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

tectactoe

Michigan

3.6/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Pours a somewhat hazy, golden-yellow color, some light amber highlights when held up to the light. A soapy and foamy white head forms and settles at about a quarter-inch where it sits atop the beer for a surprisingly long time. The nose has a very crispy and sharp stature, almost clean and lager-like with mild grains and dryness, most likely from the rye. The hops have an earthy, dirty, and musty appearance, maybe just a bit floral and rosey. All in all, the nose is a little quieter than I would have liked. Even upon letting this warm up a little bit, it never really hits your nostrils that hard and the rye isn't as powerful as I'd hoped for.

The taste has an initial bitter spike from the hops, which retain their musty, earthy, and floral characther. Coupled with the high level of carbonation, Smitten cuts the tongue sharply and feels very crispy and refreshing. This is drinking almost more like a lager than an ale. Some dry rye and bread comes out about midway through and rides into the aftertaste which actually becomes dominated by heavy rye, along with a light bitterness. Some clean yeast flavors on the very tail end, but not really enough to combat the rye. I'm very pleased to see the rye make a big appearance, even if it isn't until nearly the end of the sip. Better late than never, I guess, although I still wish it held a larger stance in the aroma. Medium body with pretty heavy carbonation.

A crispy, tasty, and refreshing ale that feels almost more like a lager. Nice helping of rye, though it would've been nice if it were more "up front" with it. Drinkability is great, but I could see this one getting old fairly quickly. Still a solid choice, though, but there are better rye beers out there.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 17:42:35 | More by tectactoe

Lawl3ss

Texas

2.84/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 2.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2.75

Chilled 12 oz. bottle into a 33 cl snifter. Bottling date 1.14.13.

Look- Pale Amber, lots (and I mean LOTS) of suspended particulate. Looks pretty unappealing, actually It's not that old and it's been in my fridge the whole time, so I'm not sure what's up with that. Three fingers of pillowy head fall quickly, nice lacing.

Smell- Bready, definitely saison feel. Light spice, melon, apricot.

Taste- Very saison-like, light biscuit and a little funk, noticeable bittering, mild soft fruitiness. Grassy hop flavor and light metallic twang builds as the glass empties. Aftertaste of shortbread and white tea.

Mouthfeel- Medium body, medium carbonation. Juicy, full feel but dry, slightly chalky finish. Has a hard water feel to it. Easy drinking.

Overall- Meh, I'm not really a fan of this brew, doesn't really come together for me and it's neither light nor dry enough for what I want it to be. Spicy, bold ale? No. Light, crisp ale? Not really. Too middle-of-the-road I suppose, and the rye characteristics are overshadowed by the yeast and what I interpret to be the liquor/water characteristics. I probably wouldn't avoid it, but I'd likely not order it for myself either.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 00:10:10 | More by Lawl3ss

ncstateplaya

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%

05-22-2013 18:50:36 | More by ncstateplaya

Envelopes

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -12.4%

05-21-2013 06:30:45 | More by Envelopes

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

marley2112

North Carolina

3.25/5  rDev -12.4%

05-21-2013 02:40:39 | More by marley2112

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

InspectorBob

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%

05-20-2013 14:12:26 | More by InspectorBob

bcuz7

Florida

3/5  rDev -19.1%

05-19-2013 21:44:29 | More by bcuz7

drgonzo2k2

California

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%

05-19-2013 18:14:10 | More by drgonzo2k2

NJB145

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%

05-19-2013 01:02:27 | More by NJB145

drewone

California

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%

05-18-2013 03:39:00 | More by drewone

GinsuDave

Michigan

3.25/5  rDev -12.4%

05-15-2013 10:18:52 | More by GinsuDave

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

vrbulldog22

Ohio

4/5  rDev +7.8%

05-13-2013 18:28:12 | More by vrbulldog22

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

Rohkey

Michigan

4/5  rDev +7.8%

05-12-2013 21:49:34 | More by Rohkey

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

HarmonMW

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%

05-12-2013 00:32:55 | More by HarmonMW

JMBSH

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%

05-11-2013 17:42:51 | More by JMBSH

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

Slay40

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%

05-10-2013 21:31:49 | More by Slay40

bpowers315

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev +7.8%

05-10-2013 10:22:20 | More by bpowers315

RichH55

Illinois

4/5  rDev +7.8%

05-08-2013 15:22:33 | More by RichH55