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

PHKrames

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz Bottle at home

A-A rich amber color with a sligh cream colored head that vanished quickly

S-Very piney, some floral notes

T-Once again rather piney with a sweet finish

M-Medium bodied, very easy to drink

O-I had to double check the ABV on this as it was hidden very well. A decent hopped imperial red. A very good beer, but probably much better when fresh.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 03:51:21 | More by PHKrames

BeerGuyEsquire

Minnesota

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

No time for a full review. Overall this beer was good, but not great. The high ABV was not really evident, and was really hidden well by the extreme hop flavor. I recommend it, and I would drink it again. Similar to other Bell's beers in style, particularly their "no fear" in ramping up the flavor approach to american beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 00:59:44 | More by BeerGuyEsquire

billab914

Virginia

3.95/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into my Three Floyd's glass. Deep amber in color with a thin, sticky head to it. Nice lacing as I drank it.

Aroma has a resiny, citrus rind bitterness mixing with sugary, candied malts. It's got notes of caramel and pineapple to it. Interesting mix of flavors but they come together pretty well.

The taste shows a little more of the juicy hoppiness to it with notes of candied orange and pineapple. The finish has more of the bitter, citrus rind flavors coming out. Caramel sweetness plays a role throughout.

The mouthfeel is a little above medium bodied with carbonation being moderate. Overall, it was a pretty nice beer. It had a lot going on but it came together pretty well. The hoppiness was pretty good in it as well.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 00:55:12 | More by billab914

SkeeterBoganski

Colorado

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

Had this at the brewery and October; managed to bring back a six-pack and still loving up on the last of it.

A - red-orange haze; nice half-inch head; serious lacing and retention; calm present carbonation

S - sweet sweet hops; caramel and resin; citrus and grapefruit; hints of booze

T - I'm pretty sure this is the best 'imperial Red' I've ever had; citrusy; caramel; sweet bread; really hoppy; piney; a bit of orange

M - really syrupy; medium bodied; sticky; smooth; perfect carbonation; crispy with the hop-carb bite

O - again, this is really one of my favorite beers in a style of imperial red/red ipa/whatever you'd love to call it; it's hoppy, it's sweet; it's smooth and bitey with a nice syrupy pine richness that stays through and through. Love the 11% and the flavor complements the booze content well.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 23:41:58 | More by SkeeterBoganski

CuriousMonk

Virginia

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

Poured from 12oz bottle into a tulip glass. Dark amber pour with a tall, frothy tan head. Strong hop resins, fresh cut pine, citrus fruit, caramel and tropical fruit make up the aroma. Taste is big pine, floral hops, citrus oils, tropical fruit, chewy malt and rich caramel. Body is medium-full and very chewy with lots of resinous notes amongst the dense, creamy carbonation. Lingering hop bitterness throughout this one. Finishes with more rich caramel, chewy malt, strong pine, hops resins, tropical fruit notes and citrus oils. It is a complex and bold DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 19:00:28 | More by CuriousMonk

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

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

Deep reddish amber with hick haze. Small level off-white head, which quickly turns into a dusting.

Huge fruity sweet aroma, easily sensed at arm's length.

A splash of caramel sweetness coats the tongue. Plenty of semi-sweet malt depth too. Juicy fruit. Bitter nip that lingers with the fruit in the afterglow.

Medium plus body, though short of chewy.

An imperial red with big malt, but a good dose of hops too. Worth trying and savoring.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 05:48:36 | More by RonfromJersey

hardy008

Minnesota

4.28/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours clear copper with a one finger off white head with fair retention, and decent lacing. Smells like citrus, pine, and caramel.

There is a good amount of citrus, citrus zest, and caramel malt in the taste. If is more sweet than bitter, but there is enough bitterness to keep the sweetness under control. A very nice, and well balanced tasting beer.

Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation, and the alcohol is well hidden, especially for an 11% abv beer. A very nice beer from Bell's.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 03:44:12 | More by hardy008

JayQue

Virginia

4.23/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is just what an Imperial Red Ale should be. Big sweet caramel malt presence. Good hoppy finish that in no way detracts from the malty dominant flavor. There is also a good alcohol bite. THe flavors balance...Just right.

Looks good, nice head, thick lacing. Head retention good for an 11% beer. Aroma is strong, includes sweet malts and hoppiness.

Taste is really good...just right for an Imperial Red Ale, not too sweet.

Mouthfeel is rich and crisp.

Overall, a good drinking experience.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 03:38:57 | More by JayQue

cquinn17

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz poured into a New Belgium Globe

A- Really pretty. Darkest orange/red possible, almost brown. Finger of white head which recedes quickly.

S- Some citrusy hops, sweet, bready malts and alcohol at the very end of the whiff. Smells like a hop forward imperial red.

T- Pine and citrus hops with a nice finish. Just a solid hop taste really. They don't come out as much as I expected them to, but that could be a freshness issue I guess.

M- Good carbonation, solid grip on the back of the mouth with a very dry finish.

O- I wish I would've had this when it was fresher. The hops have definitely faded but its still a solid imperial red.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 05:39:09 | More by cquinn17

rsenters29

Michigan

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

I just "LOVE" the smooth taste of everything goes to 11 ale,it is of those Imperial Red Ale that you can simply enjoy with it's sweet aroma's as it is deep,sturdy and vigorus as it balances well when compared to others likewise,so that is why this one list as one of my favorite beers bells brews!

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 03:26:31 | More by rsenters29

gcamparone

Rhode Island

3.78/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass. Thanks surge1311 for hooking me up with this as a bonus bottle!

A- Pours a slightly hazy amber body with a thinnish white head that reduces slowly and leaves some blotchy lacing.

S- Bread, caramel, toffee. Slight hop characteristic in the background. The aroma isn't very strong.

T- Sweet malty caramel, fresh coffee beans, toffee. Ends with a resinous pine flavor and a boozy warming feeling. The booze is quite apparent.

M- Medium carbonation, medium-heavy body.

This brew was slightly unbalanced in my opinion. It was on the sweet side, and the hops that were present didn't really mesh well with the big malt backbone. The booze was somewhat cloying and didn't really fit either.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 21:39:22 | More by gcamparone

ThePorterSorter

New York

3.95/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Big thanks to Tom for sharing this
The beer pours a clear burnt orange with a quarter inch of fluffy tan head. For an 11% amber teeming with hop oils...I'm impressed by how long the head holds on and laces. The nose is indistinctly hoppy with a touch of caramel and alcohol. It smells syrupy sweet and is definitely borderline barleywine in comparison to nugget nectar. The taste is potently bitter, boozy, with caramelized sugars on the back end. Guava and pineapple are the first fruits that come to mind. It's a full bodied, smooth drinking, evening sipper that's frankly over the top. A thick coating of sweetness and bitterness sit on my palate for minutes after each sip, drawing salivary fluids down to wash away and dilute this monster sipper. This beer was definitely worth trying, but is too aggressive and potent to be a favorite.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 23:17:32 | More by ThePorterSorter

mfnmbvp

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle, bottled on date listed as 09/13/2012 so this is a fairly fresh brew, chillin for about three months in the bottle.

A - Pours a dark robust reddish copper color with about one finger of head.

S - Smells delicious, wonderful hop presence. This smells like an extremely tasty imperial red ale.

T - Mmmmm, once again, wonderful presence of the hops abound. Extremely bitter, but it doesn't make you recoil in terror. This is definitely a hophead's beer. Maybe just a slight hotness at the end from this beer's nice 11% abv.

M - Great mouthfeel, resinous sticky hop taste lingers around for a minute, with again some more hotness. Does not taste like an 11% beer though at all. This brew is dangerously smooth.

Overall, this is definitely a beer worth checking out. Very well made, high alcohol content is masked pretty well, this is definitely a beer you won't want very many of. Very glad I was able to pick one of these up, a little expensive, but definitely worth it.

Bell's This One Goes To 11 Ale ---4.5/5

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 22:38:44 | More by mfnmbvp

Holland

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Big thanks to thegoon55 for sending me this!

A: clear orange to amber color, but lighter than Bell's Amber or any other "amber ale" I've had according to my memory. Soft looking head leaves most of the top covered.

S: huge hop smell from citrus to pine sap, along with almost as big of a malty sweet smell with slightly toasted sugar.

T: way more malt-based than I thought it would be due to the smell, but it still has some great bitterness and pine resin flavors from the hops to balance it. Some alcohol is present as it warms.

M: big body with a perfect amount of carbonation makes this feel deliciously smooth and still allows the bitterness to come through sharply with the carbonation.

O: very good beer, but I wish I found it when it was fresh. Still, happy I was able to check it off the list.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 00:44:12 | More by Holland

trxxpaxxs

New York

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

Big thanks to a few different people for sending this to me recently...

A: Pours a great red/orange with about one and a half fingers of off-white head. The foam settles fairly quickly, and leaves some spotty lacing as it drinks.

S: The nose is strong hops with lemony citrus shining through. But there is a solid malt presence in there as well. Smells really nice.

T: It starts out with an initial hit of citrus hops, but the malt starts to develop right after. The malt and hops mix well together, but near the finish the abv starts to make itself known. The finish is malty and boozy.

M: Full bodied beer. This beer is wet to start, but turns sticky and coats the palate. It linger for a bit and slowly slides off.

O: I really enjoy this beer. And to be perfectly honest, if you had told me this is 11% abv, I wouldn't believe you. It's incredibly easy to drink for such a "big" beer. Solid stuff. Will drink again.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 21:03:21 | More by trxxpaxxs

Vonerichs

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hazy reddish orange body with a nice foamy head. Spotty lacing.

The initial smell is bubble gum and tropical fruits. Unfortunately, it's followed by a strange vegetal aroma that smells like something organic decomposing.

Bubble gum, pine, and grapefruit with a sweet backbone.

Mouthfeel is medium, a little sticky, and low carbonation.

This was a good beer that I feel is similar to the oracle and double trouble.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 02:12:36 | More by Vonerichs

Bierguy5

Ohio

4.18/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle. Hazy red, copper color with a decent white cap. Head disappears quickly, but leaves a thing ring and some nice patches of lace.

Lots of hop aroma here! Grapefruit and pine jump out at first. Sugary, ripe tropical fruits as well. Malt is present in the nose as well, robust.

Great malt up front. Some caramel and almost toffee. Some sweetness, but the hops come in to take over. Lots of pine, slightly herbal and tropical. Bitterness is sharp, but lingers for a while. Nothing overwhelming.

Medium to full body, with softer carbonation. Some warmth from alcohol. This is a very nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 01:17:20 | More by Bierguy5

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a tulip glass. Huge thanks go to Stakem for hooking me up with a bottle of this.

Pours a clear dark copper, with 2 fingers of rich off-white head. This maintains a solid ½ finger or so of robust froth, which leaves back sudsy lacing that sticks to the sides of the glass. The aroma smells of zesty grapefruit, pine and herbs, with maltier backing notes of sweet caramel, some darker roast and then maybe even a smidge of brown sugar character. The high alcohol definitely gives this some power in the nose.

The taste has strong hop bitterness to it, with an equally strong resinous feel along for the ride as well. A sticky burnt sweetness hangs on the edges of the profile, trying its best to balance things and then eventually leaving behind a charred backend that lingers along with some leftover bitterness and pine from the hops. The mouthfeel is fuller bodied, with a pretty lively sharpness to the carbonation that eventually does lessen some along the back and plenty of oiliness from the hops helps keep this on the smoother side as well. That 11% ABV is here and while not overly hot feeling, it does jack the intensity of this up a few levels.

I like me a good Imperial Red Ale and this one didn’t disappoint. Lots of aggressive flavors to this and the alcohol, while high, never did become overly intrusive here but instead really cranked things up to a solidly assertive degree. Nicely done.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 18:05:29 | More by Kegatron

prototypic

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This One Goes to 11 pours an attractive reddish, copper color. It’s mostly clear. Backlighting gives it a really nice scarlet or garnet look. An off-white head tops it off. It’s modest and rises to about half a finger in height. It also dissipates quickly. Maybe the abv is a bit too high for it to survive. Lacing was light and spotty. Color looks good!

The nose is impressive. It kicks off with a nice, sweet caramel malt scent. A bit of toasted, bread-like malty notes follow. It smells like a nice, sturdy base. It’s quickly followed by a rush of citric hops. Grapefruit, orange, and mango are all noted. There are some piney, sprucey notes, but they’re secondary to the citrus notes. On the tail, it smells a little medicinal and features a cherry note. Alcohol is rather prominent. 11%? Yeah, I’ll buy that.

The flavor is really good. This is a nice imperial red ale. The malt base is sweet and a little sugary. Caramel and toffee flavors are most notable. There are some toasted and bready malt flavors that follow, but they’re somewhat subtle. Hops are strong and flavorful! They’re mostly citric. Grapefruit, orange, and mango flavors are abundant. Light piney notes follow. It’s a little bitter, but the malts provide quite a bit of balance. Alcohol is definitely noted. It’s there in flavor, but isn’t warm or hot. Finishes malty with a lot of delicious hop flavor.

This One Goes to 11 has a medium body. Carbonation is relatively light and soft. It feels quite smooth going down. In terms of drinkability, it feels big and strong. It’s a bit of a sipper. The 12 oz. serving size is perfect. More would be quite a challenge.

I’ll admit…I’m a Spinal Tap fan. Everything about this beer brings a smile to my face, including the name and the label. In terms of the beer, it’s damn tasty and is chock full of delicious hop flavor. My only gripe is that it’s a bit too big, but smaller would not be consistent with Spinal Tap. This is all about big and bold! Good stuff. Find a bottle or two.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 05:00:48 | More by prototypic

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

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

Pours a small hazy orange-ish to amber color with a light tan head. In the aroma, dry orange citrus rind hops. In the taste, dry orange citrus to grapefruit citrus hops. A small hop bite and a medium bodied mouthfeel, with a dry citrus and a small caramel like malt in the aftertaste. Nice hops, small malt balance, and quite enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 16:51:56 | More by OWSLEY069

mdaschaf

Washington

4.03/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at Bells, review from notes.

A: Pours an orange/copper color with a one finger off-white head on top. Nice head retention, with a small cap sticking around for a while. Thin lacing forms down the sides.

S: Surprisingly hoppy, very floral with some light fruit and a bit of pine. Nice caramel aromas on the back end.

T: Similarly hoppy with some nice citrus upfront, a bit of zest, and some earthy/grassy hops. More caramel and a bit of brown sugar as well.

M: Medium to full bodied with medium carbonation.

O: Really liked this one quite a bit, liked how assertive the hops were.

Serving type: on-tap

11-22-2012 15:13:41 | More by mdaschaf

Auror

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Hardywood Park tulip glass. Both beer and glass courtesy of a trade with RyanBeer13.

Appearance- Pours with a good sized head that recedes to a small persistent layer. Decent retention. Below average lacing levels. Beautiful reddish amber, maybe some shade of sierra color.

Smell- Sweet malts, caramel, hops, lemon peel, a whiff of alcohol. Nose is a bit weak.

Taste- There's some initial malty sweetness that gives way to a bitter hop finish. Hops becoming more bitter as I drink. Alcohol warmth evident, especially as the beer warms. Lacking complexity.

Mouthfeel- Nice medium body. Carbonation is a bit on the low end. Alcohol present.

Overall- I liked the concept (and Spinal Tap is a great movie), but this beer is a bit of a miss for me. It's somewhere in-between a barleywine and an imperial amber, but not much of the positives of either. Too boozy as well.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 06:09:10 | More by Auror

JohnnyHopps

Indiana

3.9/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass from the bottle, the ale was tinted red though it showed hints of gold in the color. Only a slight head with little apparent lacing in the glass. A mild hoppy aroma was apparent initially. Then I actually was able to smell the alcohol. This beer does have an ABV of 11%, but I still think being able to smell the potency of alcohol is a little unusual. Any aroma was fairly mild. Pine and the citra hops were readily available in the initial taste. The hops opened doors to citrus fruits like grapefruit and lime. A tart maltiness laid in the background to remind drinker that this a red ale first and foremost. In the aftertaste, the hops proceed to a nice warming sensation while the bitter citrus of the hops linger on the tongue. With my pint glass half empty, I am starting to feel this one and its 11% ABV a little bit. I enjoyed the citrus notes, but wished the beer had a stronger backbone to support the hops. I believe it would make this beer go down a little smoother.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 02:58:23 | More by JohnnyHopps

ElderPuma

Wisconsin

4.13/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Deep copper/orange/red colored beer with a finger of off white head. Rather transparent, crisp and very clean looking. A beautiful looking beer, perfect for the style. If it would have laced down the glass it would have scored a 5.

The aroma is as awesome as the appearance. Great floral hop aroma, most likely cascade or centennial but not too overpowering and balanced with a caramel malt backbone. The beer smells amazing, my perfect idea of what this style should be.

The flavor is very complex and includes a strong malt backbone balance by an equally strong bitter hop flavor melded with the resiny flavor. There is just a touch of heat near the end but nowhere near the amount that one might expect from an 11% ABV.

Mouthfeel is a bit to be desired as the beer is just a bit too thick and resiny. I can live with some thickness due to a high FG needed to get to the big ABV, but when matched with the extra resinous hop feel this one just gets a bit too thick. In addition, the carbonation is very high and could have been toned down a bit.

All in all it is a great beer but would have been near perfect if the mouthfeel was not so thick and viscous and the carbonation was toned down and not nearly as overly champagne like.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 01:31:59 | More by ElderPuma