Bells Kalamzoo Stout

4.2/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20

12 ounce bottle into signature pint glass, bottled 9/14/2011. Pours pitch black color, with a nice 2 finger fairly dense tan head with great retention that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Some decent lacing clinging to the glass. Aromas of big milk chocolate, caramel, coffee, roasted malt, light herbal hops, and a hint of licorice. Nice well balanced aromas with good strength. Taste of big milk chocolate, coffee, caramel, roasted malt, pine, herbal hops, and a bit of spiciness. Good amount of bitterness on the finish with lingering notes of milk chocolate, caramel, pine, and herbal spiciness for a bit. Very robust flavors for 6%, with great balance. Medium carbonation and body; with a nice creamy mouthfeel. Hardly any alcohol presence except for a slight warming after the finish. Overall this is an excellent and highly robust stout. Very drinkable with great flavor balance.

An extremely robust standard gravity stout that is a year round offering. Definitely recommended.

Bells Hopslam

4.6/5

AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 18/20

12 ounce bottle into tulip, batch 10846, bottled 1/06/12. Pours slightly hazy golden orange color with a nice 2 finger light khaki head with great retention that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Some spotty lacing on the glass as well. Aromas of huge grapefruit, pineapple, mango, orange, caramel, honey, light pine, and floral notes. Incredible aromas here with big hoppy sweetness and great balance. Taste of big pineapple, orange, grapefruit, honey, mango, light pine, herbal spiciness, and caramel. Nice amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, mango, pineapple, herbal spices, honey, and caramel on the finish for a while. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a nicely creamy and smooth mouthfeel. Far too drinkable for being 10%, with only a slight warming on the finish noticed. Fantastic malt balance, with plenty of hoppiness and bitterness. Overall this is a world class DIPA with huge hoppiness; but still has great balance and drinkability for it’s high gravity.

Incredibly impressed with Hopslam this year. Very easy to get (being in MI and all) and quite a bit fresher this time around. I am definitely happy I picked up a fresh 6 pack this year.

Bells Christmas Ale

3.8/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20

12 ounce bottle, bottled 10/13/11. Pours hazy and cloudy orange color with a nice 2 finger khaki head with good retention that reduces to a lacing cap that lasts. Some spotty lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of big orange zest, pineapple, mango, lemon, caramel, bread and some toasted malts. Some surprisingly fruity aromas that are quite nice and interesting. Very much on the sweet side as well. Taste of caramel, toasted malts, orange, lemon, spices, and breadiness. Light spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of toasted malt, caramel, orange, and spices for a bit. Medium carbonation and body; with a lightly creamy mouthfeel and smooth drinking. Good balance of flavors but they seem to be on the weaker side that what I was looking for. No alcohol noticed other than a slight warming after the finish. Overall a very nice scotch ale. Easy drinking and a lot of hop flavor character.

A very nice and drinkable beer. Not what I was expecting from a scotch ale, but nice anyways.

Bells Winter White

3.9/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20

12 ounce bottle into tulip, bottled 10/12/11. Pours extremely hazy golden amber color with a fairly dense 1 finger white head with good retention that reduces to a thin ring of lace. Small amount of lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of big banana, clove, bubblegum, lemon zest, spices, bread, and tangy wheat. Very nice aromas here with good balance; definitely surprised me. Taste of banana, clove, lemon zest, spices, bread, and a bit of tangy wheat. No bitterness; with lingering notes of clove, spice, lemon zest, and light banana on the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a bit of a creamy mouthfeel as well. Very smooth and drinkable with no alcohol noticed in the taste or finish as expected. Overall this is a really enjoyable Witbier. Nice flavor complexity and balance.

A nice and complex Witbier from bells. No real complaints here.

Bells Best Brown Ale

3.4/5

AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 13/20

12 ounce bottle, bottled on 9/13/11. Pours hazy reddish brown color with a fairly dense 1-2 fingers of khaki head with great retention that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap that lasts. A fair amount of lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of caramel, roasted malt, bread, cola, and some spicy hops. Some pretty weak aromas here but they have decent balance. Taste of toasted malt, caramel, nuttiness, bread, light chocolate, and spicy hops. Small amount of bitterness on the finish; with some lingering notes of bread, spiciness, caramel, toasted malt, and nuttiness on the finish. Pretty malt forward but has some decent balance. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy and smooth mouthfeel. Easy drinkability with no alcohol noticed except for a slight warming on the finish. Overall a decent brown ale, but I was hoping for it to be a bit more robust with the flavor profile.

A decent brown ale, but I was hoping for some robust flavors. There are definitely better brown ales out there.

Bells Oarsman Ale

3.6/5

AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20

12 ounce bottle, bottled 6/22/11. Pours slightly hazy golden straw color with a small 1 finger foamy white head with decent retention that reduces to a ring of lace. A good amount of carbonation streaming up from the bottom of the glass. Aromas of light wheat, tart lemon, grass, and a bit of spices. Some decent aromas here, but they are pretty muted. Taste of nice tart lemon, grass, spice, wheat, and breadiness. Super dry finish as I would have expected from the style, with nothing but a slight lingering spiciness and a bit of tart citrus. Big effervescent carbonation with a light body. Smooth and drinkable mouthfeel, with no alcohol presence as expected. Overall a nice and enjoyable brew for the style. I would definitely like to try this one fresher.

Overall a nice beer. I don't have much experience with this style(Berliner Weiss), and unfortunately not too many exist.

Bells Oberon Ale

3.9/5

AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20

12 ounce bottle, bottled 06/03/11. Pours hazy and cloudy golden orange color with a fairly dense 1 finger white head with nice retention, that reduces to a fairly thick lacing cap. A small amount of lacing clings to the glass as well. Aromas of orange, wheat, pepper, spices, bread, and yeast. Fairly nice aromas, but they are a bit muted. Taste of big orange, bread, spices, pepper, and lemon. Lingering notes of pepper and spices on the finish. Nice balance of flavors throughout. Medium carbonation and body, with a bit of a creamy mouthfeel as well. No alcohol noticed other than a slight warming after the finish as expected. Very high drinkability as well, as expected. Overall this is a very nice wheat ale I would have again.

A very nice Wheat Ale from Bells. I will have it again in the future, which will probably end up being next summer haha.

Bells Consecrator Doppelbock

3.1/5

AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20

12 ounce bottle, batch 10150. Pours clear reddish-brown color with a small 1 finger foamy off white head with average retention. A foamy lacing ring shows up on the glass for a short while. Aromas of caramel, toffee, molasses, dark fruits, and a bit of booze. Taste of caramel, dark fruits, molasses, bread, and a bit of alcohol. Some bitterness and spiciness on the finish with some lingering sweet flavors of molasses and caramel. Some noticeable alcohol in the taste and a decent warming on the finish. Light-Medium bodied with medium-high carbonation, big prickly feel. Overall, this is decent, but has some flaws. I may have it again sometime in the future with a new batch.

Decent brew, but the alcohol bite in the flavor, along with the thin body and weak aroma really kill this one for me. May have to give this another shot someday.

Bells Pale Ale

3.4/5

AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20

12 ounce bottle, batch 9979. Pours a very cloudy amber color with a foamy 2 finger white head with very good retention that reduces to a lacing cap. A lot of sediment floats around the glass. Aromas of spicy hops and yeast, with some light citrus and floral with bread. The aroma is quite weak, and I had to really agitate it to get some scent out of it. Taste of spicy hops and light citrus, with a mild finish with a fair amount of bitterness that lingers for a bit. Medium body and carbonation. Overall, a pretty decent pale ale, but I don’t know if I would buy a six pack of it. I would probably get it if I was at a bar or restaurant to have again.

Pretty decent offering, but there are better pale ales out there.

Bells Expedition Stout

4.5/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 18/20

12 ounce bottle into snifter. Bottled on September 13th 2010. Pours opaque black with a nice dense 2 finger dark tan head with amazing retention, and it leaves some very thick lacing on the glass. Aromas of chocolate, coffee, roasted malts, dark fruits, licorice, wood, and some alcohol. Taste of chocolate, coffee, licorice, and wood. The drink is super smooth for being 10.5%, and there is no alcohol burn on the finish, except for some warming. Full body and medium carbonation. A real treat! but not for the weak to be honest, I did not enjoy this as much as I am now the first time I had this about 7 months ago when I had just started drinking quality brews. Would like to age a few of these in the future.

One of the most sought after beers from Bells, and for good reason.

Bells Special Double Cream Stout

4.3/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 17/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours dark brown with a nice sized 2 finger tan head with great retention that reduces to a lacing cap that leaves decent lacing. Aromas of chocolate, roasted malts, coffee, licorice, and cream. Taste of dark chocolate with coffee, and vanilla cream alongside it, with a huge lingering roastiness on the finish. Much more malt forward but there is some slight coffee bitterness on the finish. Very creamy feel with medium carbonation and body. Some very slight alcohol warming after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic sweet stout that is packed with flavor, despite only being 6%.

This is a great stout, though it is not as magnificent as I remember it being the first time I had it. I realize there are a lot of high rated beers on my page currently, but I am trying to keep it going as long as possible. I am not a fan of buying bad beers to try (though I have found a liking for some slightly lower rated beers on ratebeer and such).

Bells Cherry Stout

3.8/5

AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours pitch black with a small tan head with average retention. Aromas of cherry, chocolate, molasses, roasted malts, and caramel. Taste of a LOT of tart cherry on the front with milk chocolate showing more towards the finish. The tart cherry and sweet chocolate notes linger for a bit after the finish. Medium-full body and medium carbonation. A little too forward on the cherry here, but still overall pretty well balanced with the chocolate notes. Overall a very enjoyable and tasty beer, once you get used to the tartness of the cherries.

The tartness threw me off at first, but overall a good stout, but a little too much cherry.

Bells Hell Hath No Fury

3.9/5

AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20

12 ounce bottle, batch 9999. Pours pitch black with a 1 finger tan head with average retention. Aromas of coffee, chocolate, dark fruits, and Belgian yeast. Taste of rich chocolate, dark fruits, and spicy Belgian yeast. The finish is pretty clean with a very slight bit of bitterness, and with chocolate, and Belgian spice lingering. Medium Body and carbonation. Overall, this is tasty Belgian style that has a lot of stout qualities to it.

I have pretty much never been disappointed by Bells.

Bells Java Stout

4.2/5

AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours dark brown with a very nice 2 finger tan head with amazing retention and glass lacing. Aromas of strong coffee, with some light chocolate and roasted malts. Taste of strong roasted coffee bitterness with roasted malts and chocolate. The coffee aroma and taste is EXACTLY like if I were smelling or chewing fresh coffee beans. Medium carbonation and body. This has got to be the best "Java" stout I have had yet. They tell no lies, this is a true coffee stout. I love it.

Seriously, if you like coffee, you need to try this. The best coffee stout I have ever had(that is exclusively coffee).

Bells Octoberfest Beer

3.7/5

AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours clear amber color with a 1 finger white head with average retention and average glass lacing. Aromas of caramel, pumpkin, and spices. Taste of spice and pumpkin with a bit of a bitter finish with spices that linger afterward. Medium carbonation and body. I was actually surprised on how tasty this was considering the aromas. Tasty!

Bells almost always delivers good beer. Probably the most enjoyable Oktoberfest I have had.

Bells Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Ale

4/5

AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours clear red orange color with a really dense 2 finger off white head with insane retention and insane lacing. Aromas of citrus, caramel, some fruits, and oak. Taste of rye, citrus, and caramel, with some fruit notes. Some slight bitterness on the finish. Creamy medium body and carbonation. Alcohol is no where to be seen despite 8.5%. Overall this was pretty interesting stuff, but another tasty brew from Bells for me!

Bells is so awesome. Enough said.

Bells Third Coast Old Ale

4.4/5

AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20

12 ounce bottle, bottled 09/09. Pours cloudy dark brown/red color with a small tan cap for a head that has a fair amount of retention, with great glass lacing. Aromas of molasses, caramel, and dried fruits. Sweet taste on the front of dark fruits and caramel with moderate bitterness on the finish. Creamy full body with some lingering bitterness on the finish. Moderate carbonation that fits perfectly. Some alcohol warmth on the finish. Great barley wine, and yet another fantastic beer from Bells. Will definitely pick this up again next season.

Bells usually never fails at amazing me(there are a few mediocre beers I am sure). But they are one of my favorite breweries.

Bells Two Hearted Ale

4.2/5

AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours slightly hazy amber color with awesome 2 finger white head with great retention and lacing on the glass. Aromas of strong flowery hops, pine, and some spices. Taste is sweet malts and hoppiness on the front that shifts to a bitter finish that lingers afterward. Medium mouth feel, and average carbonation. Delicious, crisp, and I’m glad i finally got a 6 pack of this.

I had this as a single way back in the spring, and so I bought a 6 pack of it after that. A year round Bells brew that is easy to find. Also, the picture setup will be the norm in the future. I had one Two Hearted left a couple weeks ago so I drank it and decided to retake the picture.

Bells Porter

3.5/5

AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20

12 ounce bottle. Pours almost opaque dark brown with 1.5 finger tan head with decent retention. Amazing aromas of strong caramel, maple syrup, coffee, chocolate. Taste of chocolate, malts, and coffee. A bit thin in the mouth feel, but creamy. Finish is smooth with some coffee after taste. Quite tasty though, I just wish it was more full bodied, with bigger lingering tastes on the finish.

Bells has a ton more tasty offerings that surpass this one, but it is pretty solid nonetheless.