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

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From: Friar Tuck's, Savoy, IL
Date: Bottled 9/13/2012
Glass: Tulip

Bell's This One Goes to 11 is an imperial red ale that makes its ethanol content known, despite trying to hide it behind its hop content. The beer has an above average aroma and flavor, but not too much so, as the ethanol tends to overtake and crowd out the more flavorful and satisfying elements of the beer (I'm not drinking a beer simply because it contains alcohol). The body is substantial and satisfying, yet interestingly oily from the hops; still, the ethanol manages to cause enough of a burn to make this unpleasant as well. In general, the beer could turn down its dial a few notches and be all the better for itself: the 11% ABV isn't its strong suit. While I didn't mind this, a bottle or two would have been adequate; similarly, I don't really feel a need to revisit this in the future.

Pours a tall, 2cm head of beige foam that has above average retention (especially for the ethanol content) and is composed of small and medium-sized bubbles. The head has about average retention, eventually descending to a thick ring around the perimeter of the glass with a few small islands of lace atop the body. Lacing is above average, but not spectacular, somewhat substantial in design in a few parts, but mostly lines and spots along the sides of the glass. Body is a deep amber red color, hazy, but still somewhat transparent, with light bringing out lighter orange and red hues. Carbonation is visible, plentiful, and moderately active.

When cold, this has a nice, rich grapefruit aroma. As the beer warms, a bit of pine resin smell becomes noticeable, the grapefruit scent decreases, and the caramel malt body becomes apparent. Warming a bit further, sharp, spicy ethanol mixes primarily with the malt sweetness, and the hops drop out. Would have been quite nice if the ethanol were a bit lower.

Overall flavor is of grapefruit and bitter hops early on, with a touch of pine resin, which quickly becomes overrun by ethanol spiciness and flavor from the mid-palate forwards. Tasting opens with modest caramel malt sweetness, which is quickly eclipsed by grapefruit-like hop bitterness and a bit of pine resin-like flavor. This continues, fairly pleasantly, until slightly past the middle of the mid-palate, when the ethanol is first tasted and felt. Ethanol dominance is maintained from this point forward: instead of getting a clean kick of bitterness at close, there's spicy and somewhat harsh alcohol with malt sweetness and grapefruit hop flavor in the background. Lingering aftertaste of ethanol and lesser traces of bittering hops and malt sweetness. While not as harsh as Revelry, This One Goes to 11 is still somewhat too aggressive with its ethanol for the malt and hop character of the beer. What is perhaps worse is that the ethanol lingers long, influencing the flavor of each sip, each one becoming more ethanol-tasting than the last.

Beer is medium-heavy to heavy bodied, with medium-level carbonation for the heaviness, resulting in a slightly fizzy feel at first, gradually reducing to a slightly foamy and smooth mouthfeel. The hop resins and oils present enhance the smoothness and make this somewhat oily and slick. Ethanol is easily felt on tongue, back of throat, within nostrils, and lingers long after each sip: fairly disappointing. Modest stickiness remains on palate and lips after each sip.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 05:54:01 | More by falloutsnow

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facundoCNB

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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

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3.5/5  rDev -16.1%

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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

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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