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

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

TCgoalie

Michigan

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

A small snifter holds this exciting brew. Hues of peach and burnt red compliment the glass alongside a small frothy head. While drinking, some lacing appears.

Candied sugar, pineapple, pine, and toasted malts meld into a wonderful aroma. Agitating the brew brings out the pine and fruit smells.

Malt heavy is the most simple way to describe the taste. Past that, toasty biscuits, pine sap, buttery caramel, and some heat in the end round out the flavors.

A lot of bitterness lingers in the mouth with a lot of drying once swallowed.

I was excited to try this and must say it is pretty unique. I would love to try this with a few more months under it's belt.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 04:41:12 | More by TCgoalie

superspak

Michigan

4.2/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 9/13/2012. Pours hazy reddish orange color with a 1 finger dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Spotty soapy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of grapefruit, caramel, orange, pine, pineapple, citrus rind, herbal, floral, grass, toast, bread, and earthy spiciness. Excellent aromas with nice balance and complexity. Taste of grapefruit, orange, pineapple, caramel, toast, bread, herbal, floral, pine resin, citrus rind, and piney spiciness. Good amount of piney bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, caramel, toast, bread, pine, citrus rind, floral, and herbal spiciness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice flavor balance and complexity; good malt/bitterness balance; zero cloying flavors on the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a fairly creamy, slick, and sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a highly excellent imperial red ale. Great hop flavor profile with nice malt balance; very smooth to sip on for an 11% beer. Really enjoyed this one, glad I have a few more.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 03:56:54 | More by superspak

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

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

12oz bottle into a tall tulip

A: Pours a clear amber color with three fingers of dense off white head. Retention is great.

S: Lots of citrus and piney hops here supported by a nice caramel sweetness. I also get some cocoa nibs in the background. Very well balanced sweetness and bitterness here with a nice array of flavors.

T: Caramel sweetness mixes with bready malts to create a nice malt complexity here. The beer never gets too sweet as a nice citrus hop flavor and hop bitterness keeps it in balance. This is obviously a big beer - the malt and hop flavor is huge.

M: Thick mouthfeel with strong but appropriate carbonation.

O: This is a huge beer. Big caramel sweetness and bready malts mixed well with lots of citrus hops. Booze is there, but very low for 11%. For an "American Amber," this is amazingly flavorful, yet well balanced. This is more like a Barleywine, though.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 02:20:04 | More by coreyfmcdonald

drabmuh

Maryland

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

Served in the new Bell's stemmed tulip. Beer is brownish and mostly clear with a thin tan head of small bubbles, some lacing, low carbonation, low retention.

Aroma is mildly hoppy (wasn't expecting that) and sort of brown sugar / malty.

People have been telling me for a few weeks how bad this beer is and that's just not true. It isn't great but for an 11% beer is sure hides it well. Medium in body and sweet throughout, an interesting beer with a decent finish. Not great but decent. One was probably enough but I wouldn't turn down another one.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 19:52:52 | More by drabmuh

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Walter Payton shaker pint glass.

Is there anything Spinal Tap can't do (other than find the stage in certain arenas)? This stuff pours a clear orange-russet topped by a finger of dusty off-white foam. The nose comprises bright grapefruit zest (mostly yellow, but there's some ruby red in there, too), mandarin orange flesh, mild pine resin, light caramel, and a kiss of pineapple. The taste holds notes of ruby red grapefruit zest, yellow grapefruit rind, orange rind, light toffee, even lighter biscuit, sharp pine resin, and a touch of banana peel. All of the hops are bright, but the fruit comes across a touch too rind-y, too bitter for full enjoyment to take place. Still pretty damn solid, though. The body is a lithe medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a drying finish. Overall, a very nice imperial red, one that brings the bitterness to a horizon of strength without pushing it over it (a la Palate Wrecker or some other such nonsense). Not bad at all.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 04:13:51 | More by TMoney2591

Neorebel

New Jersey

4.48/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

'This One Goes To 11' is a moderately dark amber color, and translucent, topped with a cream colored head. Very enticing. The large bubbles seem to hold themselves in place at about 1/2" high. For the aroma, this is one of the most juicy-sweet, delicious smelling beers my nose has ever had the pleasure of inhaling. This is of course thanks to the fact that this is super fresh. Very sweet candied malts, pineapple, grapefruit, and resinous hop notes are jumping out at me. A bit of cider as well. One sip was all I needed to be convinced that this beer was really 'turned up to 11!' At first the piny, resinous hop profile is the most noticeable thing, but as the somewhat sticky proverbial consistency of the beer coats my mouth I am greeted by the sweet malt backbone, which is reminiscent of caramel and apples. Although the beer is big, and dialed up to 11 in all aspects, each part of it matches the other, so ultimately I would say it is a balanced beer. The 11% ABV is rather noticeable to me, so expect a wallop of warming sensations! This is labeled as an Imperial Red, so definitely hop-heads and fans of Troegs Nugget Nectar, Speakeasy Prohibition, Full Sail Imperial Red, many of Lagunitas beers, as well as fans of Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale, Bell's Two-Hearted Ale, Rye Beers, and Founders Pale Ale take notice!

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 00:30:31 | More by Neorebel

jaasen64

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle thanks to thebigredone. Poured into Founders snifter. Packaged 9/13/12 (almost two months old), 11,000th batch.

A- Pours a translucent dark mahogony cherry reddish brown with a quarter finger of white head that dissipates to no head fairly fast. Not overly carbonated, but does have consistently rising carbonation bubbles.

S- Grassy hops, a hint of citrus hops, caramel malts, and a hint of booze. I can tell a little bit of the hops have started to fade at this point, but the aroma is still fairly pleasant.

T- Light citrusy grassy hops that are dominated a little bit more by a strong sweet malty presence of toffee and some light bready caramel that lingers on the tongue and lips. Again I can tell the hops have started to fade a bit and the malt presence is taking over. I imagine this beer might have tasted a little bit better with some more pronounced hops.

M- Smooth, fairly low carbonation, a little bit of alcohol bite but not bad at all for 11%, fairly nice drinkability.

O- This is a pretty high abv for an amber ale. At this point it is drinking a little bit maltier then hoppy (although the hops are still definitely present), I imagine if trying this fresh the hops would have given it a little bit more citrusy flavor while balancing out the sweet malts and hiding a little bit more of the alcohol. I could see this turning into a fairly decent barleywine, but I'm not sure if I would take the effort of aging it. Overall it was decent, interesting to try, easy drinking, but nothing overwhelmingly spectacular.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 23:54:34 | More by jaasen64

sweemzander

Illinois

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

12oz bottle poured into a taster glass.

(A)- Pours a clear amber color. Some white froth and lace formed.

(S)- Tons of sweet citrus and subtle roasted bits. It is actually barleywine-like.

(T)- Very hop forward with tons and tons of bitter citrus, and extremely sweet malts.

(M)- A good carbonation level. A massive but solid balance to it albeit a huge hop profile.

(O)- Overall, this is a fun beer to try. Easily the strongest American Red ale I have ever had; its really more like a barleywine for me than anything, so I am going to see what some time does to this; might help tone down some of the hops to create a better balance.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 19:47:31 | More by sweemzander

GPHarris

Alabama

4.55/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

a - poured a one finger thick bubbly tan head into a tulip glass that left good lacing throughout. the body was a bright amber color.
s - very complex nose of caramel and toffee malts with piney and floral hops.
t - big malty backbone with some nice pine and floral hops.
m - big and chewy.
o - this is a phenomenal beer that is delicious fresh but i could see it become almost american barleywineish with a year of age. i doubt any of mine will make it that far though.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 15:33:59 | More by GPHarris

ncfranklin

Alabama

3.85/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a snifter. Date of 09/13/12.

A: Pretty deep copper. Very small off-tan head recedes to just a small ring with some light lacing. Simple, but vicious looking.

S: Hops all over. Spicy, piney, resiny. Only the lightest nose of the caramel malt trying to fight through.

T: Hm. Sweeter than the nose would first suggest. Caramel and biscuity malt is rich, with notes of toffee and sweet sugar. Hops are back-ended with piney and resiny character. Never very really dominant, but provides a nice balance.

M: Definitly full on the body. Very tacky and chewy in the gums.

O: Very interesting brew overall. Kinda a barleywine, but complex in it's hop bite and not too sweet. An intense ale on it's highly hidden alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 03:31:57 | More by ncfranklin

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.18/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks Adam.

The beer is a pretty amber hue, appearing transparent. The head is about an inch thick and leaves a thick ringlet of lace around the pint glass. The aroma offers a large malt bill, followed by pine, resin, hops, alcohol. Slightly fruity in the one as well. The taste, unfortunately, is dominated by alcohol. Hop, malt, and fruity malt flavors are steamrolled by a tidal wave of booze. Medium to full bodied with resinous hops sticking to the palate. Lingering alcoholic heat. Not a repeat for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 01:23:15 | More by Huhzubendah

chugalug06

Colorado

4.7/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Very easy going, quickly growing, yet calm, foamy, yellow tinted, head. Brew is pretty hazy amber color.

Awesome Simcoe nose on this brew. Caramel and toffee also stand out. Mildly over hopped for the style, but I'll let it slide.

Amazing flavor for being 11%... No heat. Great, malty, sweet-bitterness. Nothing is overwhelming. Toffee is prevalent along side bread-y caramel. Carbonation is high and back side alcohol is (slightly) detectable.

Uh-oh, this one goes down FAST. A killer brew from Bell's. I'm not sure I could picture a much better 11,000th batch... Congrats Bell's, keep 'em coming... Now, ship to COLORADO, please!!!

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 01:33:49 | More by chugalug06

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

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

Thanks to the BAer who brought this to the Nov. '12 Philly 'burbs bottle share.

Nice reference. (It's Spinal Tap, for you damn kids who don't know anything.) Rusty brown color, pretty clear, with a foamy white head that receded to a ringlet, leaving a bit of lacing behind on my Stone sampler glass. Good mix in the aroma of bready crystal malts and fruity hops. Taste is similar, toasted bread, sweet malts, caramel, citrus and a bit of tropical fruit, slightly herbal and not too bitter. The hops take control ultimately. Medium body, and quite drinkable, with the higher ABV pretty well-hidden. I'd like to try this one again when it's not surrounded by stouts and sours, but it was a good one nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 08:49:03 | More by Rifugium

mynie

Indiana

3.88/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

One time I found myself stranded in a hotel parking lot in Hammond, Indiana. It was Dark Lord Morning, my asshole friends had left without me, and it was apparent that the cab I had summoned and hour and half before wasn't ever coming to get me. But then I see these guys loading a hatchback up with beer. Figuring they're going to the fest, I play nice and ask if I can come along. They say sure, hop in.

Turns out they were Bell's employees, including one of Larry Bell's kids (daughter, maybe?), and they were as nice as could be. They said they had a keg of batch 9000 in the trunk.

"Wow, I still haven't opened my sixer," I said.

"Th-that's probably a good thing. Let is sit for a while," said a dude.

"Like, a few years," said another, and they all laughed.

So here we are 2.5 years later and that sixer is still unopened. And, jeez, we're already two thousand batches past that one! A-and the reason I didn't buy any batch 10k--didn't even bother to read about it, as a matter of fact--was because I'm tired of aging beer, there's only so much room in my cellar. So when the dude at the liquor store told me this one was ready to drink, I was cautious but optimistic.

Chalice pour, thick and fizless. Dark red with a tiny white cap.

Smells... surprisngly tame. Like a really thick, hoppy imperial red. Nodes of melon, rusty barley, and pine.

Tastes like a fresh hop cone. At first. Then it settles down into more of a regular impy red, bordering on a double IPA. Thick, syrupy caramel malt mingles with large nodes of citrus and pine, and while everything is good it ain't exactly expertly allayed.

So... age it? Maybe? It's pretty good--certainly drinkable--but not really much of a big milestone beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 07:14:57 | More by mynie

jmarsh123

Indiana

3.58/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to beesy for my test bottle of this!

Pours deep amber with a creamy 2 finger off white head. Very sticky lacing down the glass.

Aggressively hopped in the nose. Sweet citrus hops along with a load of resin. Booze is a bit present in the nose and a rich caramel aroma as well.

Tastes like candy coated hops. Tropical fruit and citrus up front lead into a heavy caramel presence and a sting of booze. Finishes with super resin and grapefruit leaving a stinging afterbite of hops and alcohol.

Medium bodied with medium carbonation levels. Booze is a little bit too present, but not completely over the top.

Enjoyable beer, but yet again a hoppy offering has exceeded my palate's ABV and the booze detracts a bit from the overall flavor. Not sure if this one will be any good or a complete mess with a little time, but I'll cellar one to see.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 17:45:51 | More by jmarsh123

peabody

Kentucky

3.3/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This one probably needs to sit a while. Pours out a slightly brown with not a lot of bubbles. Lacing for sure though.
Smell is dates and bread with some raisin and alcohol.
Taste is very warm with alcohol first then the malt and sugars. Kind of one sided as I couldn't get the "red" in this brew.
Mouthfeel is very sticky and boozy. Needs some time to 'cure' some.
Overall I didn't get much out of this one. Just a really boozy sugar malt concotion.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 01:47:36 | More by peabody

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

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

This poured out as a deep amber color with very little head on top. For as little of a head on top there was a decent amount of lacing. Pretty impressive. The smell of the beer is hoppy, it's got a light amount of bold malt and hops on the nose. The taste of the beer is hoppy, it's got a solid bitterness to it with a decent toasted malt backbone. The mouthfeel was thick, heavy body and gently carbonated. Overall this beer was pretty damn good, glad I was able to finally try it after reading all the hype about it.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 20:50:07 | More by Knapp85

TheQuietMan22

Iowa

4.48/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The “PKGD” date is “09/13/12.”

Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is medium copper. A finger of eggshell-colored head dissipated to leave a lacing and ring around the edge.

Smell: Resinous pine, invigorating citrus (grapefruit, tangerine, orange), tropical fruit, caramel, and toffee.

Taste: The pine, citrus, and tropical fruit are most prominent but are balanced by the maltier components. The hoppiness is not intense but there is a boozy sting. The mouthfeel is thick and creamy.

Drinkability: Superb. It is a touch boozy but is well-crafted; the aromas and flavors stand out as unique to the style.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 04:34:52 | More by TheQuietMan22

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

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

A - Pours a really clear, bright medium to dark amber color, nice off white creamy foam settles to an even layer with sticky lacing.

S - Toasted caramel/toffee sits behind an aggressive wall of sweet & resiny, fruity hop rinds. Some alcohol in the nose but for 11% it's really subdued.

T - Toasted candy caramel malt gives way to light tropical fruit resin, a little bit of dark fruit and finishes with a grapefruit and pine bite. There is a lemon zest that eventually works it way out and becomes more evident in the aftertaste and coats the mouth.

M - Creamy smooth body, thick body, oily, slick, and lightly sticky on the lips.

O - This is a beer I've been really wanting to try. It's a little deceiving because the initial aroma comes across with more fruit resin and low alcohol while the palate experience is totally opposite. It would be interesting to set a few bottles aside and see how this one ages. It's a really big beer, tastes really good with a moderate amount of alcohol effervescence. I'd rate this one higher if the alcohol presence were less intense and the resinous aroma translated to the same experience on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 23:57:34 | More by jzeilinger

Brent

Kentucky

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

Nice to see an entry in the over-the-top category of American Amber ales. Pour was a nice ruby leaning toward caramel. Hopping is aggressive, with a raw hop cone note up front, sliding through into a more sophisticated bittering toward the middle. Some malt sweetness, but it is vastly overshadowed by the hops. A little white pepper from the alcohol, but the relatively big ABV is carried through without much heat. Overall, a very nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 21:40:46 | More by Brent

babaracas

Florida

4.2/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy orange-tinted red with one finger of khaki colored foam that settles to a thin ring, a few blobs of lace left haphazardly on the glass. Smell: grapefruit blast, caramel, lightly toasted, candied citrus peel and a thought of dried tropical fruit. Taste: sugared grapefruit, caramel, candied lemon peel, fleeting toasted bread note, dried dark fruit sweetness. Medium bodied, creamy feel very slightly cut by alcohol, which otherwise stays pretty well hidden for 11%. Bottled 9/13/2012. Pretty delicious. On one hand, this might be an amazing barleywine; on the other, it could relate to a significantly higher abv CCB Tocabaga, so assigning numbers is an odd process.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 06:11:36 | More by babaracas

gatornation

Minnesota

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

from 12 oz bottle

A-pours a deep garnet color with a 2 finger khaki head fresh collar and lacing

S- sweet malts toffee,molasses,plum and currant a touch of grassy hops

T- very nice sweet malts meet grassy fruity hops slight dark fruits mix in w/o the boozy taste fresh tasting and creamy

M-creamy and smooth ABV of 11% is not detected nice hops nice fruit andnice malts

O- very nice imperial amber only got 1 bottle

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 19:44:55 | More by gatornation