Bells Best Brown Ale

Brewed by Bells Brewery
Style: Brown Ale
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

Bottle. Pours a deep, but translucent brown with a very slight head which quickly turns to a thin ring. Smells a bit chocolatey. Tastes of coffee and a little chocolate. A little bit of lacing going on. In general, I love Bells, but this didn’t really do it for me. Maybe I’m just not a brown ale kind of guy.

Supposedly a seasonal fall-winter beer, but available mid-July. The brown ale pours a beautiful clear brown with a tan-colored, thick, mousse-like head. The head persists and leaves intricate Belgian lace when sipped. The nose is both delicate and noticeable with hints of toasted bread, toffee, malt and ginger. The malt notes are light and sweet but not cloying. On the palate the ale has a medium body, perfect balance and a wonderful lingering finish that wants you to go back for. This ale is totally moreish! The carbonation pleasant and the alcohol is not noticeable.

Bell’s Best Brown Ale is a clear, dim red ale with a dense, frothy coffee-cream colored head that’s elastic and retains its form well. It coats the glass. The nutty chocolate aroma has a light floral note. It’s a little roasty. It smells great. It’s pretty full bodied and incredibly smooth with a clean, dry finish. It feels soft and fluffy. It tastes dry, roasty, nutty and chocolaty. There’s enough wooden, leafy bitterness to balance it out perfectly. It’s incredibly drinkable-- an excellent beer.

#4 of 5 in my Brown Ale tasting. Batch 8871 12 oz bottle. Pours a clear glowing reddish brown with a frothy sticky off-white sudsy foam on top. I’ve had this a few times before. Aroma is a bit vegetal, buttery. Ahhh... has to be oatmeal, similar to the way Double Cream Stout ages. Flavor is a touch vegetal, bitter and nutty, fairly dry, light coffee. Medium body with excellent sharp but evenly spread carbonation. Need a fresher bottle.

One of my favorite beers back when I was first introduced to craft beer. I always beer a six pack or two when it hit the shelves every year. Somewhat of a simple beer, but balanced and flavorful. I had one in the fridge and after drinking a Surly Bender, I noticed I hadn’t rated this one yet. It’s too bad that the Surly blew this one out of the water. Still a great beer with a nice malt character.

Tasting at Bell’s Fest. Poured a dark clover honey/copper color with off-white head. The flavor was very roasted sweet and a little malty. Not carbonated but not too smooth. A good brew and more flavorful than other brown ales I’ve tried. Wouldn’t say I was blown away by it but still decent.

On tap at the Happy Gnome. Pours hazy reddish brown with a nice beige head. Smells like oatmeal and nuts, with a little bit of citrus hops in the taste. Watery, nutty finish.

poured a nice brown color off with head with lacing on the glass smokey toasted malty aroma very tiny bit of hop character smooth medium body very good and not overbearing a good brew