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

cdizinno

South Carolina

4.2/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: Poured into a tulip glass from a growler purchased at CBX(Charleston Beer Exchange).

A: Cloudy, golden orange/straw color with a pink hue and thin white head. Minimal to no lacing.

S: Tart cherries with some wheat undertones.

T&M: Same as the smell. Mild malt, wheat and heavy taste of tart cherry flavor. Medium bodied and quite smooth.

It is a good quality cherry wheat. I don't particularly enjoy the tart cherry taste, but it is an excellent fruit beer.

Serving type: growler

07-27-2010 00:12:30 | More by cdizinno

BlissJunkie

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +21.1%

01-14-2013 17:42:56 | More by BlissJunkie

t0rin0

California

4/5  rDev +14%

08-22-2012 00:21:07 | More by t0rin0

TGZ32

Michigan

1/5  rDev -71.5%

05-13-2012 03:17:44 | More by TGZ32

mcallister

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -0.3%

02-16-2012 10:05:00 | More by mcallister

Tyrawlings

Ohio

3/5  rDev -14.5%

02-11-2012 13:24:10 | More by Tyrawlings

Brewsed

North Carolina

3.25/5  rDev -7.4%

01-03-2012 22:01:34 | More by Brewsed

SPRichard

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -0.3%

12-27-2011 15:50:28 | More by SPRichard

uziangis

Ohio

4/5  rDev +14%

12-11-2011 18:36:22 | More by uziangis

Jips

Kansas

5/5  rDev +42.5%

11-23-2011 18:32:03 | More by Jips

jophish17

Georgia

2/5  rDev -43%

11-20-2011 21:20:45 | More by jophish17

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On tap at Bell's last weekend.

Pours a very, very cloudy yellow color with a pinkish tint. There is a spot or two of lacing as it goes down, but that's about it. The nose brings some light cherry and a bit of wheat. The flavor has a mild cherry tartness and plenty of wheat and grain. The feel is slightly chalky with a light to medium body and low carbonation. Decent enough, but too thick for my taste.

Serving type: on-tap

06-28-2011 22:00:33 | More by Thorpe429

MikeyRx

Michigan

3.93/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

From my notes 6/3/11

Appearance: Pours a milky red-orange with almost no head, very interesting appearance!

Smell: Strong aromas of cherry and grains with notes of citrus, wood, earth.

Taste: Sweet grains, tart cherries with orange/citrus, banana, cloves, earth/wood. Minimal hop flavors.

Mouthfeel: Medium in body with light carbonation. Chewy feel when receding, sticky finish.

Overall: An interesting and extremely fruity beer! The appearance, smell and taste are great but the beer could have benefited from some more hops to balance out the sweetness in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap

06-04-2011 12:10:42 | More by MikeyRx

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

2.1/5  rDev -40.2%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A real disappointment of a beer. This sounded like it would be very good but once I got it, it just seemed to be very light and really didn't have much of a taste to it. I expected this to be much better coming from Bells. The color is pale and yellow with a small fading head. Not the greatest beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-27-2011 20:13:39 | More by Knapp85

branimal9

South Carolina

3.88/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

From tasting notes, sampled 7.24.2010...

Cloudy pink in color...looks like ruby red grapefruit juice. Smells soapy and citrusy. Taste is full of clove and orange with a bit of cherry tartness. Zesty, sour and estery, with good drinkability. Pretty good!

Serving type: growler

02-13-2011 00:17:01 | More by branimal9

ktrillionaire

Florida

2.17/5  rDev -38.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

On-tap at CCB's Fruit in the Room event

I must admit to being perplexed by this brew. It is pale and fizzy, virtually headless, and appears like a lighter version of Oberon. There is not much to the nose, but it does smell a bit like pool water, which makes the name disturbingly ironic. My first sip tells me that it will be my last sip. Again, I will reference Oberon: this brew tastes like a crappy light version of Oberon (which itself basically sucks, too.) Why did they make this? It is worse than mediocre, hardly a ringing endorsement.

Serving type: on-tap

10-31-2010 07:23:15 | More by ktrillionaire

PorterLambic

Florida

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

Pours a cloudy apricot with a white head, good-sized with decent retention and decent lace.
Smell is malty, fruity with slight hops in the background.
Taste is malt, green apple and grape.
Medium body with a light effervescence. Quite quaffable. Another solid brew from the folks at Bell's. Enjoy one or 3 at the poolside.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2010 21:47:16 | More by PorterLambic

jsanford

Georgia

4.05/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

One of the counter-filled growlers from CBX's Rare Growler Thursday, poured into a Weizen glass.

A - Pours a hazy orange with reddish highlights and a rocky 2-finger white head.

S - Lotsa wheat with a slight cherry aroma. Smells like Oberon, which I assume is similar to the base of this beer. Not as much cherry aroma as I'd hoped.

T - Ok, there's the cherry flavor! A nice blend of tart cherry and orange citrus mingle with the typical sweet malt, grain and banana of a wheat beer. Very fruity, very balanced.

M - Light bodied with crisp carbonation.

D - Perhaps even more drinkable then my usual Summer go-to, Oberon, Bell's should bottle this. Great beer.

Serving type: growler

09-15-2010 21:55:07 | More by jsanford

tigg924

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at Binny's South Loop tasting room--Chicago

Appearance: orange/yellow in color, with 1/3 inch head

Smell: sour cherries and wheat

Taste: wheat, light cherries that surface in the middle and a sour kick at the end

Mouthfeel: tart, light body, moderate carbonation

Drinkability: A nice and light summer sipper. I love the slight sourness. I could have several and is a solid beer. This one strikes me as a lighter, tarter, more complex Sam Adams Cherry Wheat.

Serving type: on-tap

08-23-2010 16:53:27 | More by tigg924

jampics2

Ohio

3.68/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

On tap at Fatheads. Served in a goblet, probably 12oz or so.

Looks OK, almost reminds me of grapefruit juice. Cloudy reddish orange color with a great head and nice lace.

Smell is just average, mostly because the cherries aren't that expressive. I'm smelling the wheat and graininess, but there's just a touch of tart cherry. I'd like to smell more.

The cherry does show up in the taste and saves the day. Their slight tartness gives this wheat beer the right mix of tart, tangy, and sweet. Though no where near as intricate as other beers, the flavors work well and there's even hints of citrus and mild spice.

Mouthfeel is too light. I like more body in a wheat beer, and this just feels a bit weak and watery. However, if it wasn't for that flaw, this would be a really nice brew. As is, it is refreshing and worth a try if you like APWA's.

Serving type: on-tap

08-20-2010 13:43:13 | More by jampics2

kbutler1

Minnesota

3.05/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Draft. Stopped in the brewery and had a little sampler of several beers. Pours an opaque reddish tan with a nice little white head. Slight tart cherry aroma w/wheat. The cherry taste is nice which then transfers smoothly to the wheat style backbone. Slight bitter end. Very smooth and drinkable. Medium mouthfeel. Good lace left on the glass. Just an average on though for me.

Serving type: on-tap

08-19-2010 18:37:15 | More by kbutler1

SpdKilz

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed with my brother-in-law while in Michigan this summer.

Appearance - Comes out a hazy orange in a 20oz plastic cup with about a finger of head. The head dissipates rather quickly and from what I can tell, leaves okay lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell - Tart citrus, light cherry, wheat. The aroma is inviting and I can't wait to try this.

Taste - Wow, a nice tartness immediately makes my mouth pucker up. Nice orange and cherry flavors mixed in with some grassy notes and wheat. This beer has the typical "Blue Moon" type flavor, but it goes so much further beyond that. This is, to me, the epitome of a "poolside" and summertime beer.

Mouthfeel - Light to medium bodied, decently carbonated.

Drinkability - I could drink this ALL day long. I really enjoyed this beer and have to thank my brother-in-law for suggesting it (was going to get another two hearted instead). Wish I could buy this in a six pack because I would in a heartbeat. A pleasant surprise.

Serving type: on-tap

08-16-2010 17:03:09 | More by SpdKilz

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.15/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

really happy with this one. the first thing i ordered up on tap at barleys tonight, served in a pint glass, this one was consumed on 08/14/2010.

really decent pour, light amber in color with a nice two finger head of white that faded quickly but left behind a good amount of lace in its wake.

aroma of faint citrus, light grain a touch of light cherry. nicely blended and nothing really dominating here, just a light mix of bright aromas. flavor follow through was just as nice. light hops, hints of grain, touches of light fruit, really blened quite well with a smooth finish, light dryness and tartness on the tongue and the lasting flavor of cherries left you hanging.

overall really very nicely done. i could drink this all day in the hot sun.

Serving type: on-tap

08-15-2010 01:37:32 | More by mikesgroove

chaz01

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Chappy's Tap Room -- served in a typical pint glass.

A: Orange in color, creamy white head.

S: Faint cherry aroma

T: Distinct cherry tart flavor mixed with wheat, hay and grass notes. Fruity cherry flavor, but not sweet, nicely balanced. Excellent orange flavor in the finish reminded me of Oberon.

M: Well carbonated, light to medium bodied

D: Nice refreshing summer beer, not over the top fruity, very tasty and drinkable. Good enough for me to order a second pint.

Serving type: on-tap

08-12-2010 01:30:55 | More by chaz01

Brysky

Florida

3.78/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

ST- Tap, into a glass

A- golden in color with little head

S- smells like a ordinary Belgium wheat with a slight hint of hops

T- Tastes like Blue moon or Shock Top but way better with a slight hint of light hops.

M- Easy on the mouth, very smooth

D- Could drink all day long at the beach or a pool, name is perfect for it, Really great for what it is.

Serving type: on-tap

08-08-2010 01:58:12 | More by Brysky