RJ Rockers Bell Ringer Strong Ale

RJ Rockers Bell Ringer Strong Ale, from RJ Rockers, poured a slightly hazed amber hue into the glass, topped with a tall beige head and small carbonation streams trailing from the bottom of the glass.  The nose carried forward a citrus-pine blend of hops over a sugary, if somewhat blurred, malt and no alcohol heat (surprising given the 8.5% ABV). 

RJ Rockers Bell Ringer Ale opened with a somewhat lackluster pale malt start, with hints of caramel and orange coming through as the ale warmed on the palette.  Similar to the nose, there was a surprising amount of sugary sweetness in the malt and a complete absence of alcohol heat.  As the ale faded, light grassy notes came through and added a soft bitterness to the fade.

RJ Rockers Bell Ringer Strong Ale is a hard ale to recommend… not because it’s a bad beer, but because it just doesn’t have much going on.  It’s commendable that such a potent beer is so soft, but the lack of complexity and a sweetness untamed by the light hopping make it unmemorable.

RJ Rockers Son of a Peach Wheat Ale

RJ Rockers Son of a Peach Wheat Ale, a summer seasonal offering from RJ Rockers, poured a surprisingly dark, cloudy orange into the glass with a small white head and mild carbonation.  The nose carried wheat malt and a peach aroma that had an artificial twang to it.

RJ Rockers Son of a Peach Wheat Ale opened with a peach flavor that was more natural tasting than the nose but still had a chemical bite to it.  A sweetness akin to Sweet n’ Low came through in the middle, mucking with the peach flavor a bit.  The ale ended on a dry and somewhat tart note that brought the flavor back around.

RJ Rockers Son of a Peach was enjoyable, but there were too many off flavors (almost all tied to artificial fruit sweetness) in the middle for me to recommend it as a good beer.  The finish of the ale does a lot to redeem it, but it’s too little, too late.