Bell's Smitten Golden Rye Ale - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

tjsdomer2

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Golden yellow, almost orange. Lots of yeast. Very rustic, but a tad flat. Overall, the lacing is very nice...again...rustic.

Smell: Freshly mown lawn and dandelions, like the one on the bottle. Slightly sour.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Sweet corn and a hint of flowers. Quite herbal. Not a whole lot of rye. Pretty good. Fairly creamy, but a bit too thin. Too light-bodied for a rye.

Overall: A light rye beer is a cool idea, put not great in practice. It is good though.

Serving type: on-tap

05-21-2013 04:17:43 | More by tjsdomer2

lifeguardjon

North Dakota

3.83/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours a hazy golden color that is slightly copper. White head that appears fluffy and disapates slowly in a beer clean glass. Leaves moderate amount of lacing on glass with each drink.

A: Smells of hoppy citrus and spicyness from the rye that reminds me of a saison, like Tank 7. As it warms some fruitiness shows through with slight peaches and pineapple and orange oil. Moderate maltiness.

T: Spicy and peppery, with citrus notes. As it warmed the fruity characteristics that were present in the nose showed up. Aftertaste of citrusy hop bitterness.

M: Perfect carbonation. Malt profile creates a medium bodied beer.

O: Great warm weather beer that is somewhat reminiscent of a saison. Won't break the bank and stands up well to many foods, I enjoyed a few with some green curry chicken in the past. Hops make the heat of the curry stand out.

Soild offering from Bells. Also great on tap.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 01:32:05 | More by lifeguardjon

bnes09

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bright orange brew, somewhat hazy with lots of yeast chunks. Huge head on the pour, great retention and big frothy lace blotches.

Fresh, floral and citric aroma.

Mild rye bread in the flavor. Assertive citric, grassy hop which is well balanced. Tart, tangy on the dry side in the finish.

Medium bodied, snappy carbonation, crisp, dry finish.

Great rye brew. Love the fresh citrus flavor.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 05:00:45 | More by bnes09

lsummers

California

3.8/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Poured a bright golden orange. Tons of floaters that give it a nice dense Haze. There's a two finger fizzy head but it recedes to a nice layer and leaves some lacing behind.

Smells of light spices clove and wheat. Kind of subtle on the nose.

Tastes of citrus and cloves with a peppery spice. Subtle grassy hop note blends well with the touch of grains and rye.

Moderate carbonation and that peppery spice is reminiscent of A saison.

Overall, this is a fantastic beer that is nicely balanced and light on the tongue.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 17:13:12 | More by lsummers

mdcrouser

Missouri

4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Golden like the name says, hazy whitish head, great lacing - every half inch, there's a dedicated line left behind.

Wheaty, some rye spice, a very small bit of citrus.

Rye spice up front, a bit of mustiness, but it quickly fades to leave the rye behind. Earthy, a bit of spice, rye bread, lemonade. Uniquely summerlike.

Lightly carbonated, smooth throughout - easy to drink.

This is a different, much lighter take, on what can be done with rye. Not great, but enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 03:53:49 | More by mdcrouser

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

4.19/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle poured into a nonic pint glass at cellar temperature.

L – Pale amber color with a nice 3-finger, frothy, foamy, cream-colored head. Awesome retention and some fantastic rings of lacing. Clear with a good amount of bubbles but with lots of floaters, giving the beer an almost gelatinous appearance.

S – The aroma consists of grainy, bready malt, spicy rye, and a nice bouquet of hops with citrus and grassy notes. It smells like a solid pale ale with some rye thrown in.

T – The taste opens up with the spicy bite of rye and bitter blast of grapefruit, orange, grassy, and floral hops. As those stronger flavors subside, citrus sweetness and grainy, caramel, and bready malt take the forefront.

F – Medium-bodied with great carbonation, a creamy and sticky mouthfeel, and a bittersweet, spicy, and very dry finish. Citrus hops and caramel malt probably linger the longest out of all of the flavors.

O – I really liked this beer. It really had all the things that I look for in a pale ale, plus the addition of rye to make it a “rye beer.” There’s nothing particularly groundbreaking here, but it’s definitely tasty, drinkable, and a great example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 00:59:37 | More by BlackBelt5112203

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

3.24/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Smitten pours a golden golden color, with a nice large lacing head. The aroma is a bit similar to a bathroom, luckily its not too strong. The taste is crisp a nice strong citrus, and a nice bit of bitterness. Nice full flavor. Overall a not bad beer, good citrus flavors that work well in this beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 04:00:43 | More by vette2006c5r

Hopswagger

Oklahoma

3.63/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

P: Cloudy golden orange body with loads of specks and floaters. A whipped creamy off white head that hangs out for a good while.

S: Orange peel and oil, toasted rye, lemon zest, faint peaches, pineapple and earthy notes.

T/M: Spiced orange, toasted rye, sweet malt, chalky yeast, honey, and herbal tea. Zesty body that leave the palate subtly chalky and lingers bitter orange peel and spice.

O: Refreshing and easy drinking porch beer. The hop and malt profile are clean and simple yet play well together. A seasonal ale that doesn't break the bank.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 23:47:26 | More by Hopswagger

TheSixthRing

California

4.03/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - Pours hazy golden orange with an off-white finger width head. Good retention, leaving behind a healthy layer of microbubbles atop the surface. Spotty lacing with good stick.

Smell - Bready, slight caramel, with moderate citrus tones and a touch of rye spice at the tail end.

Taste - Strong bready presence upfront and throughout. Rye spice kicks in shortly thereafter, and coincides with the juicy orange hop character, both of which strengthen toward the finish. The result is a sweet, bready, orange aftertaste with a mellow peppery spice.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied, with low to moderate carbonation. Somewhat creamy. Finishes semi-dry.

Overall - This is a pretty awesome pale rye ale. Flavor-wise, reminds me a bit of Deschutes Red Chair. Solid all-around balance, with an interesting mix of flavor. Bring this to California, please!

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 03:58:10 | More by TheSixthRing

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.84/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Bell's Smitten Golden Rye Ale. Hey, at last a new Bell's seasonal offering that I can actually find on the shelves and won't cost me $16 for a six-pack. I had a pint of this on tap at a bar a few weeks ago, and like it, then. Looking forward to sitting down and tackling it in the quitted of home, with a mind undistracted.

First off, what about the name? Cute, dear, darling. The dandelion with the petals pulled? Are they shooting for a female market? Perhaps the colors, images and name are looking for ladies who want to be pulled towards something approachable, but substantial, not the same old honey wheats and wits they're used to being marketed to? Just some thoughts. Now let's get to the beer…

Highly hazed, with plenty of particles, but a beautiful golden color despite that, under a slim, sure white dotted head, leaving a little film behind.

Aroma: Bright, fresh hops lead the way, citrus-y, spicy, but not too bitter. Floral hops meets spicy, bread-y rye malt. A nice combination.

Taste: That one-two combo jumps right on to the palate, when the liquid lands on the tongue and floods the mouth. A very vivacious flavor in the mouth, a fantastic combination of slightly bitter hop profile and sweet and spicy malt mouthfeel. Light to medium body, smooth to somewhat tickle texture.

I'm really getting it now. I'm suspicions about the name, branding and imaging are proven true. The flavor is a step up from Oberon, for the craft beer fan needing a little something more, …not so much from hops, but enough. Not too much from malt, but the right amount to keep things tasty, light and easy to drink.

I like this. Might not choose it myself too often. But I recommend it. Refreshing and delightful. Maybe I'm smitten?

Here's the typically terse but clever label verbiage from the bottle: "With wonderfully bitter citus notes, resinous hop flavors and earthy overtones, this interesting take on the American Pale Ale doesn't leave a lot of room to wonder if you'll love it." Well done, but I'd skip the superlatives. "wonderful" and "interesting" should be left to the consumer to decide. True enough, it's a very likable brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 08:23:05 | More by feloniousmonk

screamking

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle dated 01/14/13 poured into pint glass.

This pours a hazy golden straw color, nice thick white head. Very nice looking beer with lots of lacing. A very slight citrus aroma. You also get a little of the rye spice in there, not as strong as I though it would be. Smell on this could have been stronger.

The taste is kinda surprising, not heavy on the rye. Instead it has a much more tropical tone. Lots of pineapple and mango. After that, the rye starts to kick in, but is subdued by a bitter aftertaste. The feel is on the fuller side of light, if that makes sense.

To me this would make a good summer beer, I'm not totally sure why its bottled in January. It's very drinkable and price point is right on track with most craft sold today. My only real gripe is if its a rye ale, I think it should use a much heavier rye recipe. Overall a nice little beer for a hot summer/spring day.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 23:16:00 | More by screamking

ToddT

Pennsylvania

3.29/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

L- Somewhat hazy orange topped with an off white fluffy head, that fades slowly to a cap and leaves a good bit of lace on the glass.

S- Light notes of rye malt and floral / citrus hops, not a very strong aroma.

T- Citrus notes right away, hints of lemon and orange, soon balanced out by the rye malt. Finish has a hint of hop oil but otherwise is pretty clean and dry.

M- Medium in body and decent carbonation, a bit of a creamy feel to this one.

O- A decent experiment, the hops and the rye clash a bit but not to a degree to make it unpleasant. The 6.0% ABV is a nice little kick and is well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 01:58:26 | More by ToddT

NoleDoc

Florida

4.2/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Served from bottle to glass. Had a thick head that was about 2 fingers thick. Rich yellow color with some sedimentation floating in the glass. Had a great smell of citrus. First sip hits you with bitter citrus notes and slight hit of hops. Has a smooth mouthfeel. Good summer Ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 20:04:37 | More by NoleDoc

LambicPentameter

Kansas

4.01/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured out of a bottle with a 1/14/2013 'bottled-on' date into a pint glass. Since it's not an IPA, the three month time-period hopefully hasn't caused any major loss of character.

Appearance - An orangeish-tan color with notes of gold and tons of floating sediment. Clearly an unfiltered beer. The head starts off foamy--about a finger of off-white head--but dissipates to a rim of bubbly carbonation around the edge and a layer of thin foam on the top of the beer. The lacing is silky and lingers before disappearing.

Smell - Spicy, bready rye aromas are dominant on the nose, but evolves into notes of citrus peel, hoppiness and some hints of malty sweetness.

Taste - The malt character is much more present here and makes up most of the flavor profile. The finish is earthy and herbal, with some of the bitterness from the hops finally poking through and rounding out the flavor.

Mouthfeel - Nicely carbonated, but mostly smooth and slick. Just enough carbonation to avoid any impression that the beer is flat. Very clean finish.

Overall, a solid beer, but I seem to have a favor for lighter rye beers. I love the way the spiciness of the rye comes through when paired with lighter flavor/smell profiles. I would easily find myself buying a sixer of this brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 16:14:49 | More by LambicPentameter

WVbeergeek

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Listening to Dr. John on Spotify goes great with this light summer/spring brew from Bell's...color is a kiss of orange/apricot preserves with a whipped head that brings a beige cream colored head forms thick with fine even banded lacing poured into a Tripel Karmeliet chalice. Aroma heavy hitting with floral citrus based hops, underlying hints of spicy rye malts with signature Bell's house yeast strain glowing through like your favorite artisanal crusted bread. The nose hits with orange marmalade like notes heavy on the peel, glazed with sweetness from the malts and balanced with the rye sharpness. Flavor is melding well, heavy bitterness with minimal crashing waves of alcohol seeping through this beer is sending out a lovely message, refreshment with hop bitterness. Someone had to do it I'm glad it's a great company like Bell's, I'm going to quit trying to act like somebody else and just enjoy what's good and not what's popular. I don't see this beer getting raved about, let me start the bandwagon, it's fuckin' good simply pleasurable well crafted American pale ale. The more I taste and smell this beer I'm getting limoncello with spiced rye grains bleeding through the alcohol, not nearly as strong but the same presence. Mouthfeel is creamy textured with hints of nuttiness on the sides of my palate, ample flowing carbonation this beer is smooth but still has that lingering rough hop oil bitterness that most "normal" beer drinkers don't care for, however I'm a "hophead" and I wouldn't expect anything less. Overall high quality well thought out beer, that I'm pleasured to sample a bottle of keep 'em coming good stuff from our friends up in Michigan.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 18:27:59 | More by WVbeergeek

Onenote81

North Carolina

3.94/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a tall tulip. Pours a pale gold with a yeasty haze. Thick lustrous white head rests on top. Leaves perfect sticky lace rings after each sip. A beautiful beer. A dry cracker-like aroma, with some pale fruit and lightly floral finish.

Easy drinking and smooth. Carbonation level is moderate, but this beer drinks a little slick at times. Nice mellow spicy profile from the rye, moderate bittering hops, grassy notes, and a smidge of fruity flavors on the back end.

A nice beer here for sure. Admittedly Rye's are not my favorite of styles, but this one was refreshing and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 15:34:27 | More by Onenote81

Vonerichs

Illinois

3.39/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Pale orange body and it has a ton of chunky and suspended sediment. I even let it settle for a while but this crap just wanted to hang.

Grainy smell with some lemon and grass.

The flavor is also very grainy. The lemon is a bitter pith and some intifada orange. Light rye spice in the finish.

Mouthfeel is well carbonated and light.

Eh, I wasn't very impressed at all. It seems like a user friendly beer for people just switching over to craft.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 00:42:26 | More by Vonerichs

thedoubler55

New Jersey

3.78/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: A golden orange, with yeast all over the place, looks kind of like a blue moon in appearance, has a nice finger of off white head at the top and leaves a good amount of lacing around the glass as you drink.

S: The rye is present, with hints of biscuits. Lots of hops and malts mixtured but the very present in the nose.

T: The taste is nothing special, very normal for a rye beer, nothing to wild on this one, same as the nose, with a good balance.

M: Full body and good amount of carbonation, a simple drinker good for the summer.

O: I saw this six pack when I visited Bell's two weeks ago and I just had to try it, nothing crazy very simple rye beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 20:14:11 | More by thedoubler55

garymuchow

Minnesota

4.01/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Fresh hop aroma with hints of the rye spicing it all up. Fresh and nice.
Big off-white head with lots of fullness. Rather cloudy and lots and lots of carbonation from the nucleation. Lacing from the head.
This really is a straight up APA with rye interjected and that's exactly what it tastes like. The rye is mildly balanced and mingles nicely, although some may wish for a little more presence. Striking bitterness middle to finish and a long lingering on the finish with some hop flavor thrown in too.
Solid moderate body with pleasing softness.
Solid drinking beer. Kinda' surprised this come out in the winter (maybe it's an all year beer) as today it tastes like the hope for spring that I need.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 20:43:04 | More by garymuchow

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours a cloudy golden apricot in color with significant amounts of yeast sediment in suspension, light amounts of visible carbonation, and some orange highlights. The beer has a finger tall creamy light beige head that slowly reduces to a thick film covering the entire surface of the beer with a slightly thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of bready malts with a lighter touch of rye spiciness which is followed by some slightly stronger grassy and floral hop aromas.

T: Upfront there are light to moderate flavors of bready and grainy malts with some lighter flavors of rye spiciness. There is a slight amount of honey sweetness but that fades pretty quickly. The finish has some light citrus/lemon followed by the flavors of grassy hops and light floral hops. Light to moderate amounts of bitterness in the finish which lingers slightly.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Slightly thin/watery with some light amounts of dryness in the finish.

O: This is an easy to drink and pleasant spring beer that is enjoyable on a warm afternoon. Not sure I would grab this one again as there are other rye beers that I prefer which are easily to come by (and Bell's is not readily available where I live).

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 18:17:24 | More by dbrauneis

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a cloudy golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of hops, some citrus. Taste is hoppy, spicy rye, some malts, a mild bitterness, well balanced. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 13:26:04 | More by tone77

WoodBrew

Illinois

4.23/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I love Rye beers and the Bell's Smitten is no different. The beer poured a clear golden color with this white head that left a very nice lace down the pint glass. The scent carried a rye flare with subtle lemony citrus notes. The taste was a very crisp common rye taste with light sitrus backing. The mouthfeel is light to medium body with good carbonation. Overall this is a great session beer and I will be looking to drink more of it...good beer!

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 00:26:19 | More by WoodBrew

KickbacksSteve

Florida

4.21/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

On tap at Kickbacks in Jax. Poured into a snifter. White head on a hazy gold body. Moderate head retention. Suddsy lacing. Aroma is a pleasant mix of citrusy, lemony hops, and a light sweetness. Taste is nicely bittered, refreshingly fresh tasting, with a mild background sweetness. Very easy to drink I would think, over and over.

Serving type: on-tap

03-30-2013 01:51:09 | More by KickbacksSteve

philbe311

Pennsylvania

3.46/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

A - A negligible half fingers worth of fizzy slightly off white colored head... Once faded there is a mostly full veil of lacing and thin collar... The liquid is a pale golden straw color... There is a distinct haziness and some hanging sediment... Some rapid paced streaks of carbonation rise throughout...

S - Light citrus... Lemon zest... Sweet orange... Rye... Some light grassy notes... Pleasant enough, but somewhat too subdued...

T - A strong lemon component... Lots of grassy and floral notes... The hops on the finish are surprisingly unrelenting... The flavors don't compliment one another and make for a bit of a muddled mess... Definitely not what I expect from the style...

M - Medium bodied... A good bit of fizzy carbonation... The finish is slightly astringent...

D - I'm a big fan of both Bell's Brewery and Rye Beers,but this one misses the mark for me... The rye component isn't nearly present enough in any facet and there isn't too much else here to get excited about... This is something that I'll avoid in the future...

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 01:15:46 | More by philbe311

mooseo

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into pint glass.

A - Hazy gold/yellow with a small fluffy white head.

S - Lemony citrus hops, pine, sweet malt, and a hint of rye.

T - Sweet bready malt, spicy rye, and a good amount of citrus and piney hops. A touch bitter on the finish, and a bit earthy. Well balanced.

M - Smooth and creamy, medium body. Average carbonation.

O - Pretty good rye beer. The spicy rye is done just right, and the assertive hop profile really balances this beer out. Very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 23:51:53 | More by mooseo