RJ Rockers Bell Ringer Ale pours to a bright orange color with a
light creamy head formation and a slightly citric hop nose. I really had to
work the aroma, though, to get a real sense of what might be going on in
this one. Sipping, I do get a decent body of chewy caramel malt at first,
and then some grassy, herbal hops poke their nose in and intensify in the
finish. They leave a long, dry minty-grassy herbal bitterness on the tongue
after sipping. There's a hint of alcohol warmth, too.
RJ Rockers doesn't go out of their way to tell you what style they're aiming
for, other than to call this their "High Gravity Offering". At 8.5% alcohol
by volume, this is a bit bigger than a standard IPA, so I'm thinking maybe a
double or Imperial IPA, though I think it needs more malt for that. The hops
remind me of Fuggles or Goldings, so maybe this is an Imperial
English-style IPA? That's an interesting notion.
Either way, it's a rather tasty and quite drinkable strong hoppy ale, even
if it's not an Earth-shattering one.
Update: September 22, 2013: Enjoyed a full mug pour of this "high gravity" treat at Taco Mac today, very reasonable at $6.50. As in the past, the beer has a form malt character up front followed by a big hop aroma and finish. Still a beer that is not exactly easy to peg stylistically, but a very delicious one nonetheless. Better than I remember, I'm kicking this one up a notch from 3 1/2 to 4 stars.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft