Nov 13, 2012

Bell’s Brewery This One Goes to 11 Ale

I’ll be the first to admit that I was a little saddened when Bell’s Brewery ceased their “Batch” series of limited releases with Batch 10,000. The series celebrated every 1,000 batches of beer that the company produced. Each release was bigger than the previous in terms of ingredients and flavors and each one was damn tasty. Alas, the series is no more.

Thankfully, with the release of This One Goes to 11 Ale, Bell’s has essentially let loose batch 11,000 into the wild. This brew is billed as an Imperial Red Ale, but is packed with a fruity, piney blend of hops (Galaxy, Motueka, Summer, Simcoe, Citra, and Mosaic to name a few) making it more in line with an Imperial IPA instead. Either way, the 11% ABV beer is big and it carries on the “Batch” series tradition… just under a different name.

Appearance

Pouring a deep mahogany, the brew sites with a short-lived, tawny head of foam that dropped to a thin collar.

Aroma

This one actually came across as neither a red or an IPA, but more like a really hoppy barleywine. Loads of piney hops, malt sweetness, a hint of booze and a light roast combine for an inviting nose.

Taste

And this is where the Red Ale finally starts to shine. THe malt profile of this brew screams Red Ale — a big boozy Red, but a Red nonetheless. The hop presence is moderately hopped and delivers a solid citrus and pine combination that balances out the lightly toasted and sweet malt backbone. Thee’s a healthy dose of warming alcohol that lingers for a good long while in the slightly drying finish.

Overall

Big, boozy and tasty. That’s all you really need to know about This One Goes to 11 Ale. Of course, there’s much more to it than that including a myriad of hop and malt flavors. I will most certainly be picking up more of this one as I think it will age quite well.

Rating: 4/5

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