Bell's Best Brown - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

garuda

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Hazed, but bright deep ruby, off white creamy head with great retention and some lacing.

S/T - Very nice smooth roasted malt character competing with a robust smokiness, with an underlying caramel malt sweetness throughout with hints of chocolate here and there. Touch of hops at the end adds bitterness, but really no additional flavors.

M - A little light in body with the smooth cask conditioning. finishes quite clean.

O - Solid brew. I really enjoyed the complexities going on. I'd definitely get it again.

Serving type: cask

11-15-2011 00:06:15 | More by garuda

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on cask in a pint glass at Firkin.

Appearance: Best Brown has a walnut ruby color, slightly hazy, with a creamy eggshell head with popped bubbles on top. Eventually this head fades to a ring, leaving layers of lace on the glass.

Smell: Lightly nutty, subdued toasted malt, a touch of caramel, spices without any underlying bitterness.

Taste: The flavor is slightly nutty up front. A hint of cocoa, relaxed caramel and toasted malt flavor is also present. It finishes with a touch of spice. A rounded flavor, but not overly complex.

Mouthfeel: I am definitely not accustomed to cask. There is an underlying creaminess to the feel, but in a lightly carbonated way. The finish dries the tongue. Smooth.

Drinkability: Drinking this a bit warmer lets the flavors loosen up, and I dispensed of my glass relatively quickly, but I am not sure if I would order this again.

Serving type: cask

01-18-2011 20:21:07 | More by KickInTheChalice

BeerLover99

New Jersey

3.65/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Tan, light brown/ice tea, deep orange tint, 1 finger head, decent lacing in pint.

S: very subtle nut, mild roast, and toffee.

T: nut, caramel, mild sweet front, hint of bitter in finish

M: light/med body, smooth/no aftertaste, very fresh feeling

D: nice session beer, 1st cask beer and it tastes like fresh fruit just picked from the tree. Solid brown ale, not world class, but worth a taste.

Serving type: cask

01-06-2011 20:46:19 | More by BeerLover99

welldigger888

South Carolina

4.65/5  rDev +21.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Ok, this little ditty was gravity poured from the cask into a 1/2 gallon growler
Very nice reddish hues on this purt clear elixer
minamal head with a huge difference in bubble size (pin piont to 1 cm)very minamal lacing but it has some that disapate fast
Very approachable malty aromas with nice light hop and sweet black bread notes
This is a very unasuming brew, blue collar to the core. My grandfathers would be proud!Nice malty up front graininess that yields to a very delicate mild hop. Earthy grain with hints of sweet elixer and hop balance, well done!
Very soft on the palate, I love this about the cask. Cask carbonation, meaning minamal but very pleasant. leaving the brew to stand on it's craft not hiding behind the bubbles.
Pours down the neck like honey dew vine water.

Serving type: cask

12-05-2010 02:57:18 | More by welldigger888

kkipple

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Cask o' this appeared at my local Green's. A no-brainer.

A. Awh shucks, y'know.. it's a brown ale on cask. Low dirty white head, no lace, beer is russet and has a little depth to it. Not totally clear. A deeper red than actually brown, but I'm not complaining.

S. American malts here, easy, some mild roast, brown bread, delicate sweetness, some tame hop character.. it's all very mild and approachable. Cereal-y, hedgerow, damp dirt roads and a shining sun above. Working class and honest.

T. American hops, hopes & malt through and through here. Good blend of gently toasted, biscuity malt that has some sugar left and a slice of bittering, yet reserved cones. A little bit of fruit too, the starchy and sweet kind that makes good juice. This beer isn't one that takes well to picking apart... it just "is". Drinks very well.

M / D. Just a great beer to put back, the very low (cask) carbonation here makes this a Southern Slammer. If you don't know what a Southern Slammer is, don't ask me, I just made it up. Sounded cool. Anyway, this is super easy to drink and enjoy. Really, just enjoy it. Enjoy the delicate and free play of semi-sweet malt that dances with the lightly bitter grassy hops and just put another one back. Enjoy that one too, then call up that friend you haven't seen in 4 months and invite them over to drink with you. I'm going to kill a growler tonight.

Not *quite* as enjoyable as what comes out of the 5-liter mini-keg, this is still the best American brown ale this side of Moose Drool and potentially in the top 5 in the nation.

The kkipple bottom line: (kkbl) : Recommended, no matter the serving type. The next time you see some sucker toting a 6 pack of NewCastle at your booze-dealer, slap it outta his hand and steer him towards the Bell's Best Brown.

Serving type: cask

12-03-2010 01:53:28 | More by kkipple

dedrinker

Kansas

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

So much better than in the bottle! Lazy brown color with a head that was rich and creamy and lasted half way through. Aroma of mild juicy caramel malt and restrained nuts and roast. The flavor was slightly fruity with a nice caramel malt middle that finished with more nuts, fruit, and juicy malt. Well balanced - not too sweet, but not too dry either.

Serving type: cask

11-02-2007 05:36:29 | More by dedrinker

blakesell

Ohio

3.48/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed from the cask at boston's 09/18/07.

Appearance- Beer pours a somewhat clear brown dark amber which is kind of strange considering that it is cask conditioned. A 2 finger fluffy head as opposed to the tap of the same beer with a 4 finger head pour. There is slight lacing on the glass.

Smell- Hops upfront and what I can only call the signature cask scent. It seems that all real ales have a certain smell to them that can be picked out above beers in kegs or bottles. A slight maltiness but mostly the hops and cask scent.

Taste- Just like the smell, casks tend to have a taste to them as well. That creamy real ale flavor comes out first then a lingering light malt flavour. The hops are big in this beer and I sense that they have utilized quite a bit of dry-hopping in the cask.

Mouthfeel- Light bodied and creamy with very little to no carbonation. The beer is not sticky or cloying.

Drinkability- Very nice drinkability here. A bit overly hoppy for a brown ale, but I'll let that slide on the beer this time. I'm a fan of the hops used and it goes down smooth.

Serving type: cask

10-20-2007 18:04:12 | More by blakesell

MarkQ617

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I had this out of the bottle in South Carolina, after attempting (and failing) the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island. Really just an excellent brown. Smooth mouthfeel with a nutty, burnt caramel flavor. I can't comment on the appearance because I had this straight out of the bottle at night, so I've assumed for the purposes of this review that it probably looks similar to most other browns. Solid after dinner beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 02:00:51 | More by MarkQ617

CMUbrew

Michigan

3.88/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from Fall 2012

A: Looks like your typical brown ale. Dark brown body with lighter brown highlights, and a thin and light brown head sitting on top.

S: The toasty malt is about all that shows up in the nose. I wouldnt expect much else, although some sort of hoppiness could be there.

T: Toasted malts, graininess, slight nuttiness in the background, and earthy bittering hops to balance the whole thing out. Some chocolate flavors become apparent with warming.

M: Smooth, oily slickness, lighter side of medium bodied, drying finish.

O: Solid brown ale. Not too bold, but not lacking any desired qualities.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 19:58:25 | More by CMUbrew

smalenberg

Michigan

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

In a pint glass

A - Chestnut brown and very clear with a pale tan head that isn't very large despite an aggressive pour.

S - Malty sweet with toasted marshmallow prevalent.

T - Caramel and marshmallow balanced well with a great combination of tannic and hop bitterness.

M - Smooth medium body with a prevalent carbonation that tingles the tongue.

O - A great easy drinking beer that is fairly sessionable despite the alcohol content.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 00:02:03 | More by smalenberg

TheQuietMan22

Iowa

4.04/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The “PKGD” date printed on the back label is “01/07/13.”

Appearance: Poured into a becker glass. The color is medium caramel. One finger of lightly tanned head left a skim and thin ring around the edge.

Smell: Toasted malts, caramel, milk chocolate, cherry syrup, brown sugar, maybe a little toffee and molasses. It reminds me of a Cadbury Creme Egg.

Taste: Very thick mouthfeel. The toasted malts from the smell are much more prominent in the flavor. Earthy hops add a nice bitterness to accompany minor flavors of caramel, chocolate, toffee, and cherry syrup.

Drinkability: This is a very good, heavy winter ale. It is flavorful but not overpowering.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 05:05:27 | More by TheQuietMan22

Auracom

Illinois

2.95/5  rDev -23.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz. poured into a RR tulip on February 26th, 2013.

A - Murky soft caramel coloring. Light khaki foam with good lacing and marginal retention.

S - Freshly-rolled dough, hint of smoke, roasted peanuts.

T - Very direct. Honey malts, soft caramel cookie, and a hint of over roasted coffee.

M - Medium body, moderate carbonation, semi-dry finish.

D - Exactly what it ought to be, but nothing memorable. Super approachable and about as middle-of-the-road as you can get.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 17:17:51 | More by Auracom

teromous

Virginia

4.2/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A: Hazy medium-dark shade of brown, with a poofy eggshell-white head. Not much lacing, mostly just a few spots here and there.

S: Not a whole lot going on on the nose, just some standard ale scents with a light nut character to it.

T: There is some faint caramel sweetness, some smooth toasty flavors, and a hint of bitterness. Some of the yeast flavor comes through at the end, giving it an ever so slight bread quality in the aftertaste. Some slightly earthy and slightly pine-like hop flavor comes through after drinking, but it is very soft.

M: It is a very mild-mannered beer. It is extremely easy to drink, with a pleasant bitterness that is not overpowering. The beer is very smooth but not milky.

O: Overall I was very impressed by this beer. It had a wonderful flavor that made it a pleasure to drink. I do recommend it, and I would obviously drink it again. This brown ale has a bit more bitterness and hop flavor than you'll probably find in most other browns. It is not overdone in this respect, but takes a backseat on the palate after you taste the light caramel and toast flavors.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 17:35:09 | More by teromous

superspak

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle into signature pint glass, bottled 11/14/2012. Pours fairly cloudy brown copper color with a nice 1-2 finger dense light khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings down the glass. Aromas of caramel, toast, light cocoa, brown bread, floral, brown sugar, and light nuttiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance; but are fairly weak. Taste of caramel, toast, cocoa, brown bread, floral, brown sugar, light nuttiness, light pine, and light citrus hops. Lingering notes of caramel, toast, brown bread, cocoa, brown sugar, light pine, and light citrus on the finish for a bit. Nice balance and complexity of flavors with a fair amount of robustness; with zero cloying flavors present after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy and lightly sticky mouthfeel that is good. Alcohol is very well hidden with hardly any warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a good brown ale. Nice balance with fairly robust flavors; and very smooth to drink. A pleasantly enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 04:51:53 | More by superspak

JWU

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a tumbler glass.

A- a clear brown/red with a half finger of light tan head that doesn't stick around very long. Lacing is much better than I thought it would be.

S- Typical brown ale aromas. Bready, a bit of caramel and biscuits. English yeast. Hint of brown sugar.

T- A drier take on the style. A balance of dry bitterness, cocoa and a bit of brown sugar/caramel sweetness. Certainly english in it's roots, has a lot in common with an English Bitter, but is noticeably heavier.

M- Medium bodied, not hoppy dry, but a more malt based dryness. Carbonation is medium.

O- A serviceable brown ale. Nothing more, nothing less.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 01:06:11 | More by JWU

RoninTK3

Rhode Island

3.61/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5

A - Amber and translucent with a bit of lacing.

S - Caramel, sweet malts, brown sugar. Very nice.

T - Malty, sweet, and a bit nutty. Hints of caramel and brown sugar. A bit of a bitter edge, especially in the aftertaste.

M - Medium bodied and very smooth. A bit of a creamy feel.

Brown ales tend to be low on my list, but rating this among other beers in its style I found it to be quite enjoyable. Not something I'd get again, but this is a very good brown ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 19:12:42 | More by RoninTK3

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Enjoyed with the man who put Humpty Dumpty back together again (my orthopedic trauma surgeon)! Served from bottle into a flared pilsner. Poured a deep red-orange with a half finger off-white head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained excellent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, nutty, and dark chocolate. The flavor was of sweet malt, toasted malt, nutty, nutmeg, and subtle caramel. It had a light feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall this was a pretty decent brew. I was really quite intrigued by this one once I smelled the dark chocolate notes in it. However, to my slight disappointment, this note did not carry over into the flavor. Despite this it did not kill the brew at all. This one was rather easy drinking and quite enjoyable. Definitely one of the better browns I’ve had in awhile as most are hit-and-miss that I’ve had recently with other flavors infused into them. Worth your time trying without a doubt.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 21:45:54 | More by thagr81us

cosmicevan

New York

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Had this with lunch at the westwood tavern in schaumburg. Nice transparent brown with good lacing on the pint glass. Smells.of brown sugar and tastes the same. Fairly solid brown ale. Nothing mind blowing. Some nuttiness. Easy drinker. I like a good brown and this is good, but a bit of a let down from a brewery that seems to knock every style they take on out of the park.

Serving type: on-tap

01-24-2013 18:37:06 | More by cosmicevan

ummswimmin

New Jersey

4.14/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I poured this beer into a tulip glass.

On the initial pour I got two fingers of foam with very good retention. I like the lacing left behind on a glass. Off the top you can smell the plentiful malts and minimal hopping.

The flavor comes in with more of the malt. I also pick up some decent roastiness.

This is an easy drinking brown ale. Yet another great offering by Bell's.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 03:49:43 | More by ummswimmin

AdamGarcia

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

bottle served in tumbler. package date 9/11/12

A: Warm reddish brown. Light filters through around the edges. Rather murky. Off white head doesn't stick around very long. Thin ring of foam remains.

S: Enticing. Sweet malty aromas. Hints of cocoa, coffee, vanilla, leather, and tobacco. Suggestions of hops come out once the temp rises a bit.

T: Taste mirrors aroma pretty closely. Some sweet fruity flavors pop up mid palate, but get swallowed up quickly with the chocolate and coffee. There's just a modest amount of roastiness and then a fairly long finish with some drying tobacco. Subtle in flavor, but tasty.

M: Medium body. Carbonation is on the lower end of the spectrum and appropriate for a brown ale.

O: I always enjoy Best Brown whenever it's available. I don't necessarily drink a lot of browns but this is probably one of my favs when I'm in the mood.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 05:07:39 | More by AdamGarcia

SometimesIfart

Michigan

2.85/5  rDev -25.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

A - Pours copperish brown with a two-finger white head. No lacing.

S - Raisins, roasted malt.

T - A wee-bit of coffee, raisins, roasted malt, a bit water.

M - Medium bodied with medium carbonation.

O - Overall, it was exremely average. I could have it at the the bar, but probably wouldn't buy it for the home.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 06:01:15 | More by SometimesIfart

duffalo

4.26/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Nothing frilly, just a really well done brown ale. The balance is great - there's no hop smell, but they nicely cancel out the sweetness that could easily be in this beer given the amount of grains they pack in. I think the taste is great, but personally I think it's almost on the verge of a porter in darkness and alcohol content - not quite as light as most of the brown ales I'm used to. Nevertheless, this is a great choice if you're in the mood for a no frills well done brown.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 00:51:58 | More by duffalo

Dave1999

Virginia

3.89/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a solid brown with lighter amber hues and nice white head.

The smell is sweet and malty with some nutiness.

The taste is light malt, nuts and very light hop bitterness. The flavours are very subtle but complex enough to at least make it decent.

The mouthfeel is light with medium carbonation.

Overall a decent brown ale a little light for my tastes but enjoyed the one bottle I bought.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 22:23:01 | More by Dave1999

Gmann

New York

3.76/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours a yeasty chocolate brown color with a tight bubbled cream colored head that settled into a light ring with some lacing on the glass.

The aroma is sweet with caramel notes. Some brown bread and toasted scents from the malt. Nothing outrageous but inviting.

Good nutty flavor from the toasted malt. Some bark and bitter chocolate notes as well. The caramel sweetness comes in and balances the brew and makes it quite smooth; almost tastes as if there is some oatmeal in the mix.

The feel is moderate with prickly carbonation. Good balance between sweet and bitter. Some bitterness in the finish. Probably could use some softer carbonation to help bring out the good flavors some more.

A very enjoyable brown ale, good representation of the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 18:04:47 | More by Gmann

Ed_Johnson

4.3/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a very dark amber in color and a light amount of visible carbonation. Moderate amounts of lacing.

S: Light aromas of caramel with less pronounced smell of brown sugar and molasses. There is also some cocoa.

T: Dark malts with some hints of molasses, brown sugar, caramel, and sweetness. Also some nuts with a touch of cocoa. Very light bitterness in the finish.

M: Light to medium bodied. Creamy and smooth.

O: Extremely easy to drink. Enjoyable. Nice in the winter and I suspect year around.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 23:04:40 | More by Ed_Johnson