Beer of the Weekend #400: This One Goes to 11 Ale
This is the 400th edition of Beer of the Weekend. Though 400 does not have as much symbolic appeal as 500 (which I will make a point to commemorate), I thought I would try something special from the birthday sixer my aunt and uncle gave me. (Afterward, I plan to unwind with a few pints of Farmer Brown Ale.)
The beer of the weekend is This One Goes to 11 Ale, brewed by the Bell’s Brewery, Inc. of Comstock, Michigan.
Comstock is the location listed on the bottle. However, according to the Bell’s website the brewery’s corporate office is located in Galesburg, Michigan and the Eccentric Café, Bell’s brewpub, is located in Kalamazoo. Weird.
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.
Fun facts about TOGt11A:
-Style: Bell’s call it Imperial Red Ale.
-Price: Turning thirty.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 11 percent ABV.
-This One Goes to 11 Ale was brewed to commemorate Bell’s 11,000th batch of beer. Here is the relevant nerdiness:
-Obviously, someone at Bell’s must be a fan of This is Spinal Tap:
-According to the Chicago Manual of Style, when two numbers appear in the same sentence the second should always conform to the style of the first. Meaning: the beer’s name should be “This One Goes to Eleven Ale.” Eleven should be spelled, anyway, but the folks over at Bell’s apparently do not care about Chicago Style. I don’t blame them.
The Quiet Man’s grade: A.
The beer of the weekend is This One Goes to 11 Ale, brewed by the Bell’s Brewery, Inc. of Comstock, Michigan.
Comstock is the location listed on the bottle. However, according to the Bell’s website the brewery’s corporate office is located in Galesburg, Michigan and the Eccentric Café, Bell’s brewpub, is located in Kalamazoo. Weird.
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.
Fun facts about TOGt11A:
-Style: Bell’s call it Imperial Red Ale.
-Price: Turning thirty.
-Serving temperature: 45-50ºF.
-Alcohol content: 11 percent ABV.
-This One Goes to 11 Ale was brewed to commemorate Bell’s 11,000th batch of beer. Here is the relevant nerdiness:
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.
-Obviously, someone at Bell’s must be a fan of This is Spinal Tap:
-According to the Chicago Manual of Style, when two numbers appear in the same sentence the second should always conform to the style of the first. Meaning: the beer’s name should be “This One Goes to Eleven Ale.” Eleven should be spelled, anyway, but the folks over at Bell’s apparently do not care about Chicago Style. I don’t blame them.
The Quiet Man’s grade: A.
