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

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

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

2.94/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75

12 ounce bottle - $1.79 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

11726 - 01/24/13

Appearance: Pours a hazy, dark golden body with a tall, growing, near white head.

Smell: The aroma is weak, hesitant, with a faint degree of maltiness, a touch of rye grain, and a some dried flower petal undertones.

Taste: A little toasted grain to the maltiness, with a definite rye kick to it. Very low sweetness on hand. Firmly floral throughout. Medium bitterness. Some sustained spiciness on the bitterish, bone dry finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body. Medium carbonation.

Overall: I found it to be tiresome and tedious, frankly.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 14:21:36 | More by ChainGangGuy

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

2.98/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

Thanks to Momar42 for the 12 oz bottle! Poured into a nonic pint glass.

A: Pours a golden orange color with a ton of yeast particles floating around. The head is a two finger white shade. Both texturing and retention are pretty damn good, and the lacing left by the receding head is quite attractive as well. Pretty face, ugly body, let's split the difference here.

S: I do notice a bit of rye to it, along side some piny, herbal hops. The hop profile seems to fit the rye malt quite well. It becomes a bit maltier as it warms up, and grows a biscuity component as well. Aromatically, it could be a little less muted.

T: One thing that lets me down right from the onset is the lack of distinctive character to it. It starts and finishes with a combination of earthy, spicy malts and piny hops. After a while, the finish will develop a grassy hop quality to it that I enjoy somewhat. This really is the type of beer more conducive to simple drinking than actual reviewing...

M: Rougher than I like, which is exasperated by the coarse yet strong carbonation and fuller body. The back end is quite clean and crisp; so maybe this would be good in the summer time?

O: Not bad - but I'm certainly not smitten with it. It's too sharp in feel for its nondescript flavor profile.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 21:55:56 | More by ThisWangsChung

babaracas

Florida

3.03/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On the label it claims this pale ale will be citrusy and resinous. They oversold it, big time. Pours a cloudy amber with thin white head, spots of lace on the glass. Smell: wheat, soft graininess (rye), spicy, just a hint of lemon peel. Taste: tastes like a pale wheat with rye subbed in, light caramel. Hops are spicy, lightly earthy, a little but not enough citrus to advertise it on the label. Dry finish. Yes, the rye is featured decently, but it's not a very good beer, and the marketing team screwed up. Glad it was only a single. Bottled 1/15/13.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 03:30:26 | More by babaracas

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.03/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 1.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5

Bells Smitten Golden Rye Ale

Pours a honey gold color with a white head and a bit of lace. Large chunks of yeast or proteins are hanging in suspension. Aroma of clean maltyness, some floral and sweet fresh doughy bread. In the taste, bready malt sweetness balanced by a citrusy hop character and a bit of grainy rye. Mild bitterness with notes of grapefruit. Medium bodied with a chalky finish. Overall, this was an ok beer but a little disappointed. This ale could use some cleaning up.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 15:04:30 | More by Stinkypuss

bashiba

Iowa

3.08/5  rDev -17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured a nice clean golden with a thin white head, minor lacing.

The smell was grainy with a touch of grassy noble hops.

The flavor was dominated by the rye malt, spicy and bready, not much else. Just a hint of noble hops in the finish with a real mild bitterness.

The mouthfeel was light with mild carbonation.

Overall a pretty boring beer, just Rye, and nothing else.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 14:07:43 | More by bashiba

drinkochoice

Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev -17%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from bottle into craft pint glass.

Beautiful golden orange body with a 1/2" white head.

The smell is like fresh picked flowers and of earthy minerals.

The taste mirrors the smell with flowers and earthy minerals but what makes these flavors flow is the bitterness. The taste is surprisingly well balanced through the after taste.

Not to much carbonation as expected from the style.

Overall a very easy going little ale with large amounts of flavor.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 03:18:01 | More by drinkochoice

Pencible

Virginia

3.15/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: This poured a hazy gold with lots of sediment and a little white head.
S: It smelled like earthy copper hops with some citrus zest and bread crust.
T: It tasted like citrus zest and copper hops, with some spicy rye and earthy bread crust. It had a somewhat clean bittersweet aftertaste.
M: It was watery with moderate carbonation. Ok body.
D: This was not a great rye beer. The scent was sub-par, and the taste and body weren't a big improvement. The finish wasn't bad but wasn't great. No real impressive or redeeming element. Not recommended.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2013 14:51:00 | More by Pencible

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

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

Kerrie

Michigan

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

This isn't a bad beer but I'm finding it fairly bland.

A- Golden color with minimal head yet quite a bit of lacing. Lots of sediment throughout the glass.

S- Not much here; just a faint hop smell.

T- A very mild beer with a slight hop taste. Not too strong or weak, and seems like it'd be a good summer beer.

M- Not too thick or thin; satisfying.

Not sure if I'd get this again, but it's not bad for a single bottle.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 01:26:52 | More by Kerrie

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

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

HopsMathias

Ohio

3.4/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle.
Yellow to copper color with a lot of sediment.
The sediment doesn't make it hazy more just suspended pieces which actually detract from the appearance.
Very light hop aroma.
Initial taste is very light with a hoppy and slightly peppery finish.
Mouthfeel is very light as well.
Overal not bad for an IPA. Less hoppy than some.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 00:00:52 | More by HopsMathias

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Bell's brewpub on 11/28/08. Served in a 12-oz. glass.

A - Slightly hazy golden body with minimal carbonation and half a finger of off-white that receded into a thin ring of retention, some patchy film and spotty lacing.

S - Not much going on here except some graininess and some toasted malt. Hop presence is minimal with just a pinch of grassy hops.

T - Dull grassy hop bite with quite a bit of dryness from the addition of the rye. Hops are mild overall, with the grainy and toasted malt characteristics dominating the flavor.

M - Medium body with a dry, crisp texture and fizzy mouthfeel. Finish is dry and moderately bitter on the palate.

D - Not a lot happening with this brew, but it does have a dry rye presence and a decent hop bite in the finish. Pretty average for Bell's.

Serving type: on-tap

12-02-2008 22:15:13 | More by ffejherb

punky796

Michigan

3.45/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Buffalo Wild Wings.

A - Poured a cloudy amber-orange, with about a finger of head when served. BWW's laser-etching helped keep the head alive. Impressive lacing.

S - Very hoppy smell, as expected from Bell's, fruity, with some wildflowers thrown in.

T - Hops again. Lots of them. Next comes the rye, which didn't really show up in the smell for me, but I like. Who knows, I might have confused the hops and the rye a little bit, making for less hops than I perceived, but they go together nicely. The wildfloweryness of it transforms into a kind of honey taste. An interesting combination.

M - Pretty smooth, with medium carbonation, but with relatively heavy thickness. Nice.

O - Generally wouldn't be my type of beer considering it's hop-heaviness, but Bell's does it well.

Serving type: on-tap

03-09-2013 06:16:38 | More by punky796

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

3.46/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

12 oz bottle. packaged 1/24/13.

A: I would say a slight haze on an otherwise very bright blond body. head is bright white with moderate retention. solid lacing.

S: a light, very herbal hop aroma. a little bit of vanilla. lemons. hibiscus. slightly floral. the aroma certainly grows on me more and more as I continue to drink.

T: chewy and herbal. not a ton of rye or a ton of hops, very similar to the nose. the rye dries things out a bit. finish is very grainy.

M: tingly carb on a light/medium body.

D: good, but I wanted this to be hoppier and more rye focused. without either of those aspects it is a tad middle of the road imo.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 01:26:09 | More by Jimmys

oberon

North Carolina

3.46/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

Pours into a standard pint a clear light to medium golden with a great looking sticky over one finger white head that lift multiple rings of broken lace as it settled into a frothy mass.Aromas were just mild with a sharp note of rye over top of light citric hops,again pretty light.Flavors have some decent citric hops and sharp rye notes but they end ebruptly and nothing really lingers.There is some earthiness that comes into play but the flavors seem to die out pretty quickly after a good start.Not one of the better rye ales I have had but it's not horrible by any means.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 22:31:18 | More by oberon

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

timc100

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Very hazy pale orange with lots of chucks floating around. Solid foamy white head that sticks around.

S: Very mild. Lemon citrus, very slight orange/coriander, bread. Very dry

T: Much like the nose, but brighter. Biting citrus, hay/bread/spice melange of sorts. Dry and refreshing

P: Nice, do not really notice it - active carbonation, light-medium bodied.

O: Nice beer, would be better in hotter months.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 01:00:31 | More by timc100

wspscott

Kentucky

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

12oz bottle in Sam Adams glass
bottled on 1/15/13

A: A careful pour still ended up with a lot of yeast floaties, is this a different yeast from Two Hearted because I don't remember this much yeast in the glass. Topped with a 1 finger bright white head that leaves lots of lace.
S: Smells bright and citrusy
T: A definite citrus hop along with a dryness that I associate with rye combined with what I think is a yeast driven fruitiness.
M: Crisp and highly carbonated, if a little lighter in body would make a great lawnmower beer.
O: In the end, I think this is a very good beer, but I am not sure how often I will buy it. I think I would always prefer two hearted over this especially since this is 6%. If this was a 4.5 - 5% beer, this would end up in the fridge more often. Like it, don't love it, but worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 02:10:54 | More by wspscott

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

barczar

Kentucky

3.49/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy copper with an orange tint and a foamy one inch cream head that dissipates fairly quickly, leaving small sheets of lacing. Tiny floaties are present.

Citrus, resin, bready malt, and rye form the initial aroma. A catty note and pine emerge.

Grapefruit dominates the beginning of the flavor, which becomes bready and pretty dry mid palate. Sour orange and resin add intrigue. The finish is decidedly bitter, with rye notes lingering. Onion and grassy, earthy hops eventually become detectable.

Body is moderate, with moderate carbonation, slight astringency, and a fair amount of alcohol warmth.

Packed with flavor, but the citrus and bitterness don't allow other ingredients to shine. And the combination just doesn't hit my palate well.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 01:01:50 | More by barczar

elgiacomo

Georgia

3.49/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottled Jan 24, 2013. Served at 40F.

Pours lightly hazy golden amber with a one finger white head that leaves nice webs of lacing behind and recedes to a small cap.

Aroma is noble hops, grassy, earthy, touch sulfur, some lemon citrus, spicy rye, floral. Good to very good strength.

Flavor generally follows suit, noble hops with a grassy mildly sulfur taste, lemon citrus, spicy rye, some bready malt, mild to moderate sweetness in the middle, nice bitterness on the finish, minimal alcohol.

Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied, somewhat oily, good carbonation.

Light, refreshing and easy drinking, would be great for the warmer weather. I get a good bit of Pilsner qualities in this...like a hybrid of Prima Pils and a Pale Ale with a dash of rye. Pretty good...better than their regular Pale Ale.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 04:03:55 | More by elgiacomo

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Bell's last weekend.

Pours a clear golden color with a thin white head and some spotty lacing on the way down. The nose carries some rye and a bit of light spicing. The hops are mostly floral and there is an earthy component as well. Nothing over the top. The flavor has a bit of rye and spice with mild hops. Light body and high carbonation. Body is crisp and fairly bitter. A nice, easy-drinking brew.

Serving type: on-tap

06-28-2011 21:57:37 | More by Thorpe429