Bells Beer

Brewed by Bells Brewery
Style: Pilsener
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

Golden pour with traditional fluffy white head and lingering beading. The nose is a subdued Continental hop and caramel/bready maltiness. The carbonation helps enliven this brew and I find it a very nice introduction to micros for BMC enthusiasts.

Clear yellow with a disappearing white head, going to absolutely nothing very quickly. A corny grainy nose. Definite bits of peppery hops. No off flavors per se, aside from corn (though the BO/garlic/pepperoni pizza note was kind of strange). Better than BMC but close to a hopped up malt liquor. Low carbonation. Quenching body, yet creamy. Nice for most lighter lager styles. Dry and crisp with a light corny sweetness. A bit creamy with fresh peppery hops. Floral too. Creamy lemon finish with a nice dry aftertaste. This could be good on a hot one.

Bonus bottle from local trade with mreusch, served in a pilsner glass. Pours a sparkling light yellow with a pillowy, white head and decent lacing. The aroma is fresh and clean graininess with a light straw and grassy backing. Light-bodied and thin, it has a tight, lightly bitter finish. Sweet, grainy malt with a light breadiness and a mildly bitter end. Grassy hops and a light metallic notes on the finish. Certainly better than BMC macro offerings, but as a big fan of Bells Brewery, I was underwhelmed by this beer. Thanks again for sharing this one, Matt.

Drinking from a bottle of Lager of the Lakes, which seems to be its current name: To look at it, you would think you just poured yourself a BMC American standard, it’s such a pale yellow with a small fizzy head. But the aroma has nice bready malts - no corn or rice - with a light grassy bitterness. The latter picks up slightly in the flavor, imparting a snappy crispness. This is a good brew for the himd, warm Chicago Summertime.

<font size=-4>From my esteemed The LoSBD colleague <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/ViewUser.asp?UserID=1 size=-1>

Pours a transparent pale golden with a thin ring of fizzy white head. Aroma of grainy pale malts with a decent balance of fresh noble hops, and a hint of light fruity esters. Body has a mild pale malty sweetness and earthy bittering hoppy presence toward a crisp, clean and fairly flavorful bittersweet finish. Would make a nice session beer.

Poured from a 12oz bottle, labeled "Bells Lager of the Lakes", and served in a shaker. This pilsener poured a crystal clear golden color with a small white head that slowly faded away. No lace. The aroma was sweet malts, bread, and also some faint hops on the backend. The flavor was very crisp and clean. The sweetness of the malts that was evident in the aroma was very subdued and refined. There were also some bready yeast notes present. Nothing too exciting, but it was a decent, sessionable brew.

12oz bottle-pours a thin retaining creamy white head and yellow color. Aroma is sweet grain/malt, funky, grass. Taste is right in line with aroma and caramel, light spicy-(halletaur and saaz?) hops. [Alright, their description only says Saaz] Light medium body. Good sessionable beer. OK carbonation.

Draft at Bennedicts in Coldwater, MI as "Lager of the Lakes". Blond color. Small white head, minimal lacing. Generally not a pilsner fan, but it was Bells so I made an exception. Crisp, clear flavor. Very easy drinking. Nothing to brag about, but good quality seasonal beer worthly of every day drinking. The kind of beer you drink when you just want a beer and don’t care to analyze it.