Bells Rye Stout

Brewed by Bells Brewery
Style: Stout
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

Bottle poured a clear deep dak brown with a lasting tan head. Aromas of bitter chocolate, roasted malt, coffee, rye and light vanilla. Palate was medium bodied and smooth. Flavors of dark chocolate, roasted malt, rye, vanilla and light coffee with a smooth lingering roasty chocolatey finish.

On tap at Pizza/Birreria Paradisio. Pours a clear brown to black with ruby highlights and a thin beige head. Caramel, roast, light toffee. Spicy rye flavor comes through right away along with some chocolate, roast, and just a hint of coffee. Smooth creamy mouthfeel. Finishes up with a nice spicy rye note and a long lingering roast and caramel.

What a treat and a surprise to find this on tap at Carrboro Bev Co (aka Tyler’s Bottle Shop), as no bottles made it to NC. Nice smooth-looking pour, a bit sludgy with a thin cafe au lait head. Sharp and slightly nutty aroma blended with chocolate malts, that sweet spot that Bells hits so often with stouts of all variety. Smooth and a bit chalky in the mouthfeel, which complements the very modest rye addition. I’d actually like more pronounced rye flavors, as this one’s a bit too understated. But I certainly enjoyed it well enough.

Pours dark brown with a few fingers of tan head. Sweet odor of brown sugar and sweet malts. Nice mouth feel, very warm sweetness to it. Leads to a nice bread-y chocolate finish. It’s nice for a cold night

Enjoyed at The 12 Beers of Christmas tapping at Kellehers, Peoria. Dark black pour with a big frothy brown head. Wonderful rye grain aroma. The aroma was inviting. The taste was the same rye goodness that you enjoy in the aroma. It had great lacing. I loved this beer.

12 oz bottle from the Binnys singles rack (Orland Park, IL). Pours a very dark hue, black with browner edges, a moderate light brown grainy head that dies to a decent layer, laces a bit. Dark, but thick and near opaque. Aromas are rye malts, a bit smokey, with roasted malts, a bit of caramel and rye sweetness, a touch of cocoa, faint coffee on the nose. Nice. Initial is lighter side of medium bodied, rye malts, caramel, light roast and toast, but instead suplemented with sweetness, lighter roast and toast, faint bitterness on the finish. Overall, a mellow sweetness and rye are the main elements, with some roast and toast coming in towards the back. Subtle, lighter/thinner. Not bad at all, a very drinkable beer.

Aroma has notes of caramel, cereal, roasted rye, with some grass hops. Appearance is dark brown with a nice dark tan cascading head that left good lace. Flavor is mellow with a slight bitter finish. Palate is medium bodied and water soft. Overall this brew may be a stout by definition but has all the character and feel of a porter. Not really a good beer in any catagory. Overall another let down from Bell’s. This brewery really needs a good new brew but this is not it.

On tap at the Institute in Philly. Nearly opaque black with a white, wispy head. Aroma of burnt toast, nuts, coffee, some distinct spiciness too. Flavor is solid, milk chocolate, oatmeal, sweet. Full bodied, a little sticky. The rye adds some complexity that some other stouts don’t have.