Imperial Red Ale
Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store

Unknown vintage; drank 12/16/15 @ Hopleaf.

Semi-opaque orange/red appearance.

Small khaki head; decent lace.

Sweet grapefruit, mango & faint fresh soap notes in the nose.

Medium thick mouthfeel.

Orange citrus & sweet grapefruit flavors up front; dry rye notes on the finish. No booze heat.

Nicely balanced between sweet & dry; delicious (& dangerously drinkable).

Pours a deep, clear, garnate red with a one finger, creamy off white head. Tons of lacing. Much malt in the smell with candied hop. Taste is big malt with the candied citrus hop that balances well. Incredibly smooth. Maybe the best of the style I've had. 10% alcohol nearly undetected.

 

Too sweet. Too bitter. Too toasty. Too rich. Too floral. Too dry- brewers hear it from all angles. But no other beer really captures it all an usually in impeccably true balance than the red ale. As the Bell's brewing team rework the ale to give it a unique "Bell's" thumbprint, an imperial status with increases strength, flavor and complexity is born.

Their Imperial Red Ale is a deep amber, light mahogany beer that crowns with a rich ecru swath of foam. Its bright and balmy scent rolls onto the senses with toast, citrus, pine, grass and a mild tropical flare. Its taste though its more sided with the malts. Caramel, toffee, nutty and of bread crust, hints of peanut skins and granola become apparent.

As the middle palate unfolds, the malts digress and the hops pull forth to bring the taste into even keel balance. The remnants of malt remains semisweet, toasty and toffee-like while the floral hops round on the palate with pink grapefruit, fresh orange zest and pineapple. As the bitterness grips the throat, it takes on the character of grass clippings, muddled pine needles, and a peppery alcohol spice.

Medium full on the palate, the beer's weight is kept in check by the drying power of both hops and alcohol. Each acting as a drying agent to keep the strong beer drinkable and dangerously refreshing. As the piney and citrusy bitterness grows, the finish begins to side more with hops to give impressions of red IPA in a toasty, malty dry afterglow.