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

srv33

2.83/5  rDev -26.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Dark amber pour, light medium-fine frothy head. Little smell, a little bread a little nutty. Tastes much the same, very much a generally pleasing ale. I could see how this would be a crowd pleaser. No notable overarching notes on first taste that aren't uncommon for an ale. Great aftertaste though, a little vanilla and oddly a little melon, very smooth.

Serving type: on-tap

06-29-2012 04:23:34 | More by srv33

charlzm

California

4.28/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Consumed April 30th, 2012.

Pours a medium caramel with orange and amber highlights. Sticky one-finger tan head.

Aroma is nuts and toffee and slightly metallic.

Substantial hop bite right up front. Bitter and resiny. Strong toffee and caramel follows. Roasted and slightly sweet in the middle and then bitter again at the end.

Mouthfeel is smooth and slightly chewy.

Flavor-packed. Forget Newcastle; my notes say, "This is the shit."

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 20:21:02 | More by charlzm

Luigi

North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours out a lighter brown, with a lot of amber highlights. Has an off white head that starts off about two fingers, then settles down to thin blanket on top of the ale. There is some sticky lacing around the glass and the head retains throughout the life of the beer.

The aroma is notes of toasted malt, toffee, and chocolate.

The first flavor to hit the palate would be the strong toasted malt, followed with some hints of chocolate. The hops are mildly bitter but are just enough to linger of the tongue, paired with the toasted malt.

Medium bodied and moderately carbonated.

Overall, Bell's Brown ale is a switch up from the average English Brown Ale. The carbonation is what threw me off. I guess I am used to the traditional lightly carbonated almost chewy in body brown ales. But, never the less Bell's brown ale is a tasty dark brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 08:01:53 | More by Luigi

Phelps

Arizona

3.08/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bell’s Best

Enjoyed in a shaker pint at OHSO.

Well, this doesn't look right. The brew’s the color of a rusted, weathered penny and is clear as mud. The head is about an inch tall, frothy and mountainous, slowly receding to a thick top layer and thick tendrils of lace.

Nutty nose, with a background of tangy apricot. A touch of biscuits, baking bread and some earthy hops.

In the front I get toasted bread and bitter peanut skins with just a bit of spicy hops. The swallow opens it up more, with smoother bread and peanuts in balance with earth. A touch of apricot and apple at the swallow. Well-balanced. A bit of bitterness lingers on the back sides of the tongue.

Soft, medium-light body. Carbonation is pretty high and massaging, breaking the beer into fizz all over.

Meh. This is far from the best. An average nut brown.

Serving type: on-tap

04-30-2012 01:41:11 | More by Phelps

thegodfather1076

Ohio

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

This beer was served out of a 12oz. bottle dispensed into a glass....

Presentation - Like all Bell's that I've seen this has a very simple yet classy label with very nice hand drawn(I recently emailed Bell's to inquire about the artwork and was told that all Bell's artwork is hand drawn by local Michigan artists)artwork.

Appearance - Pours out a dark, caramel brown color with a very nice 2 finger golden tan head that dissipates slowly to a thin foam ring. Really good lacing.

Smell - Smells nutty with a scents of roasted malts and bread-like aroma. Hints of sweet caramel are evident. Very solid aroma!

Taste - Tastes of roasted malts with a earthy hop bitterness. Slightly nutty with hints of molasses or brown sugar and toasted bread.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. Starts off crisp but finishes slightly creamy.

Drinkability - Very drinkable. Not filling at all despite the medium body. These go down easy!

One of the better Browns that I have had. I really enjoyed the way the aroma and flavor complemented each other. Perfect for a fall bonfire and readily available in the Akron Area.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 21:21:44 | More by thegodfather1076

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Single bottle from Knightly Spirits in Orlando. Poured into a branded Bell's nonic.

Chestnut brown with hints of ruby, hazy and a few flecks of sediment. Left a thin but very sturdy head of off white foam. Sheets of lacing. Great looking brew.

Nose is caramel, chocolate malt, herbal hops, raisin, faint coffee.

Solid brown ale. Simple enough to quaff yet complex enough to give the brew some pondering time. Soft grape or raisin backing with a hint of coffee. Caramel malt is pronounced, but not dominant. Medium to light bodied, higher carbonation.

Nice brew. There's a lot to be said for a sturdy brown ale and this one fits the bill. Plus, the bottle had an owl on the label, and owls are awesome.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 02:57:18 | More by JohnnyBarman

axeman9182

New Jersey

3.6/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle from batch 10856. It was bottled on 12/28/11 and poured into my petite Duvel tulip.

Bell's Best Brown pours a very nice mahogany, with plenty of red highlights. The cream colored foam quickly billows up to over three fingers in height before slowly creeping down. The lacing is left behind in sheets, and if the head retention were just a little more impressive the looks would be perfect. The nose has plenty of caramel and toasted nuts, but the spicy/herbal hop aroma is just a little too intense/misplaced. My comments for the flavor profile would be largely the same. Some of the classic flavors from the style are nicely rendered, but the hops (which the website calls "American", but I would have guessed Fuggles or some other English varietal) are a bit too forward, both in bitterness and intensity of flavor. The body is nice and full, but the carbonation is just a little too bright for a brown ale. Bell's Best Brown is an alright brown ale, but I can't say I was particularly impressed.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 03:36:52 | More by axeman9182

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle from good ta go beer store in PA for 1.99 - thanks to jfam for this

Appearance - Hazy brown colour with a large size fizzy/frothy beige head. There is an average amount of carbonation showing and there is some fairly good lacing. The head lasted for over 5 minutes. There are also some particles floating around.

Smell - Malts, chocolate, brown sugar, dark fruits

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts, toffee, chocolate, and a hint of dark fruits (raisins?). There is also a little bit of a molasses flavour. It ends with a malty chocolate and toffee aftertaste.

Overall - Pretty good, but nothing that will blow your socks off. It's very drinkable but the higher abv would keep it from being a session type brew. Worth a shot but I wouldn't pick it up again.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 22:09:12 | More by spinrsx

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

3.45/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Good if a bit tepid brown ale.

Presentation: 12 oz brown capped bottle. Bells framing with light cream label where an owl sits on top of a wired fence pole. Back offers a short paragraph about intent and description. Notes 5.8% Alc by Vol. and packing date 1-04-12 A. Poured into a tulip glass.

A - Amber brown to brown pour, initial fair frothy head, moderate retention and surface memory with a few touches of lacing.

S - Malty roasted notes, nutty touches, hazelnut, some caramel…

T - And the taste follows nicely with a bitter soft touch in the end under a nice malty sense, hazelnut, caramel-toffee, bit of chocolate in the distant.

M - Medium-light to light body with moderate softly tuned carbonation, nice tingle as it lingers.

O - It actually has a pretty nice flow all things considered.

Notes: Maybe I´m a bit condescending… This is all sorts of decent, just not really my thing. Worth having around for a mellow, generic and quality malty offering, just nothing to really keep on the radar.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 23:10:56 | More by Daniellobo

BeerDocT

Georgia

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

Poured into a chilled glass goblet.

-Appearance 3.5: Nice head, about half an inch. Slowly faded away into a film all over the top.

-Smell 4.0: Very, very nice bouquet on this brew. I smell lots of barley and caramel and a deep earthiness.

-Taste 4.0: Front is vaguely sweet, but very smooth with a slight hint of burnt sugar. Middle is where the barley hits you: big barley flavors, but amazingly dry. Finish is wonderfully balanced: not too sweet, not too dry and filled with tastes of dried fruits, malted sugars and a very restrained hoppiness. Aftertaste is long and heavy on a hop/burnt sugar fadeaway. Very, very good.

-Mouthfeel 4.0: Perfect level of carbonation for this beer: subdued, but it heightens the taste of the brew. Bottle-conditioned.

-Overall 4.0: Very good ale bordering on excellent. I really like the balanced tastes and the semi-dry finish. This is an excellent session beer and goes great with foods. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 02:20:41 | More by BeerDocT

Crundy

Ohio

3.05/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: Hazy Reddish Brown color, off white head, sticky lacing

S: caramel or toffee sweetness and malt aroma, slight hop presence.

T: somewhat flat flavors, subdued malt, very minimal hop bitterness. might be an older beer.

M: flat mouth feel, medium bodied, smooth with a hint of dryness slightly bitter aftertaste.

O: I don't think this beer was a fresh as it should have been. The flavors were all subdued and somewhat flat. It was still quite drinkable but I think if it had been fresher it would have been better.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 16:55:22 | More by Crundy

raznug

Ohio

3.73/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Best brown pours a crystal clear deep garnet color and is topped with ¾” of off white head that leaves small amounts lacing down the pint.
Smell: This smells of all brown ale deep malt aroma followed by more malt aroma. There maybe a bit of roasted aroma in the background but it is hard to find on every smell.
Taste: This follows in line with the smell and is all brown ale malt backbone and is followed by more malt in the background.
Mouthfeel: This feels a bit thin but being a brown ale one doesn’t want it too thick and hard to drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 20:03:02 | More by raznug

Gatch

Massachusetts

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

On-tap at Flanny's in Tempe, AZ.

A: Medium amber. Decent lace and head retention.

S: Sweet, roasted malt.

T: Dry, sweet, lightly toasted malt and a nice nutty flavor throughout. Some quiet hops in the finish.

M: Great flavor, easy drinking. Sweet, nutty flavor lingers on the palate.

O: Fits the style well. Good English Brown Ale.

Serving type: on-tap

03-10-2012 07:02:45 | More by Gatch

neckbracesub

Indiana

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

One of the best of the winter amber ales, Bell’s Best Brown indeed does a terrific job balancing itself somewhere between too light and too heavy.

If I am entertaining guests and having to consider that not all people are accustomed to some of my favorite types of beer (imperial stouts, barleywines) and I have to get something everyone will enjoy AND still keeping with craft beers and out of the fuzzy yellow standard domestics, I almost always choose Best Brown.

It has the right balance to make nearly every drinker happy, without the usual blandness of a run-of-the-mill amber ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2012 23:57:38 | More by neckbracesub

Labeerfinder

3.63/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Mahogany color, with a very thin white head. Some sparce and spotty lacing. Floral hops come out in the nose. Accompanying that are some sweet malts. Flavors are about the same, but now the hops have an additional citrus to them. Lemons mostly. Smooth palate, medium body

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 17:15:42 | More by Labeerfinder

MSR129

Maine

3.73/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A very nice offering from Bells. Pours a rich amber color with a thin head that dissipates quickly. The aroma is not particularly strong. The flavor is rich and nutty, similar to Arcadia's Nut Brown. It is pretty carbonated for a Brown Ale, but not overly so.

It's easy to polish off a few of these with out thinking about it. The Northern Saw-whet Owl on the label is outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 19:30:42 | More by MSR129

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a nice dark caramel colour, thin layer of head with little retention and no lacing.

S - Mild on the nose, musty caramel and a hint of leafy greens.

T - Unique earthy bitterness, leafy green hops, musty caramel, tasted bread. A sour bitterness lingers.

M - Medium bodied, smooth and wet.

O - A tad disappointing from what has otherwise been a great experience with this brewery. Could use a bit more caramel to balance off the earthy hop flavour. Still rather drinkable and non-offensive though, just nothing spectacular.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 21:41:33 | More by andrenaline

maxk

Maryland

3.55/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottled on 10/04/11 and poured into a tulip.

A rust brown colored, cloudy fluid with an off white/eggshell colored head. The head was two fingers and settled down to a thin coating and leaving nice lacing down the sides.

Dark fruits and coffee. There are a variety of malts evident in the nose.

Mostly dark fruit with bits of coffee bitterness and astringency. It's nice and creamy. The brew isn't so big bodied, but it's very rich.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 02:05:50 | More by maxk

AllenJasper

Minnesota

4.03/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle to mug, bottled 11/30/11 (2 and a half months old)

A: Murky brown with a coppery tone to it. one finger of fluffy brownish white head, not much retention.

S: Toasty malts, almonds, little hint of caramel

T/M: follows smell quite closely, a bit of hoppiness in there... I can only compare it to Newcastle, this is nuttier, hoppier, and is slightly crispier on the tongue.

O: This is the best 'Brown Ale' I have had. I've had a handful of ABAs and none of them even come close... even when some cost much more. (Rogue John John Hazelnut)
So far, Bell's has yet to disappoint. Even with a style of beer that is not really my thing.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 22:24:17 | More by AllenJasper

spdyfire83

Ireland

3.83/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

170th Review
Served in a half pint
On-draft at the mothership itself in Kalamazoo!

From notes.

A: Simply brown. 0.5 (tan) fingernail head.

S: Nutty, caramel, bread crumbs, and faint hop aroma. Hint of semi-sweet chocolate as well. Interesting.

T: Brown bread malt with caramel up-front followed by dark fruit, almond, touch of the chocolate. Finishes with a touch of brown sugar sweetness, which is a very nice ending. Pretty decent and easy to drink!

M: Medium bodied with even carbonation.

O: Not a huge fan of brown ales, but this one is quite nice. I haven't ever had it from the bottle, but I'd probably only want to drink it on-draft if it were up to me.

Serving type: on-tap

02-11-2012 14:48:04 | More by spdyfire83

ChadQuest

Illinois

3/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Sunburst amber, some floaties from the bottle of the bottle, some lacing, a thin cap.
Aroma is sweet malt, some brown sugar, a bit of toffee, but overall on the sweet side of the spectrum with a variety of malt notes.
The flavors have a bit of toasy caramel on them, some brown sugar, ginger bread, and a light flavor of hops. A nice brown ale, a bit creamy.

A nice beer, but not one that is going to make a brown ale your fav style.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 05:15:12 | More by ChadQuest

tvv375ia

Iowa

3.73/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

poured from 12oz bottle into pint glass

A-cloudy burnt orange colored with about a finger on head that fades quickly

S-carmel malt and a very earthy hop smell on the finish

T-much like the smell with some carmel up front and a slight pine hop finish

M-ok carbonation fairly light bodied

O-I had this on tap a couple of weeks ago so I thought that I would pick up a 6 pack so I could review it. On tap definitely a 4+ bottled not so much but it is still good

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 15:47:26 | More by tvv375ia

CFHMagnet

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A big thank you to Output01x for this bottle.
Pkgd on 10/04/11.

I poured this one a little faster and more aggressive. A finger of sandy colored head was thus delivered, and endeavored to disappear in a couple minutes, leaving a little froth and a thick ring. Body is brown with copper and light orange flecks when held up to the light. Lacing tries but cannot quite cling to the glass.

Strong and delicious smelling malt backbone. Smells very sweet with notes of caramel and maybe a little cinnamon and spice.

Nice light toasty malt is a strong flavor, with caramel, mild roasted nuts, a little cinnamon and spice with a mild herbal hop flavor coming in at the end to finish off with the light spice.

Beer is medium bodied and tries to coat the mouth, leaving a little filminess, which is the only reason I gave it 3.5 instead of 4. More on the sweet side but leaves you a little bitter at the very end.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 02:37:36 | More by CFHMagnet

tobelerone

New Jersey

4.22/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

App: Cream soda color, somewhat cloudy, with visible carbonation. Two finger head that settles slowly, strong lacing.

Smell: Appealing aroma of caramel and toasted bread. Slight floral hop note at the back end. Very nice!

Taste: Lots of toasty malt character, lightly sweet, mildly bitter, balanced and totally delicious. Big tasty malt, traces of caramel and hints of brown sugar. One of the best tasting browns in recent memory.

Mf: Medium bodied, solid carbonation, but smooth. Easy drinking, low bitterness, finishes dry.

Overall: Really enjoyed this one. Not a super sexy style anymore but so well made and tasty. Memorable, for sure, not something I thought I’d say about a brown ale these days. Another winner from Bell’s.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 18:17:38 | More by tobelerone

blackcompg

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from their 12oz bottle...

Appearance - Poured 2 fingers of lite mocha head, color of the ale is a gorgeous hazy dark copper red, leaves wonderful khaki lacing after each sip.

Smell - Like freshly baked honey wheat bread, toasted malts, breadcrusts, touch of molasses and brown sugar, and a whiff of earthy hops. Really smells good.

Taste - Wow is this nice! Starts out toasted malt and crispy baked honey-wheat breadcrust, some nice grassy hops, there is just a touch of brown sugar/burnt sugar backbone for the entire sip, I also get faint minerals, which really adds a nice flavor component and adds to the complexity here. The finish drops off to drying earthy and grassy hops, and toasted malts. A very nice and smooth transition.

Mouthfeel - Almost medium mouthfeel, not quite creamy, but very smooth and drinkable. The medium carb adds wonderful brite and crisp edges along the sides of the tongue, and creates a perfect segway for the earthy hop characters to finish off the sip.

Overall - So sessionable at 5.8%, I really enjoy the flavors in this beer. Very flavorful but not heavy at all. There is such a wonderful mineral and hoppy flavor in my mouth between sips, I could easily drink these for an evening and be completely satisfied. Try this, and you may agree that this is the Best Brown ale too.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 04:45:21 | More by blackcompg