The Oracle - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

OleJohnnieAle

Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Poors a nice nearly glowing copper with huge 3 fingers+ of head that lingers well and left behind thick sheets of lacing.

S- Very strong hop resin with some nice piney notes. There is a nice notes of tropical fruit and grapefruit.

T- some sweetness upfront, grapefruit and mango taste mix well with very powerful hops. Leaves some nice resin and finishes rather dry and boozy.

MF- Smooth and leaves thinck resin in mouth, very creamy.

O: My bottle may have been a little past its prime but still was a very good DIPA. Will be looking for this one again!

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 04:24:01 | More by OleJohnnieAle

MBrausen

Minnesota

4.3/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A. Pours a golden red hue, a nice 2.5 finger thick head, lots of carbonation, settled to a 2mm head with beautiful lacing

S. Smells of sweet citrus, grapefruit and floral

T. Tastes tart, a bit of sour fruit, sweet orange peel and a bitter finish

M. Medium body, medium-heavy carbonation with a very moist finish

O. A good DIPA. I had it once before on tap at a Bells Rare Beer night and remember it being different. I picked this up at a store that is far from the brewery and I wonder if they may be headed over the hill. It's more bitter than I remember, but it has been 6 months since I had it. It's still very good, just not the same beer I remember. I suggest if anyone can try this one fresh in one of the few states you can get it, Go For it!

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 21:33:18 | More by MBrausen

stewart124

Ohio

4.47/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle 08/2011-I know a little late on this DIPA

Pours a hazy orange with little head.

Nose has plenty of grapefruit, juicy fruit and pineapple. Obviously my mouth is watering.

Fullness and plenty of body with a more muted hop presence than I expected. Balanced very well with a great background bitterness and no astringent alcohol hotness. Some light toasted characters and bread but not too much syrupy caramel to muddle the bill.

This is still a very nice example of a DIPA. Plenty of pineapple and grapefruit with a nice dose of juicy fruit and hop resin. More resin than I initially expected

I am guessing that because I waited almost 5 months the beer has balanced itself a bit. I wanted to compare it against the Hop Slam and waited until the hop slam hit the shelves. I need to get this straight from the tanks to get a better judgement.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 18:50:20 | More by stewart124

mrfrancis

Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a clear, deep golden orange with a tight, creamy white head.

S: Aromas of pine, citrus, biscuits, brown sugar, and alcohol are present on the nose. This smells a little boozier than I would like.

T: Notes of brown sugar, biscuits, sage, pine, mint, bitter orange, kumquat, lemon, and grapefruit assault the palate. The finish is bitter and fruity with lemon, grapefruit, bitter orange, and alcohol notes.

M: Full-bodied and sticky. Carbonation is firm and prickly. There is a slight alcohol presence in the mouth, but it isn't too overbearing.

O: As is, this is a very solid American DIPA, but if the alcohol presence were masked a bit better, it would be truly outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 15:45:21 | More by mrfrancis

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

$4.00 single from Abe's.

Bright shiny copper body, plenty of chill haze, topped by four fingers of bubbly just-off-white foam. Good lacing.

Huge enticing, inviting, assertive aroma mixing pine and big citrus is evident as soon as the cap pops, and only improves with the pour.

Strong sturdy semi-sweet malt foundation. Plenty of juicy fruit. Sample of pine. Big blast of long lingering bitterness.

Good medium plus mouthfeel carries it all aggressively across the tongue and approaches chewy.

A must try DIPA when available for all IPA fans. And a wonderful reminder that HopSlam is coming.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 04:56:36 | More by RonfromJersey

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.68/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Courtesy of 2BDChicago. 10588 PKGD 8/12/11 indicated on the back label. Served in a tulip at 51 degrees. Pours a brownish-orange hue with a mostly translucent clarity; just a slight haze. Head is a quarter inch, frothy and off-white and eventually settles into a broken slick and a bubbly band around the shoulders. Thick, cascading bands of lacing are revealed during the tasting. Nose primarily expresses light toasted malts, a suggestion of ethanol and a piny/citrusy/earthy character; however, there's also a trace of tropical fruit in the foreground. Taste reveals an earthy/piny bitterness, as well as caramel and a buttery character along a malty backbone. That said, the considerable alcohol presence makes it difficult to parse out the nuances of the flavor profile. Mouthfeel is medium-light with a slightly oily consistency and a prickly carbonation. There's also a light acidity and some residual alcohol heat. Overall, I think this beer could use a little more time in the cellar. Alcohol is a bit too over the top and really muddles the flavors. It's not bad, but I prefer a little more balance and sweetness in my DIPAs.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 01:25:49 | More by Jwale73

elNopalero

Texas

4.47/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle is from August, drunk at the tail end of December. Figured it was worth a try since I’ve never had it before.

This pours a pale golden color. It has a nice hop aroma with some pine notes and a fresh orange undertone. Surprisingly light aroma for such a hoppy beer, as the hops punch you in the face upon first taste and don’t let go. It’s chewy, with a big piney bitterness and a squeezed grapefruit, even after four months, followed by some honey sweetness. Without any point of reference I’d say it’s held up well—and I’d love to try this fresh. Be careful, it’s 10%!

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 04:03:31 | More by elNopalero

DrJay

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed at Slow's in Detroit. Orange with a thick cap of light beige foam. Lots of fine bubbles coated the sides of the glass, with rings indicating each sip. Great aroma, tons of citrusy and resinous hops, grapefruit and oranges, pineapple and tropical fruit character. Great flavour too, sugary malts balance out the big, citrusy hop profile (basically the same as in the aroma) and kept the sturdy bitterness in check. A bit of alcohol warmth rounded things out. Full bodied with lowish carbonation, very smooth texture. Overall, an excellent beer and one of my favourite big IPAs in recent memory.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2011 02:02:17 | More by DrJay

runner440

Maryland

4.75/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Got this beer in my epic Michigan box from Marc. This DIPA was awesome. Had huge sweet hop nectar and an epic malty backbone. Could not taste the 10% alcohol at all. The bottle was very drinkable and I had no problems finishing it myself. One of the best DIPAs I have ever had. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 02:02:32 | More by runner440

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a medium copper color with a good two fingered billowing white head of foam that sticks to the glass like cotton candy when it starts to subside. Carbonation is very subtle.

S - Pineapple, oranges, red grapefruit rinds with some ppery spice, lightly moderate resin.

T - Even though the hop intensity has faded, there's enough there after (4) months to tell me this must have been one intense beer when it was freshly bottled. The tropical fruit is still there, not overly intense, but still enjoyable and detectable. The tongue is met with a blend of tropical fruit (oranges, grapefruit, and pineapple rinds), a floral bouquet, and seet caramel (which is still surprisingly subdued for its age). Around midway through, the malt resurfaces again, but briefly, following by an alcohol effervescence, some more tropical fruit, and then squashed by a bitter wave of pink grapefruit.

M - The bitterness is intensely lingering and leaves a peppery spice and a little metallic aftertaste that coats the mouth. Heavy medium body, light alcohol burn in the beginning, and some boozy effervesence.

O - I really can't recall many (if any) big IPA's that I can say I've enjoyed that much at 3-4 months out, this is one. It's intensely bitter and mildly fruity and resinous. Any sweet malt that is now coming through adds a complemented blend to the beer that still makes it enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 23:08:02 | More by jzeilinger

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

4.3/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark straw. white head a nice carbonation.

It smells like Two-Hearted. The honey heavy malt bill is there, with a heavy dose a Centennial Hops, both dry-hoped and hops and added to the boil. All citric hops.

Smells and tastes like a double Two-Hearted.

Serving type: on-tap

12-04-2011 04:31:14 | More by VncentLIFE

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a snifter. Batch 10588, bottled on 8/12/11. Welp, nearly four months old...hope it's been stored properly

A- pours a slightly cloudy shade of orange with a thick, one finger offwhite head. Lacing is magnificent, all the way around the glass. Looks gorgeous

S- oranges. Yummy, but a little muted

T- nice sweet burst of citrus, with a tad bit of bitterness at the end. It's slightly muted because of the age, but not overly so

M- pretty thick bodied...close to being syrupy

O- would like to try it fresh, don't think I got the FULL experience....but it wasn't bad

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 02:21:20 | More by bigfnjoe

doughanson78

Washington

4.25/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Big thanks to storminspank for this want.

A: Medium orange color with a slight haze. Half finger off white head with great retention and lacing.

S: Big citrus. Pineapple and grapefruit. Light floral and pine presence. A pretty strong caramel malt backbone.

T: Tons of sweet caramel upfront. Big citrus and floral bitterness in the middle. Finishes with a bit of an alcohol bite.

M: Light to medium body. Medium carbonation. Slick and oily. Very dry finish.

O: A very solid Double IPA. A touch hot in the finish but the caramel sweetness upfront is awesome. Definitely a sipper.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2011 05:30:13 | More by doughanson78

FightingEntropy

Minnesota

4.83/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Dark gold double IPA that has a bright white head. Massive nose--grapefruit, citrus, peppery spice, pine and a nice malt and earthy blend. Makes the beer simply fun to drink in small sips to maximize the number of times your put your nose in the glass. Oily resin and pine--my fav in a DIPA--in the taste--and pleasantly blistering bite that lingers to the point of just about but not quite overwhelming the taste buds. Dry aftertaste. Get this one if you haven't yet. Two months in the fridge and still going strong. Patience is your friend--let this one warm up in a snifter through a football game on a Sunday afternoon, and you may even be able to tell you're future--another glass!

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2011 03:52:27 | More by FightingEntropy

orangesol

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served on-tap at Capone's.

A - Pours hazy golden orange with a nice one finger tall white head leaving thin, spotty, lace down the glass.

S - Smells of grassy and citric hops, fresh cut pine, citric fruits; mostly grapefruit and tangerine; and some light sweet caramel malt.

T - Starts off with a big dose of grassy hop bitterness quickly giving way to a mix of citric fruits and hops, light caramel sweetness, and some sticky pine resin. The finish is a mix of bitter hops and light dryness, lingering on the pallet for a short period of time.

M - Medium body and flavor with moderate carbonation. Bitter, slightly sweet, feel that becomes a little dry at the end of each sip.

O - Not too bad. After drinking all those hoppy Hill Farmstead beers this one was a bit of a letdown but I still enjoyed it. I wouldn't turn one down in the future.

Serving type: on-tap

11-11-2011 20:09:40 | More by orangesol

Viciousknishs

Virginia

4.43/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- beautiful looking brew! Pours a copper amber with good clarity. A finger of off white head crowns this glorious liquid. Decent head retention with very good sticky lacing.

S- starts off with pungent hop resin with notes of pine sap and hemp. Big juicy grapefruit characteristics intertwine with a touch of tropical fruit mango. Finishes with the faintest hint of malt as it drowns in the massive hop aromas.

T- juicy yellow grapefruit and pungent pine hop flavor relentlesly explode on the palate. Softer hop notes of tropical fruit play off the initial flavors with a lasting resiny bit towards the end. Solid crunchy bitterness blends with a balancing malt backbone with a slight caramel note. Finishes dry with a lingering hop flavor and a warming alchohol characteristic.

MF- smooth creamy coating mouthfeel with a medium body. Great fine carbonation that hightens the creamy aspect.

D- very good drinkability. The complexity of hop flavor keeps one coming back for sip after sip.

Overall an outstanding DIPA. Bravo Bell's!

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2011 05:22:58 | More by Viciousknishs

Nachojon

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Thick foamy head, lace coats glass throughout.

S- Smooth caramel. Some hops and lemon peel.

T- MADNESS. Almost medicinal, bandaid piney hops and warm booze with a brown sugar finish. Like no IPA i have ever tasted.

M- Sticky but not unpleasant. Smooth and dense at the same time.

O- I don't know if one pour does this thing justice, would love to try again.

Serving type: on-tap

11-09-2011 23:45:42 | More by Nachojon

jtingue

New York

3.7/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2011 Relaease. Poured into a tulip.

Appearance. Light amber in color. Pours with 2 fingers of head which dissipates to a half a finger which lingers for quite a while.

Smell. Nice citrus hop aromas with some pineyness as well.

Taste. Starts out with a slightly sweet citrus. This slowly transitions to a pretty heavy bitterness that is resinous, but not without a substantial amount of malty sweetness. Lots of hop flavors that is citric with lots of lemon. There is quite an alcoholic presence that is very reminiscent of bourbon whiskey. The finish is again bitter and resinous.

Mouthfeel. Nice thick creamy body with a moderate amount of carbonation. Quite a nice mouthfeel for a dipa, right up my alley.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2011 04:48:47 | More by jtingue

warnerry

Michigan

4.4/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled 8/12/11

A - Pours a clear deep copper with one finger of off-white head. Head doesn't have great retention, but leaves a sheet of lacing.

S - Big aroma of pine and grapefruit hops, along with some candied fruit. Nice amount of caramel malt and a faint alcohol presence.

T - Big grapefruit pith and resinous pine hops up front. A bit of sweetness, but bitterness predominates. Also some orange pulp and caramel malt. Very nice .

M - Medium resinous mouthfeel. A but sweet in the middle but finishes dry and bitter.

O - A very good DIPA and a nice contrast to Hopslam. I look forward to this one every year.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 00:25:56 | More by warnerry

dorianmarley

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance is a very pretty; pure orange/brown amber. Head is smooth and never entirely fades; superb lacing.

Nose has tons of floral hops, with some malt and oak.

Taste has oaky hops, sweet-caramel malt, juicy fruit, and tart tangerine. None of the tinniness you may find in some double IPA's.

Mouthfeel is silky smooth, with medium carbonation. The hops do not add a "bite" as you would normally find, but instead create a consistent, vibratory acidity. All the flavors you expect, but no pucker.

Overall, this beer is a gem. Tons of flavor and a pleasure to drink. Likely the best Bell's I have tried.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2011 01:27:17 | More by dorianmarley

Pintofbrown

Iowa

4.38/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This bottle was poured into a tulip glass.

Appearance- There is a finger of really foamy off-white head. There's also a good deal of lace on the glass. The hazy body is a gold and auburn color. There is very little carbonation in the glass.

Smell- A good deal of hops on the nose. There is a resiny feel and slight citrus bite to them. The citrus is reminiscent of passion fruit. Not really any malt character here.

Taste- The taste is really smooth and has a nice malt background. In fact, this is an incredibly malty DIPA and reminds me of the malt profile on Two Hearted. The major difference is the hops in play. There is a load of bitterness on this one, and the focus is on the citrus hop. It is really grape fruit in nature. Just an astounding level of bitterness over the malt. The pine resin hop is only slightly present in the finish. A very enjoyable DIPA.

Mouth feel- It is medium bodied and oh so smooth. I love DIPA's that can pull this level of smoothness off. This is done very well. The carbonation has just the right level of creaminess. I'm not surprised that Bell's pulled this off so well.

Overall- This DIPA is really easy to drink and has a nice balance in hop bitterness and biscuit malt smoothness. It really kicks around the palate, but it is really enjoyable. Another very easy drinker from Bell's.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2011 00:51:06 | More by Pintofbrown

BigMike

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Poured an amber color. Almost apple juice like. A thin Khaki head of about one finger tops it off.

S: Very piney and tropical with a big alcohol presence.

T: I can sum this up in one word...HOPS. Huge tropical fruit notes. Dominated by pineapple. The alcohol is there big time as well. Lot's of burn on the finish and extremely bitter.

M: No complaints here. Medium bodied with good carbonation.

Overall: Not the best DIPA i've had. In fact, it's not the best DIPA Bell's produces. (Hopslam) But it's decent and will punch you in the mouth with aggresive hops and alcohol. If you can get it, it's worth trying for sure.

Serving type: on-tap

11-02-2011 19:36:30 | More by BigMike

Metalmonk

North Carolina

4.4/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Finally, I meet the Oracle. And an on-tap version too, at Mellow Mushroom in Greensboro, NC. Yahoo!

Poured a glowing peachy orange color, with a super foamy and sticky head that left big gobs of lace clinging to the glass. A beaut.

Smelling it delivers a big dose of pine resin and citrus, with a considerable malt presence that gives it some candy-like sweetness. It was just a tad cold from the tap, so I let it warm before really trying to get a good whiff, but still, felt maybe it could've been even warmer to really bring out the aromatics.

Taste-wise it wasn't all that hurt by the serving temp, delivering big doses of what the aroma promised: fleshy citrus fruits, pine resin, and a generous dollop of caramel. Super-balanced, with just a hint of salt in there somewhere. Wasn't even all that hot, and for a 10% Double IPA, that's always an achievement. Delicious.

As it should be with this style, it's very round and creamy, sliding slickly down the throat, neither too heavy nor too thin. Just right.

Should I have expected any less? Bell's definitely knows what they're doing with their hops, and the Oracle is far from just another overhyped hop monster.

Serving type: on-tap

11-01-2011 22:22:55 | More by Metalmonk

match1112

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

bottle date of 8/12/11, poured into a duvel tulip. poured a cloudy orange copper with no head to speak of just some foam on top. nose is full of malty sweetness, grapefruit and some pine. taste is really sweet up front giving way to the citrus and pine hops. has low carbonation but goes down slick with the hops lingering for a while. overall i was surprised that this was so malty. but none the less this is another beautifully done beer for bells.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2011 23:00:35 | More by match1112

xraided81

California

3.63/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

thanks to match1112 for sending this as an extra, if you are ever looking for anything from the westcoast I will send it your way!

a: pours a bright golden color with copper highlights. persistent 1/2 inch white head.

smell: candied dried pineaples come to mind, crystal, caramelized malts in aroma

t: malty sweetness, grassy hops, earth greens, caramel, toffe

m: full bodied beer, persistent carbonation on the palate

o: Malt forward double ipa. hops seemed to be fading away from this beer. i mainly drink westcoast ipas, so its been great to experience ipas from different parts of the country

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2011 06:32:31 | More by xraided81