Beer Cheer 20: The Eleven
Few things are as legendary to me as The Eleven. And, no, I do not mean the beer. Back in 2003-2004 while conversing with my "mud brother," gravenimages I gradually began listening to The Grateful Dead. In listening to The Dead, I happened upon their classic jam called "The Eleven." From the moment I heard this euphoric and undulating pulse of raw music energy, I've been hooked. Thus, it is little surprise that I blinked a few times upon seeing a beer with the same name as one of my all time favorite tunes.
The Eleven Brown Ale is produced by Shipyard Brewing (Maine) for the local (Fort Lauderdale) Native Brewing Company. Per the company's website, The Eleven was the Native Brewing Company's first product, initiated in 1999 (and damn good year, I might add) after their first small, 5-gallon, batches were tested in 1998 (another damn good year). Per taste tests, batch 11 took the gold and hence The Eleven was born. When I first saw the brew at my local pretentious Whole Foods I was skeptical. The label is simple and the beer boasts the classic solid gold no-frills cap commonplace with cheap gimmick beers. I decided to take a bite despite the $9.00 price tag for a sixer. Previewing the beer, it presents a very subtle scent. That's not a good sign to me, as once again the gimmick beers usually do the same. Nonetheless, the faint scent of toasted nuts and warm baked bread greet, as is expected of brown ales. Light on the palate, The Eleven presents a refreshingly mild flavor that is less bitter than some brown ales I've had. Toasted almond, hops, heavy cream, and perhaps a vague touch of licorice and caramel present. These intermixed flavors fade quietly over a long while, leaving a satisfying slightly bitter bite on the tongue.
For brown ales, I still give the classic Sam Adams version a nod over The Eleven, but for an obscure brand that is not mass-marketed, this is a good product. The price is steeper than I'd like (if it were $7 I'd give this one a full recommendation), but it goes to support smaller business. Overall, I rank this an adequate brown ale.
The Eleven Brown Ale is produced by Shipyard Brewing (Maine) for the local (Fort Lauderdale) Native Brewing Company. Per the company's website, The Eleven was the Native Brewing Company's first product, initiated in 1999 (and damn good year, I might add) after their first small, 5-gallon, batches were tested in 1998 (another damn good year). Per taste tests, batch 11 took the gold and hence The Eleven was born. When I first saw the brew at my local pretentious Whole Foods I was skeptical. The label is simple and the beer boasts the classic solid gold no-frills cap commonplace with cheap gimmick beers. I decided to take a bite despite the $9.00 price tag for a sixer. Previewing the beer, it presents a very subtle scent. That's not a good sign to me, as once again the gimmick beers usually do the same. Nonetheless, the faint scent of toasted nuts and warm baked bread greet, as is expected of brown ales. Light on the palate, The Eleven presents a refreshingly mild flavor that is less bitter than some brown ales I've had. Toasted almond, hops, heavy cream, and perhaps a vague touch of licorice and caramel present. These intermixed flavors fade quietly over a long while, leaving a satisfying slightly bitter bite on the tongue.
For brown ales, I still give the classic Sam Adams version a nod over The Eleven, but for an obscure brand that is not mass-marketed, this is a good product. The price is steeper than I'd like (if it were $7 I'd give this one a full recommendation), but it goes to support smaller business. Overall, I rank this an adequate brown ale.