No Bell's Cherry Stout This Year

Weather conditions that decimated Michigan's tart cherry crop this spring have made it impossible for Bell's Brewery Inc. to release its seasonal Cherry Stout this year, the brewery said. Bell's issued a press release today saying the Cherry Stout, first released in 1988, will not be made this year because warm temperatures followed by multiple frosts destroyed the cherries used to make the beer, typically released in October.
 Cherry Stout is made using Montmorency cherry juice made from cherries grown in the Traverse City area. Cherry Stout kegs from last year will be released in limited numbers, the brewery said.
"While we do hope that a bountiful harvest will allow us to bring this beer back to our fall stout line-up next year, more importantly, we are hopeful that it will allow Michigan's fruit growers to recover as well."

Great American Brew Trail

 The first season of the Grand Rapids-based program, "Great American Brew Trail," debuts at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 28 on WOTV 4. The 13-program season will aim to capture "the excitement and growth of the microbrewery industry," according to a press release. It is hosted by chef and homebrewer Amy Sherman, who traveled around Michigan for three months gathering material the first season.
 For more information on the program, go to greatamericanbrewtrail, or find it on Facebook. (Great American Brew Trail)

This Is Bell's! Crankin It Up To 11!

 

 by John Liberty Bell's Brewery Inc. will commemorate its 11,000th batch of beer with This One Goes to 11, a reference to a scene in "Spinal Tap."

Courtesy of Bell's Brewery Inc.-- In the world of craft beer, people have heard of "big beers."
But how about a loud beer?
 Bell's Brewery Inc. is planning a loud beer with an alcohol-by-volume of 11 percent that also pays respect to the mockumentary, "This is Spinal Tap," and a brewing milestone for the state's largest beer maker.
The beer, called This One Goes to 11 Ale, is a reference to one of the film's best scenes. It is a limited release and will be shipped from Bell's in mid-September to all states in the brewery's distribution network.
The Comstock Township-based brewery with its Eccentric Cafe in downtown Kalamazoo ended its Batch Series at 10,000, but will celebrate its 11,000th batch with this Imperial Red, according to Bell's blog.
According to the blog, This One Goes to 11 Ale "opens with bright, juicy aromas such as tropical fruits & ripe cherries, largely derived from massive kettle & dry-hop additions of Southern Hemisphere hop varieties such as Galaxy, Motueka, and Summer. The citrus & resinous pine notes of the Pacific Northwest hop family are also well represented, making their presence known through Simcoe, Citra, and the newly released Mosaic varietal, just to name a few. A wide range of specialty malts anchor the hops to this Imperial Red Ale, contrasting the assertive bitterness & juicy aromatics with a robust, toasty depth of flavor."
Much like the film, This One Goes to 11 Ale "finishes with a lingering warmth."