Bells Cherry Ale

Brewed by Bells Brewery
Style: Fruit Beer
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

I would have liked to have seen a little more cherry, and a little more hop in this beer. Pours a reddish brown, amber if you will. There is some real cherry flavor, although it is painfully little. This would be comparable to adding a hint of cherry to bass ale.

12oz @ Kalamazoo brewery: Dark red, color, clearish/cloudy, almost no head (bartender may wanted to give me more beer for my $), white, lasting. Sweet cherry aroma, but not much. Cherry taste, nutty, fresh, not too tart, some fizz Not much flavor. A little dissapointed.

A little tame for what one would normally expect from Bells. Nice reddish color and pleasant cherry sent. Good mouth feel and carbonation. Cherry’s dominate here, but do not over power. I think this ales low score has more to do with what most folks expect from bells as a brewer. If this ale would have been released buy New Glarus or another brewer I am confident it would have a higher score.

VERY rich, tart cherry flavor. I had this draught mixed with Kalamazoo Stout so I can’t be accounted for as a completely reliable rater...but it was a good beer. You have to adore cherries to enjoy this though.

Had on draft at Irish Rose in Rockford. Beautiful to the sight and smell. Quality brew.

A nice amber pour with an aroma of cherries and roasted malt. A flavor of tarrrt cherries. Less malt flavor than aroma. A bit on the fizzy side on the palate for my liking but not a bad beer. The first sip was really a shock! I think that is what happens to a lot of people they get that first taste and decide that they don’t like something. As you sip it on down it improves. A good beer I would drink again and could grow to like when the season allows.

Pours a hazy red brown with a big bubbled though humble white head. The nose is unlike anything I’ve detected from a beer. Tart cherries are obvious, but there’s this V8 like aroma that just really bugs me. The palate is relatively smooth, though the taste of this beer really prevents me from trying to hold this in my mouth long enough to access it. Benefit of the doubt, it gets a 3. The flavor is really awful. I’m not a fan of sour beers, so I didn’t expect to love this beer, but I am really outright disappointed in this beer. There’s the sharp tart cherry flavor, but again, accompanied by something bearing resemblance to tomato juice. There’s a flat creaminess, slight sweetness, but nothing malty or hoppy about this beer. It’s much more like a realy sour cider. This was actually even worse than Bell’s Cherry Stout. Closest I’ve come to a drain pour...

While there is some cherry in this, I mostly smell vegetables and tomato. It is indeed tart (and bitter) rather than sweet. Its brown-orange in color with a small bubbly white head.