Bell's Pale Ale - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

TwinButte

South Dakota

3.6/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Only my second Bells beer and I am excited to see what this pale is all about.

Drank in the dark so not sure of the appearance but it did provide a nice foamy head. Smells of citrus fruits and pine. Its full of flavors with a spicy prickly taste. Not really what I was expecting for the style. It is different but that sets it apart from others in it class. Not very bitter and leaves a lingering flavor of pine and spice.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 05:21:21 | More by TwinButte

blackcompg

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from their 12oz bottle...

Appearance - Poured a thick 2 finger head of fluffy eggshell cumulus clouds, gorgeous! Color is a cloudy lite golden apricot color. Great lacing left after the session.

Smell - Citrus of of lemon and orange, touch or coriander, wheat and floral hop scents.

Taste - Starts citrus, orange and grapefruit flavors. This is accompanied by wheat breadcrusts, a very slight peppery coriander flavor, and finishes with some nice floral and spicy hop flavors.

Mouthfeel - Between light and medium, very smooth and drinkable, medium carb adds a few edges otherwise has a softer foaming feel to it.

Overall - This beer caught me off guard a bit, as it truly looks and starts just like a witbier. The pale ale is much more apparent at the finish of the sip, with the hops shining long into the finish and between sips. I know this gets alot of lower marks, but as I like both styles, I really like this hybrid.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 02:28:25 | More by blackcompg

Efeswasmy1st

1.9/5  rDev -44.8%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Poured from bottle, appearance is golden with small amount of white head. Sediment hangs throughout pour. Should there be sediment? and this much? Or did I get a bad bottle in my Pick Six?
Aroma is a lot of bread, some wheat, a little hop.
Taste is very lightly bitter and oily feeling.
Falls flat for a pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 23:30:48 | More by Efeswasmy1st

TheQuietMan22

Iowa

2.98/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The “PKGD” date printed on the back label is “01/19/12.”

Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is hazy, light gold. There are a lot of small, citrusy chunks (reminiscent of lemonade) floating in the beer. Two fingers of eggshell-colored head dissipated to leave trails along the glass, a thin lacing, and a thick ring around the edge.

Smell: Very similar to witbier. Musty white bread, yeast, lemon zest, orange, and coriander. Not exactly what I was expecting, but I’ll go with it.

Taste: Ah — there you are, Pale Ale. The first sip is a surprise of orange, lemon, and pine spice and bitterness; it really wakes the tongue. The citrus spice and bitterness dominate, but the musty white bread and yeast from the smell linger in the background. As the beer continues to warm, the two styles (citrusy pale ale and flat witbier) merge to create a creamy combination.

Drinkability: This is really an odd little thing. It is drinkable and tasty, but I have no clue what is going on. I wish Bell’s would drop the witbier part and concentrate on making this a full-fledged, citrusy pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 20:43:50 | More by TheQuietMan22

BeerBuckeye

Ohio

2.88/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

A - Pours a hazy yellow/orange. Small 1 finger foamy head that dissipates quickly.

S - Very malty and bready, a bit of a coriander spice. Almost a bit skunky. Reminds me very much of a witbier.

T - Overall a pretty bland taste, a bit of spice again, but a lot of bready malt and yeast. A bit peppery at the end. Not really a ton of hops in here.

M - It's clean and crisp for sure, bit of a peppery aftertaste.

Overall - It was just okay. Pretty unremarkable and I really feel like it even missed the mark on a pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 02:25:14 | More by BeerBuckeye

tdm168

North Carolina

3.48/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy, light orange with a quarter of an inch of soft, dense, foamy head that has great retention. The nose has faint notes of light bready malt but is overall very subdued. The flavor is lightly malty with some behind the scenes bready notes. There are some faintly bitter hop characteristics as well that come through in the finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, smooth, and well carbonated.

This is an alright APA. The flavor is definitely not forward or robust in any way nor is there any standout qualities. It is however drinkable and enjoyable. I would have it again if offered.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 02:31:04 | More by tdm168

littlelorib

Virginia

3.23/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured a cloudy golden yellow with a thin layer of somewhat persistent off white head. Not much of a smell, just a little of yeast and malt. Taste is mostly of faintly citrusy hops. I'm not getting much in the way of anything else. Any malt flavor is well hidden.

Overall, while this is a very drinkable beer there is not much to set it apart. I've tasted several pale ales that i will pick ahead of this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 00:09:41 | More by littlelorib

rterry13

Pennsylvania

3.05/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Single bottle sampler from a pick 6. Very average in every way for an American pale ale. Agree with an earlier poster about the "sea monkey" appearance. Refreshing however and would be nice for a hot day. Probably would not go out of my way to buy again. Not nearly as good as other Bell's offerings in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 20:29:09 | More by rterry13

sweemzander

Illinois

3/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz. bottle poured into a nonic.

(A)- Pours a hazy orange color. Some white froth and lace.

(S)- A spicy lemon & lime citrus with subtle pine and mildly musty malt.

(T)- Similar to the smell. Good citrus and pine with a subtle caramel malt.

(M)- A good carbonation level and balance. Good hops and malt balance.

(D)- Not bad. A straightforward pale ale but a good one at that.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 19:27:30 | More by sweemzander

BeerDawgs

Georgia

3.28/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - A very hazy yellow, straw color. Lots of visible sediment floating all over in this beer. 1 finger of head, and a bit of sticky lace left on the glass. Pretty impressive appearance.

S - Grainy malts, and lots of them. Wheat and straw.

T - Wheaty, malts dominate. Not much hop character. Not very well balanced, kind of just a wheat malt bomb. Very dry finish.

M - Well carbonated, and very crisp and dry.

O - Not my favorite style, but it did grow on me as I worked my way through it.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 01:14:14 | More by BeerDawgs

nukem5

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a light amber color with a big fluffy cap of foam.

S: Aroma consists mainly of malt and very good balance of hop flavor in there.

T: Taste is of malts and a light hop flavor in the mix within the smooth blend of flavor.

M: Very drinkable beer with some smooth sweet malts are dominant with some lacing and a faint touch of piney/floral hops very well balanced.

O: Overall a great beer from the folks from Bells Brewery strait to you.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 07:01:19 | More by nukem5

OleJohnnieAle

Minnesota

2.73/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A- golden pale straw nice white bubbly head and rather hazy.

S- not much here, malts and a tiny hop smell.

T- like the smell, not much here... Mainly malt, little flavor

M- light body, smooth bit of bitterness on the back end

O- nothing special here...decent beer but no better than an MHD or bud.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 23:58:41 | More by OleJohnnieAle

fatmusic14

Colorado

2.88/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Served mostly in a bottle.

Appearance - kind of underwhelming. Golden yellow like a slightly richer apple juice. Very small amounts of head, no lacing.

Smell - typical of a pale ale, smells of pine and citrus.

Taste - again, very typical. Not quite hoppy, lacks the flavor and tenacity of a strong pale ale. Almost watery.

Mouthfeel - the one bright mark. Very drinkable, tastes fine and a good level of carbonation.

Honestly, as far as a recommendation goes, this is a "stay away" for me. Get a single if you want, but don't spend the money on a 6 pack. If you're set on a Bells ale, Two Hearted is absolutely the best bang for your buck.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2012 23:30:14 | More by fatmusic14

Swim424

Florida

3.5/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

poured into pint glass

A-cloudy golden yellow with lots of carbonation. small head

S-very sweet malty scent with a hint of hops. a bit fruity

T-citrusy up front finishing with a slight hoppiness at the end.

MF-medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation

O-this is better than i expected after looking at the sites ratings. Pretty pleased with this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2012 04:03:43 | More by Swim424

drabmuh

Maryland

3.15/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On draft at Churchkey, I was not a fan of this beer. Beer is yellow to light amber, mostly clear, thin head, white bubbles, some lacing, low retention.

Aroma is weak, malty, mild hops.

Beer is light in body and low in carbonation on the palate, the beer is mostly just a thin malt syrup flavor, nothing much else. Mild hops, no bitterness, not a repeat.

Serving type: on-tap

02-02-2012 19:47:00 | More by drabmuh

secondtooth

Indiana

3.48/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Cloudy golden-amber. Large foamy head and average lace. Fair presentation.

Nose is citrus and pine hop-ness. Subtle, but fine.

Taste is citrus and pine hops, too, with a slightly bitter finish. Plentiful malt presence seems to balance it well. Another solid session offering from Bell's.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 13:49:32 | More by secondtooth

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

3.58/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12Oz poured into a pint glass.
A- cloudy yellow with 2 fingers of a white head. dissapates quickly.
S- Very grainy and somewhat bitter. A very weak smell that reminds me of light beer. Little malt and hop character. Some Belgian characteristics.
T- This beer reminds me of a euro pale or export lager. Not a lot of hop character, some Belgian notes. A grainy feel to it and not malty at all. Not a huge taste but its there in balance.
M- This is where this beer shines, Its stupidly smooth and easy to drink. Pretty high carbonation but it works here.
O- This beer doesn't exactly have an attractive appearance or an inviting smell but it makes up for it in other ways. Im used to really hoppy pales that border IPA's so for me, its hard to really classify this as a pale. Its really smooth and anybody could drink it so in that regard, its pretty decent.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 12:52:48 | More by TwelveOunces

tophers

Michigan

4.08/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 1 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

a: Pale golden in color. Not much head retention. Quite hazy with sediment

s: Not much of a hop aroma. The aroma is citrus in nature - orange with a very slight melon aroma. Does have a bit of bready aroma. Fruity esters seem to be fairly strong. Bit of a grassy note

t: Moderate-high hop flavor that is citrus in nature. Citrus tones come out in the middle and end. Leaves a nice finish in the mouth. Hops dominate the flavor without much of a maltiness flavor. Some bready flavor towards the end. Dry finish.

m: Medium body with a medium amount of carbonation. Smooth finish and the hops are long lingering.

o: When first smelling this beer and looking at the "floatees" in it, I didn't think I would like it. However, this is really a great beer. Could use a touch more maltiness flavor though. Love how the hops just sit in your mouth.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 01:32:19 | More by tophers

maleman

Mississippi

3.93/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz, freshness dated bottle, into a pint glass. Color was true to name, with a creamy white, one-finger head that maintained good retention. The nose was bready with a bit of flower noted. I liked the taste as it followed the nose with a good bit of biscuit and a bit of black pepper. Medium-bodied with a lingering aftertaste. Overall, a pretty good offering. I'll partake again!

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 02:39:00 | More by maleman

wvsabbath

West Virginia

3.5/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Serving Type - Bottle

Appearance - Light yellow fizzy beer! Ut oh...Foamy white 2 inch head and plenty of lacing.

Smell - Pale wheat malts, lemon, piney hops, bready, floral. Some minor sugar and spice.

Taste - Very malty with a strong lemon-ish bitter butter like flavor. Piney hops also add a citric bitter flavor. Lots of spices and wheat also. No alcohol is present, or any heat. Grainy, malty, and plenty of wheat.

Mouthfeel - Light but pretty bitter and wheat malty. Tounge gets hit with floral hops, bitter malts and a earthy feel. Palette gets remaining hops, malts and some sugars. Aftertaste is weak and sour.

Overall - This is more of a wheat ale then anything, with added spices, hops and such. Not bad but doesnt work for me. Too bitter for being what it is, and really, not overal great flavor at all. Decent and easy enough to drink, but nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 01:19:51 | More by wvsabbath

DeltaGolfSierra

Tennessee

3.58/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance is a slightly hazy golden straw color with an ample white head. Lots of lacing left on the glass adds to the experience. Nothing special going on with the nose; mainly malt scents with a slight citrus scent. The malts are up front in the taste, followed by a bitter floral taste in the finish. At first I liked the taste, but as I drank more of it and it warmed, I enjoyed it less. I'll take the average and give it a 3.5. Mouthfeel was above average for an APA. Bell's makes some very impressive beers, but this is not one of them.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2011 01:03:11 | More by DeltaGolfSierra

soju6

Missouri

3.73/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a hazy golden color with a decent head and some lacing.

S: Nice clean aroma of pine, bit of citrus, fresh grain with a hint of spice.

T: Taste starts with an initial crisp nip, light malt sweetness and a bit of spice. A nice bitterness and a dry finish.

F: Medium body, crisp, smooth and refreshing. Nice balance, not overpowering.

O: Nice beer, goes down easy and good for a few.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2011 01:14:53 | More by soju6

hippityhops85

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pour from a 12oz bottle acquired via a $10 mix-a-six at Whole Foods in Plymouth Meeting, PA. Bottle date of 8/30/11.

Poured into a pint glass. Pours a clear, bright golden color with obvious sediment swirly around the carbonation. Perhaps two fingers of rocky white head that dissipates down to about a cm leaving some nice lacing on the glass.

Nose has subtle hop bitterness, light, bready malts. Not an extremely strong nose.

The taste again has the mildly bitter hops along with a nice, light, malt characteristic.

The mouthfeel is light to medium bodied with active carbonation but not overly so.

This is an good quaffable brew. Not sure why this isn't rated higher to be honest. I could sit and watch the game and down a sixer of these easily and not be unhappy.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 22:59:09 | More by hippityhops85

Arithmeticus

Maryland

3.05/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured at room temp in insulated clear glass

A: clear amber with a one-finger head that dissipates relatively quickly
S: soapy hops are prominent
T: Strong flavors of bitter hops, but sterilized by cloying character (perhaps the temperature; chill it a bit and see how it works)

It's a mature pale ale, but it's not outstanding in the field.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 02:54:34 | More by Arithmeticus

cratez

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Fresh 12oz bottle purchased at International Beverage in Grand Rapids.

Pours a light golden hue with one finger of white foam, lots of bubbly carbonation in the body, some chill haze, and strands of stringy lacing on the pint glass.

Smell is grainy pale malt, lemon zest, orange jujube and marmalade, toasted wheat, floral, earthy and herbal hops, and bread dough.

Flavour is citric, zesty and floral hops, grainy-bready malts, toasted wheat, faint mineral note, spicy, prickly and astringent bitterness with lemon juice on the cough. A strange little pale, as the IBUs seem pretty high for the style, and yet this tastes more like a blonde or wheat ale than an APA. Either way, it's a delicious session beer.

Mouthfeel is smooth, medium-bodied, slightly creamy, juicy and citric lemon peel bitterness lingers in the long, drying finish. A great, refreshing thirst quencher.

Overall, I could crush a sixer of this bright sunny brew in no time. I suspect it's underrated because it doesn't conform to the APA style guidelines. If they called it a blonde or "golden" ale, the reviews would probably skyrocket. In any case, Bell's Pale Ale is a scrumptious beer with eminent drinkability, and I'll be seeking it out in future.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 20:01:49 | More by cratez