Bells Christmas Ale

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

Um, this isn’t a scotch ale. I can tell from the pour. Orangish amber pour with white head. Aroma of citrus, sweet barely, cherries. Earthy flavor of barley, wheat. Some fruit and a bit of raw hops in there. It kind of disappears in the finish into just a light citrus note.

12oz bottle. Medium beige head atop clear amber body. Aroma is medium sweet, maple, some brown sugar, caramel, earthy, light metallic. Taste is moderately sweet, caramel, brown sugar, some metallic. Effervescent light-medium body, light acidity.

355 mL. Pours a clear light amber with a two-finger yellow, fizzy head that settles down very quickly. Leaves no lacing. Aroma is earthy, dirty, malty, brown sugar, maple candies, creme brulee. But this beer makes up for in taste and palate: it is not so much a scotch ale as just a raw, traditional ale: tons of brown sugar, raw/dirty malt, cream of wheat, oatmeal. Really good actually. Reminds me a lot of Great Lakes Elliot Ness. Yum! Really nothing about this is Christmas whatsoever, but I like it anyway.

12oz bottle. clear ruby under a huge off-white head. malty aroma with spicy grains and plummy fruit. malty, honey, dark fruits, cherry juice, fruit syrups flavor. the faintest hint of nutmeg and cinnamon. smooth, resiny palate. doesn’t really register to me as a typical scotch but i enjoyed it anyway. i really liked the smooth creamy palate. i had to re-rate this because by the time i finished the six pack i enjoyed it more and more. it really grew on me.

12 oz. from Greens on Ponce De Leon. Georgia seems to be getting the mediocre Bell’s beer. Fluffy head with a nice amber color, but for a scotch ale it is rather light in terms of color. Scotch Ale....huh? Doesn’t look like one, and now it doesn’t smell like one. An almost fruity malt and floral hop aroma. Really sweet sugar smell with a hint of spice. Somewhat of a pungent beer. Didn’t smell like a scotch ale and didn’t look like one, and now it doesn’t taste like one either. A slight fruit flavor with a sweet malt backbone. Hops come through slightly but are really nothing special. I just don’t see how this can be called a scotch ale.

Orange amber pour. Aromas of molasses and malt. IN Kind of weak even for a scotch ale. Just needs to be amped up a little bit.

Bottle dug up by BBB63, as he knew I was in search of any untried Bells beers - Thanks Mike. Pours amber with red highlights and a big bubble bath white head. Good lookin beer. aroma is scotch, spices, and paper. flavor is cough syrup, rotten fruit, caramel, and bread. Not bad when its cool, but isn’t very good as it warms. Probably a little past its prime.

Bottle: Poured a dark amber with a little head. The aroma was malty and holiday spices. The flavor was malts, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and a hint of hops. Overall, one of the best holiday beers I’ve had.