Bells Big Head San Diego Style Ale

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

Bottle via trade with weeheavySD. Holy hops but also a strong malt backbone holding this together. Could not believe the 11 ABV. My melon felt it but I honestly could not taste it other than a little heat and astrigency. Very piney hops that were almost sticky. A little spice in the finish. IIPA is not typically more style but no complaints with this one.

Pours a dark amber, with a thin white head and medium lacing. Aroma is hops and yeast, with a good amount of malt. Flavor is much more akin to a Barleywine than a west coast DIPA. Hops are there, but with a big malt backbone. Touches of spice, yeast, and citrus fruit. Very astringent, way too much rubbing alcohol. Not too keen on this one.

Bottle multiple times. Pours dark auburn or amber with a smallish off white head. Aroma is grainy with some sweet malt and hops. Flavor is definitely malt forward and grainy. Astringent hop flavor and cat piss. Medium bodied. Meh

12 oz bottle via trade. Ok I know this is a DIPA but boy were the hops long gone on this one. The large malt proflie that remained made this one seem more like a barley wine but it was still a solid enough beer. Poured a deep orange/amber with a super huge frothy whiteish head. Aroma and flavor had an all malt backbone....mostly caramel, toffee some grain. Suprising was that although no hops remained in the aroma or flavor this beer finished incredibly bitter. Hmm at 11.07 ABV this very well could have been a barley wine hiding as a DIPA after all.

Bottle thanks to BMan1113VR. Smell is hops, grass, malts, and caramel. Looks is golden copperish with a decent white head. Taste is malts, caramel, hops, alcohol, and flowers.

(Bottle, courtesy of BMan1113VR) Pours a clear orange body with a small white head. Aroma of toasted bread, orange, floral, light cocoa, some pine, and noticeable alcohol burn. Flavor of caramel and toasted malts, hops (orange, resiny, floral), chocolate, and alcohol with a bitter finish.

Bottle thanks to BMan1113VR. Pours a Hazy amber with nice beige head. Aroma is very hoppy, dark fruit and malty, nice. Flavor is sweet with lots of hoppy flavor, some dark fruit bitterness and alcohol spice. heavy body with med carbonation. Good stuff, is a sipper.

Bottle thanks to zathrus13. Shared with the Dallas crew at bu11zeye’s place. Beer has more attitude than hops...way more...to bad that’s not always a good thing. Pours with a largish white head (would hope so given the name), with a clear amber body. Great lacing and decent retention. Aroma of floral and spicy hops with a very sweet note and a bit of booziness. Taste is fruity with darkish malts, boozy with a very bland and unbalanced citrus hop profile. Syrupy mouthfeel. Seems like the brewer just threw everything randomly into the pot.