Hell Hath No Fury Ale - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle-dated 10/03/12. Poured into a Chimay chalice.

Pours a very dark brown. No light getting into this one. The head is creamy and dense. Tan foam peaked at about an inch-and-a-half. Amazing retention.

Belgian yeast (with fruits and nuts), mild chocolate, and malty roast. Dark fruits include dates, figs, apples, and a hint of cherries. Nuttiness speaks of roasted chestnuts. Decent nose.

The dark fruits (date, fig, and raisin) are here, but the prominent feature is that of coffee. A great coffee flavor for a Belgian-style ale. That, combined with the yeast's nuttiness (almond), impresses me. Some more chocolate. Lots of roasty malt notes, that are at borderline-inappropriate levels for a BSDA, taste amazing at the threshold. Light creaminess is a flavor, especially as it warms. Such supple, yet bold, flavors despite the quieter nose.

Drinks pretty thick and chewy. Lots of chew, in the way that you'd get a properly constructed oatmeal stout. Carbonation feels light to medium-light, and that's right where I want it to be. An expertly crafted feel.

Tastes great for the style (I swear, it was deemed a dubbel only months back). A beer that I had a first-time great experience with last year, and wanted to confirm or disconfirm its greatness this year. Let's say it's just how I remember it.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 04:39:54 | More by thecheapies

drgonzo2k2

California

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%

05-19-2013 14:30:40 | More by drgonzo2k2

NJB145

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%

05-19-2013 01:04:22 | More by NJB145

jimcivis

Tennessee

3.25/5  rDev -14%

05-18-2013 20:15:17 | More by jimcivis

AmandaSchaefer

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +12.4%

05-18-2013 13:03:31 | More by AmandaSchaefer

GinsuDave

Michigan

3.25/5  rDev -14%

05-15-2013 02:14:33 | More by GinsuDave

vrbulldog22

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%

05-13-2013 18:29:20 | More by vrbulldog22

drbenderdo

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -7.4%

05-13-2013 01:04:51 | More by drbenderdo

HarmonMW

Michigan

3.25/5  rDev -14%

05-12-2013 00:23:31 | More by HarmonMW

fredmugs

Indiana

4/5  rDev +5.8%

05-11-2013 15:03:21 | More by fredmugs

anticipation23

Wisconsin

4.5/5  rDev +19%

05-06-2013 19:49:41 | More by anticipation23

kojevergas

California

3.66/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Acquired in a trade with tcman128. Thanks again, buddy! 7.5% ABV per my bottle's label. Bottled 10/18/11. I like the amusing label art and colour. 12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard branded pressure cap served into a Mitchells of Lancaster flared stemtulip in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are high given the brewery and style.

Served cold, straight from the fridge, and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a one finger tan colour head of nice cream and thickness, and pretty good (~3-4 minute) retention for the high ABV. Body colour is a nontransparent opaque solid black. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Light lacing clings to the sides of the glass as the head recedes.

Sm: Lovely refined sugars, rich raisin, buried hints of fig, molasses, dark malts, burnt dark stonefruit, syrup, burnt bready notes, and a light touch of smokey earthiness. Very interesting. No yeast character or alcohol comes through. Light bubblegum hoppy notes. Curious. I'm excited to try it; it's atypical of the style but I'd call it appealing. A below average strength aroma. Subtle yet inviting.

T: Burnt bread and molasses are dominant here, with pleasant dark stone fruit and fig notes complementing. It's got a good full malty base comprised of dark bready malts and touches of light earthy character. Well balanced, hiding the ABV quite well. Well handled sugars - some unrefined dark sugar and hints of candi sugar. No yeast character or alcohol comes through. A bit raisiney. Built well, if uniquely for the style. I quite like it, but it's not horribly complex. Its balance and subtlety make up for its simplicity. I quite like it.

Mf: Full-bodied. Smooth and wet. Good carbonation. Good thickness. Good presence on the palate. Complements the flavour profile nicely. Not syrupy or viscous as I feared upon smelling it.

Dr: A rather drinkable little Belgian Strong (if we're considering it that) from Bell's. I'd definitely get this again, and it seems to age nicely. It won't blow you away, but it's a solid balanced example of the style and I quite like it. Very enjoyable stuff if not on par with Belgian examples of the style. Definitely worth trying. I'd recommend it to friends. Thanks for the opportunity to try this, tcman128!

Low B

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 03:34:06 | More by kojevergas

dbossman

Nebraska

3.88/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A: Black with a thin fairly quickly dissipating light brown head; nearly no lacing

S: The Belgian yeast hits you first: banana, bubblegum, cloves, and though those are quite prominent, there is some darker fruits and some slightly bready roasted malts peaking through, but man, that yeast strain is dominant

T: While the banana/bubblegum flavors from the yeast are still prevalent, they aren't dominant in the flavors; in fact, there is a pleasant roasty, chocolatey, bready and slightly boozy malt presence with just a touch of coffee and dark fruits as well

F: A touch thin upfront but creamy and sticky on the back end

O: An interesting beer; I wish it was a bit more assertive in hops and mlats so it wasn't so much of a yeast bomb, but I still really enjoyed sipping this down on a cool Halloween night

(from notes)

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 13:20:58 | More by dbossman

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.78/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

a nice dark pour with a rim of off-white head. smells of raisins, rum barrels, coffee, toffee, wet grass. the flavor is extremely bitter.. very dirt-manure like. coffee, sweet malt bill is buried behind a raunchy bitterness. medium body, higher carbonation. definitely a weird tasting beer, but it gives me high hopes for a beer i just bottled. it has a weird poop-like flavor overall, but somehow it works. a nice mellow dirt-taste with coffee, dark fruits, but that overall dirt bitterness takes over everything. the beer i bottled is the same way but fresh. this is old.. hoping it turns out something like this.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 02:50:34 | More by facundoCNB

myron317

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%

05-01-2013 01:15:56 | More by myron317

stortore

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%

04-28-2013 03:45:59 | More by stortore

Devilman

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%

04-27-2013 22:32:36 | More by Devilman

dsuedbeck

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -7.4%

04-27-2013 01:20:59 | More by dsuedbeck

DougLana

Michigan

4/5  rDev +5.8%

04-25-2013 17:39:02 | More by DougLana

HardyA

Michigan

3/5  rDev -20.6%

04-18-2013 01:09:07 | More by HardyA

JZ77

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +5.8%

04-18-2013 00:59:08 | More by JZ77

InfragilisBrew

Illinois

4/5  rDev +5.8%

04-17-2013 19:02:36 | More by InfragilisBrew

mikeyv35

New York

3.78/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Date: 06/02/2011
Type: 12oz. Bottle
Vintage: 2009
Glass: DFH Chalice

Pours a dark brown maple in color w/ a skim coat light brown head that leaves medium lacing. Aromas of molasses, raisins, figs, and charred smokiness. The taste was of molasses up front, and finishes w/ slightly smokey malts and hop bite. Medium bodied and slightly lush. The Belgian style carbonation was not there in order to fit the style, more slick than anything. A little odd for the style, but pretty drinkable.

Overall, an OK brew. I would not actively seek this out again, but would drink if offered.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 00:02:25 | More by mikeyv35

tastymug

Ohio

4/5  rDev +5.8%

04-14-2013 17:23:22 | More by tastymug

dvmin98

North Carolina

3.63/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

On tap at the Liberty in Charlotte, NC

Dark fruits like plums and raisins. A bit of a nutty flavor lingers and had a chocolaty backbone. Nice lacing around the glass that lasts for a while. Mouthfeel is a bit carbonated on the tip of the tongue. Overall very solid.

Serving type: on-tap

04-12-2013 20:45:44 | More by dvmin98