Bells Big Head San Diego Style Ale

Formerly brewed at Bells Brewery
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

Batch K8369 thanks to Matt. The beer pours to a bright glassy golden amber with super-fine particulate in suspension and a tall creamy/frothy off-white head. Awesome lacing. The aroma is extremely citrusy with that San Diego hop thing going on. I miss San Diego. Discovered by the Germans in 1904, they named it San Diego, which of course in German means a whale’s vagina. Thanks Ron Burgundy. :-) Some weeds and grass too. The flavor is extremely hoppy and bitter. Stone Ruination-like. Extreme hop resin, thick hop oils, pine and citrus with a San Diego taste. Nearing chalky there’s so many IBUs. Thick mouthfeel due to the resins. Very nicely done Mr. Larry Bell!

Bottle sampled with Mad_indian. Pours golden-copper with a good size off-white head. Aroma of caramel, citrus, and load of piney hops. The flavor is hoppy bitter from begining to end, citrusy, and caramel. The body is great, and so is this brew. Alcohol is hidden quite well.

Bottle from Ebay purchase. Sampled with Stegosaurus. Bronze pour with medium off white head. Pine/citurs caramel and alcohol aromas. Nicely balanced hop flavor with a bitter finish. Pretty good.

Bottle... DLD’08... Mostly clear, golden ale with a small, creamy, off-white head. Good retention. The aroma is an intoxicating overindulgence of caramel malt and PNW hops... pine, grapefruit and tropical fruit. Medium to full-bodied with lively carbonation. Nice caramel malt backbone and tongue-numbing PNW hops. Finishes bitter and very hot. Bottle courtesy of BarrelAged!

Tasted at the May Northern California Beer Tasting. (Batch # 8369). This imperial IPA poured a deep golden amber color from a 12oz bottle. Medium sized white foamy head. The aroma is piney and grapefruity hops. A medium bodied double IPA. The malts are caramel and sweet. The hops are piney and grapefruity. Nice balance. Sorta tastes like a west coast IPA. Lots of hops not a lot of hop bitterness. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and crisp. Aftertaste is bitter.

(Bottle, thanks to Puddintane and his lackeys) Pours amber with a small off-white head. The aroma is fantastically fruity and hoppy with tones of gooseberries, black currant, kiwi, pears, lychee, ripe mango, some citrus fruits like lime, tangerine and grapefruit, light floral/rose-ish and mild piney. Good malt backdrop of clean toast and mild caramel. Some minty alcohol. The flavour is hoppy up front with resiny pine and juicy citrus alongside light notes of fruits and malt. The mouthfeel is quite soft with a harsh and peppery finish. Light to medium sweet. Lingering full afterbitterness with tones of citrus and citrus peel. Medium to full bodied. This is one of many reasons why we like Bell’s and why we loooove IIPA.

Very pine and grass nose and flavor. The malt barely pokes through. Hot, lasting finish. No balance and no hiding the %!

WeeHeavy generously opened this bottle. Thanks Jon. This beer is fantastic. Very Green Flash like hop and malt character. Great west coast hop aroma, and grapefruit bitterness. Strong malty backbone with lots of caramelization. Yellow amber color with big fluffy head. Smooth creamy mouthfeel.