He'Brew Jewbelation Eleven

As I settle in to write this post, my head's still buzzing from the 24 oz bottle of He'Brew Jewbelation Eleven ale I just finished off. Coming in at 11% ABV, this beer is definitely not a pushover. If asked to pick a BJCP category for this beer, I'd say it's a Russian Imperial Stout. Some notes:

Aroma - First impression was a big hit of west coast hops, something like a Cascade hop. Later on, as the beer warmed, the rich, roasty, malty character of the beer really took over. I didn't catch any fruity esters (might have missed them due to the strong malt nose), nor did I catch any of the alcohol warmth that I expected.

Appearance - Very dark, basically black, with some red highlights if held up to a light. Seemed pretty hazy. Tan head, but not very generous and the retention was on the lower end.

Flavor - The same rich, roasty malts present on the nose really come through in the taste. Plenty of malt sweetness to go around. Medium amounts of dark fruity esters. Some really nice dark chocolate and coffee flavors come in as well. All the malty goodness is fairly well-balanced by a medium-high hop bitterness that builds in the middle and lingers long into the aftertaste. I'm still feeling a slight bitterness, and the beer's been done for ~20 minutes now, so maybe a bit heavy on the bittering hops. Nothing much to note for hop flavor.

Mouthfeel - Medium-low carbonation. Big body, this beer will fill you up. Some alcohol warmth comes in, which isn't surprising, at 11% ABV, although it's a very smooth warmth, nothing harsh, no fusels. Slight astringency, definitely doesn't take away from the beer.

Overall Impression - I thought this beer was pretty great. The nose got me excited, since I loves me some delicious west coast hop aroma, and I enjoyed the way the nose evolved as the beer warmed. Taste-wise I was also very happy with this beer. Very complex with all the rich malty sweetness, coffee action, dark fruits, and hop bitterness a guy could ask for. The only thing I'd ask for is less lingering hop bitterness. The hop bitterness needs to be there to balance all the malt and fruit, but I'd be a bit happier if it didn't linger so long. In conclusion, I would absolutely recommend this beer and I'd definitely drink it again.

Alright, so much for beer. I guess I should mention that Theresa's really excited that I decided to get on here and babble for a little while. I have to admit, it's more fun than I thought it'd be. That's all for me tonight. Your mission is to go drink some Jewbelation Eleven. It just might live up to its marketing as the Chosen Beer!