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

pukahi91

Hawaii

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%

01-05-2013 17:35:28 | More by pukahi91

Hanby

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%

06-19-2013 19:40:33 | More by Hanby

kal4478

Ohio

3/5  rDev -19.1%

06-19-2013 18:45:09 | More by kal4478

smogfood

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +7.8%

06-18-2013 02:50:23 | More by smogfood

GratefulEdd

Alabama

3.25/5  rDev -12.4%

06-17-2013 02:33:45 | More by GratefulEdd

Brew33

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -12.4%

06-14-2013 14:09:20 | More by Brew33

marcb105

Michigan

2.75/5  rDev -25.9%

06-14-2013 02:16:43 | More by marcb105

Nolen12

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%

06-13-2013 00:03:02 | More by Nolen12

JMUbrewz

Virginia

4/5  rDev +7.8%

06-12-2013 16:53:57 | More by JMUbrewz

salinasa

Delaware

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%

06-12-2013 01:34:09 | More by salinasa

I_BYE_MI_BEER

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +14.6%

06-11-2013 17:28:04 | More by I_BYE_MI_BEER

GraduatedCashew

California

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%

06-11-2013 17:27:50 | More by GraduatedCashew

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +22.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

I picked this up during my latest foray to Mari's 6-Pak 'n' Mor in Reading and have been awaiting the right moment to open it. I believe the flower of the label to be a daisy and that last petal represents "She loves me" as it applies to my Old Lady, a kitten with whom I am smitten.

From the bottle: "With wonderfully bitter citrus 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."

I allowed the beer to flow freely from the bottle until the foaming head threatened to pass over the lip of the glass. I easily had two fingers of French Vanilla-colored head with not only great retention, but as it fell, it was creating great lacing in its wake. Color was a cloudy orangish-yellow, like freshly squeezed grapefruit juice. The nose was to die for! It had the black pepper of the rye along with a very earthy scent, like digging in the garden. Mouthfeel was medium and the black pepper flavor was immediately evident on the tongue. It combined nicely with the grapefruit flavor of the hops. This is an APA?!? Wow! The finish was dry, especially with that lingering flavor of freshly-turned soil. I would have this again real soon, hopefully to share with the Old Lady.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 15:55:23 | More by woodychandler

tarheels4life23

North Carolina

3.25/5  rDev -12.4%

06-10-2013 14:25:43 | More by tarheels4life23

Docrock

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%

06-09-2013 12:59:00 | More by Docrock

prototypic

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

Smitten is a nice looking amber-ish gold color. It’s very hazy. There are even bits of yeast swimming about in there. A solid white cap tops it. It stands about a finger or so tall and falls back to surface bubbles rather quickly. Lacing was a little sticky and moderate. Looks pretty good.

The nose is a little weak, but isn’t bad. More strength would help. It starts out with a very earthy, grainy scent that’s attributable to rye presence. It has a nice hoppy scent. Smells like a mix of citric and floral varieties. Citrus grapefruit and orange are the most prominent hop scents. Caramel malts smell sweet and seem to be holding the fort down nicely. Alcohol isn’t noticeable. This smells pretty good. Just a little bump in strength might drive it up a notch.

This is rather tasty stuff. It has a nice, sturdy caramel malt base. It’s a little sweet, but doesn’t dominate the flavor profile. It is earthy, grainy, and a little bread-like. Rye is very tasty and prominent throughout. It’s clearly the focal point. Hops are in the mix, but are secondary to the rye. Personally, I’d prefer them being closer to equal. They add some citrus grapefruit and orange flavors the blend well. Grassy and floral notes are also present. All the flavors work pretty well together. Alcohol is very light and subtle in flavor. Finishes earthy, grainy, and a little dry.

Smitten has a body on the lighter side of medium. Carbonation is dialed back nicely, and the bubbles feel very soft and smooth. It has a really nice feel. Goes down easy, too.

Bell’s did a pretty nice job with this one. Smitten? Yeah…kinda. It’s good. The rye presence is probably a tad strong. A slightly stronger hop presence (with less rye) would be spot-on. This is good stuff though. Worth picking up.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2013 02:59:50 | More by prototypic

kojevergas

California

3.25/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Served on-draught into a plastic cup at the Elephant and Castle in the Crowne Plaza, Chicago on St. Patrick's Day. Reviewed from notes. Complimentary with my room (which, incidentally, was also complimentary with priority club points). I had high expectations given the brewery.

A: Pours a one finger head of white colour. Fair cream. Decent thickness. Nice retention. Body colour is a nontransparent murky peach. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Generally appealing for the style.

Sm: Floral hops, rye grain, milky citrus, and light grass. A mild strength aroma. Generally appealing. No yeast character or alcohol is detectable.

T: Floral hops, rye grain, and milky citrus - with some buried orange notes. Nicely grassy. A bit of yeasty character. Clove. Pale malts. Balanced but simple. Lacks subtlety and complexity.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Pretty good carbonation. Lightly crisp. Decent presence on the palate.

Dr: Drinkable and enjoyable, but not great. I do like it, but I'm not impressed. I could take down a sixer of this with ease, but the quality just isn't high enough to warrant purchasing again. It's a solid offering from Bell's for what it is.

High C+ (Borderline B-)

Serving type: on-tap

06-07-2013 20:53:13 | More by kojevergas

Neorebel

New Jersey

3.91/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours a warm golden-brown color, with a puff of white foam over top, which clings nicely to the sides of the glass. The aroma brings to mind buttery bread crust, faint floral notes, and a trace of Rye whiskey. There's a strong taste of piny hop varieties accompanied by rye bread. It's got a medium mouth feel and quite the bitter finish. Greater than the sum of it's parts, it's a very solid Rye Beer all things considered.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2013 15:40:53 | More by Neorebel

BHatfield

Indiana

4/5  rDev +7.8%

06-06-2013 01:52:08 | More by BHatfield

savagepm

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%

06-06-2013 00:53:56 | More by savagepm

Thomas_Picton

Florida

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%

06-05-2013 23:33:32 | More by Thomas_Picton

mgroothuis

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +21.3%

06-05-2013 21:15:31 | More by mgroothuis

Rihup

Illinois

4/5  rDev +7.8%

06-04-2013 00:47:51 | More by Rihup

bobbyr5

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%

06-02-2013 19:48:19 | More by bobbyr5

teraflx

Arizona

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%

06-01-2013 20:47:50 | More by teraflx