrupy, with moderate carbonation and a lightly astringent finish. Alcohol warmth is present, but not overpowering.

I expected a little more. Pretty hoppy. Not as boozy as I feared.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2013 22:54:31 | More by barczar

portia99

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle (batch 11000 of course, packaged on 9/13/12) received as a great extra in a recent trade with apaisncsu. Thanks! Poured into a Dogfish Head signature glass.

A - Pours a rather hazy amber tinted brown color with a low half finger of off-white head that dies quickly leaving only a collar of foam and some traces of lacing on the glass.

S - Lots of malt aroma up front...rich caramel and toffee, traces of molasses, brown sugar, burnt sugar. A bit of an earthy character too. Hops give a slight orangey citrus note, but are more spicy over the top of the malt base. Smells quite barleywine-ish. This is going to be intense...as the name would imply.

T - Quite a bit of toasted malt up front complemented with some darker roasted malt flavors. Burnt sugar sits right beside the toast and complements nicely. Far less sweet than the aroma suggests. Nice hop bitterness that offsets the malt very well and gives a good, almost neutral balance to the flavor. There is plenty of caramel and toffee, but this strikes an even balance with the citrusy hop presence.

M - Full bodied with a mid level carbonation. Tingley, a touch sticky and syrupy...coats the lips and tongue after each sip. Earthy, sweet, citrusy bitter - excellent blend of flavors that work well together. Bitterness lingers past the swallow overpowering the caramel/toffee sweetness and taking control.

O - Allthough technically still an amber ale, I'd call this more of an American strong ale. Full bodied, full flavored and well balanced. Somewhere between a sipper and and a normal drinker. Alcohol is noticeable but really well contained and hidden a bit. Working well this afternoon watching some NFL playoffs.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 19:05:41 | More by portia99

cosmicevan

New York

3.85/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

big thanks to hanzo for tossing this my way i8n8 the LNBASS BIF. enjoyed from a bell's tulip.

a - brew poured a deep crimson amber orange with a thin off white head. beer is transparent and lacing is streaky.

s - despite the age of a few months, there is still a nice hop presence on the nose but the malt leads the way with some nice toasted biscuits. i tasted this one a few months back and there was a much stronger hop presence...but it has definitely held up. nice fruit medley and a mix and very barleywine-esque.

t - much like the nose, the flavor screams barleywine. lots of nice toasted malts. good amount of booze. caramel.

m - easy drinker for such a big beer. soft carbonation and fairly full bodied without being chewy.

o - overall, a very enjoyable beer. once i got adjusted to the booziness it was rather flavorful and enjoyable. very glad to have another taste, but from memory the hop has definitely faded on this so if you have this one, drink it up (unless you are a fan of the malt).

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 02:33:43 | More by cosmicevan

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle from Steve in Warren, he acquired about 4 months ago. Did not realize this bottle was at 11%. A presentable strong ale, with a good hop and toast aroma inviting me in. This reddish tinged and very heady and lacey offering had a sooth creamy mouthfeel. The hops are there in abundance, but not overally assertive. They linger on the palate. Sizable malt bill backing a big IBU. Good drinkability, the colder weather was appropriate to savor this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 20:09:15 | More by northyorksammy

RoamingGnome

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bells This one goes to 11 Ale

Poured from 12 ounce bottle into CBS snifter served chilled.

A) Cranberry red with a half finger of frothy head. The head dissipates quickly to just a collar, not much lacing noted, but some alcohol legs.

S) Caramel, some tropical fruit, bit of table sugar, and some booze. Pleasantly sweet....

T) This one definitely taste better to me as it warms up a little. Nice tropical fruit and a little bit of grass. The ingredients strike a good balance. The alcohol is definitely noticeable. Good aftertaste....

M) Full bodied with moderate carbonation this one starts out fairly lively on the palate but settles down and finishes rather smoothly. I'd described the finish as dry and slightly grassy.

O) I found this to be a very enjoyable imperial red ale. I'm glad I had the opportunity to try it, given it's limited distribution. However, all things considered, I'd still rather just drink a Lagunitas Lucky 13.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 04:37:37 | More by RoamingGnome

brewtus

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Copied from 10/20/2012 review

Pours a dark orange/ red with little head. I smell a bit of caramel, dark berries and citrusy hops. Taste starts off with a dry fruit flavor which kind of warms up before finishing with a smooth dry texture. I'm not one fore reds but this one is very good.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 00:07:46 | More by brewtus