Bell's 25th Anniversary Ale - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer is copper hued, with a decent sized head and random traces of lacing on the pint glass. The aroma offers a heavy malt bill, with some hops and alcohol. This definitely smells like an American strong ale. Similar to Bigfoot in some regards. The flavor is nice, and feels more potent than 8.5%. I would say the beer is hop forward, though there is a formidable malt showing. Mouthfeel is medium to thick, with a pronounced hop presence throughout. This beer almost drinks like an imperial IPA with a strong malt bill. Tasty stuff. A good beer to split with a friend. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2011 04:31:40 | More by Huhzubendah

doughanson78

Washington

3.25/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a snifter. Thanks to GCurlow for this.

A: Dark amber with redish and orange highlights when held to light. Pretty hazy. A slight quarter finger head that pretty much vanishes as fast as it came. Slightly off white, almost tan. An alright lacing sticks to the glass.

S: Big dark fruits dominate the aroma in this one. Black cherries and raisins mainly, with notes of figs and dates. A buttery bread/biscuit smell. Caramel and toffee malts are light. A very faint flowery aroma underneath. Pretty complex.

T: Sweet malts upfront with a slight burnt flavor. The dark fruits take over in the middle followed by a decent dose of alcohol. Finishing fairly hot and slightly roasty, with a light black cherry aftertaste.

M: Medium bodied. Medium to high carbonation. Lots of alcohol in the mouth, throat, and stomach.

O: Way to much alcohol coming through on this one. Has lots of potential. Should've let this one sit a year or two. But how was I to know. If I end up with another in a trade I'll know what to do now.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 07:28:44 | More by doughanson78

burnstar

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a coppery read with a small head. Smell is sweet caramel. Dark fruit notes. Nice caramel and toasty malt flavor. Some herbal hops provide some balance. Again some dark fruit. Maybe a touch of warming alcohol in the finish. Full bodied with somewhat low carbonation. Overall a nice strong ale with good malt profile. Fairly drinkable but I wouldn't want to drink this in large quantity.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2011 20:38:40 | More by burnstar

beagle75

Iowa

3.88/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a tulip glass.

A: Clear, medium amber color with less than one finger of diminishing turmeric-tinted foam head. Scant lacing remains on the glass.

S: Heavy malt is present, featuring brown sugar, faint smoke, and husky grain. There is an earthy presence that lends additional savoriness. No alcohol is detected.

T: Begins off-dry, with caramel and lesser estery fruit that is straight-forward and largely unaffected by any hop presence. Acidity is mild into the middle, which develops a slightly metallic edge focused in the corners of the mouth. The finish is slightly spirituous, retaining significant sweet malt and developing a mellow scotch-like quality.

M: Medium viscosity, syrupy and sticky on the palate, with low carbonation.

D/O: While the hops have faded significantly, this beer projects a deep and appealing profile that is fairly clean in its execution. Sipping this is a pleasure, and it is easy to imagine with a bolder hop presence, bringing it in range of Arrogant Bastard.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2011 00:54:32 | More by beagle75

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I expected this beer to be much more impressive that it was. This beer poured out as a copper color, with a white head on top that really didn't really stick around too much. The smell was a little boozy and had some light Belgian aromas to it. Nothing much really stood out to me on this. The taste was malty and was a little tart. Kind of a strange brew. The mouthfeel was decent but nothing out of the ordinary. Overall this beer left me unimpressed. I feel that this beer doesn't do the justice of celebrating something like 25 years. Perhaps if this was aged it would improve but I'll probably never know.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2011 00:33:54 | More by Knapp85

BigPapiBrewingCo

Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Pours a hazy amber/reddish color with white froth. Good lacing occurs and remains on the glass. A nice caramel malt scent with some hops.- Caramel malt with some hops . a little oxidation should have had it fresh. drink it now dont wait can see it going way down hill

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2011 23:06:42 | More by BigPapiBrewingCo

billshmeinke

California

2.23/5  rDev -40.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Poured into a nonic.

Amber/golden clear body two and a half fingers of off white head. Retention and lacing are quite nice.

Smells of caramel and malty sweetness. Hints of oxidation. Not much else.

Taste follows smell. Slightly bitter and very malty. A bit acidic with some lemony hop flavors. Finish is caramel, and slight sherry oxidation notes.

Slightly spicy and acidic. Full bodied, but lots of carbonation breaks up the body.

Well, this just wasn't that great. Don't really know what else to say, pretty one dimensional, and that dimension isn't all that great.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2011 02:41:44 | More by billshmeinke

leschkie

California

3.53/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle courtesy of thewizzard. Thanks buddy for this great extra! Poured into a snifter.

Appearance: Pours a deep red-copper with a nice frothy almond-colored head whose thickness is about the size of the Twix bar I have lying on the coffee table. Moderate retainment for the most part. Dissipates into broken lilypads floating on the surface.

Smell: Really, this is classified as an American strong ale? Strong burnt malt and caramel gives this more of an American barleywine type of aroma. Slight subtle hints of broken-down hops, as if the hops have fossilized. You know they used to be there, but can't experience it now with your own senses.

Taste: Like a watered-down and weaker barleywine. Flavor profile consists of weak malts, caramel, and toffee that are unbalanced and suffering from a severe identity crisis. Little sweetness, no hop character. Very simplistic and nothing overly complex or extraordinary. OK, I'll stop avoiding not saying it...I am disappointed.

Mouthfeel: Carbonation is well-done but the body is a bit thin for what I was expecting. Based on how my olfactory system interpreted the nose, I was seeking something chewy and creamy. Oh well, C'est la vie.

Overall: For a 25th anniversary celebratory brew, I would have thought Bell's would really have tried to shoot for the stars with this one. But that certainly won't stop me from trying everything else that Bell's has to offer.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2011 05:14:44 | More by leschkie

Sideswipe

California

2.58/5  rDev -31.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

12oz bottle courtesy of beerbeerbeerbeer. Thanks Kevin!

The beer pours an opaque, deep copper color with two fingers of off-white foam. Head recedes quickly leaving a fair amount of lacing. The nose is big caramel malt. Not much in the way of a hop profile in the aroma. Taste follows with huge caramel and toffee notes. Mild hoppy bitterness presents itself mid-palate, but it is quickly beaten into submission by the more dominant malt profile. The finish is dry with hops making a valiant last stand by attempting a slightly bitter aftertaste. Feel is medium bodied wihh an appropriate level of carbonation lending a somewhat creamy texture to the beer. Overall, this offering from Bells seems to have a bit of an identity crisis. It could be a DIPA with an overdose of caramel malt, or a Strong Ale with a tad too much hoppiness. Glad I had the opportunity, but not one I'd seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 07:07:07 | More by Sideswipe

brstls4drmrs

North Carolina

3.33/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Thanks FlandersNed for this one...

A - Pours a hazy amber/reddish color with white froth. Good lacing occurs and remains on the glass.

S - A nice caramel malt scent with some hops. A few burnt sugar scents along with a very mild cinnamon note mixed in with some oats and dates too.

T - Caramel malt is dominated with some hops. Some faint taste of cherries in there as well. Different. Not much else in there though. I was hoping for a little more.

M - Very sticky but smooth.

O - A very interesting ale. Not bad. Wish I had more to try.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 03:12:38 | More by brstls4drmrs

GDBEERMAN

Colorado

3.53/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into Bruges tulip. Batch:9871

A: Pours a half a finger head, which is off-white. The body is a murky copper haze, that has a hint of red in the body. The carbonation is low on the visual. The lacing is left in a swath pattern.

S: The aroma is still high in hop profiles, while holding a nice caramel malt note. Strong note of American Strong Ale. Medium intensity on the overall aroma.

T/M: The mouthfeel is fairly smooth and not too heavy, with a nice silky experience. The malt does dominate the flavor profile, but hints at a weak barleywine are present. The hops have faded dramatically, but a hint at slight bitterness still holds true.

O: Overall this is a very smooth brew, but for the overall taste, it is missing a level of intensity, even with some age, the flavors have only developed and matured slightly. Good brew none the less.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2011 23:15:17 | More by GDBEERMAN

Wadsey

Indiana

2.53/5  rDev -32.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Bell's 25th Anniversary Ale. 

Served in DFH signature glass

A:  Pours brushed medium amber with insubstantial head. No lacing. Average effervescence. 

S: Smells like a poorly-executed Tripel: spice, white pepper, golden raisin, tomato, flowery and spearmint. 

T: Tastes, more or less, like it smells. Very spicy and flowery. Most other elements are muted. Medium bitterness. 

M: Medium body and carbonation.  Creamy mouthfeel. 

O: I found Bell's 25th Anniversary Ale messy and unimpressive when it was first released. It hasn't improved. 

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2011 02:58:32 | More by Wadsey

Tone

Missouri

3.95/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a slightly hazy, dark copper color. 3/4 inch head of an off-white color. Great retention and good lacing. Smells of sweet malt, slight citrus hops, slight floral hops, slight alcohol, hint of syrup, and a hint of wood. Fits the style of an American Strong Ale. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of alcohol, slight wood, slight citrus hops, sweet malt, and hint of floral. Overall, good appearance, aroma, and blend.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2011 22:22:17 | More by Tone

OakedCanuck

Washington

3.48/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into pint glass. from notes.

A - This beer comes out a dark copper colour, slightly murky, but could be the chill haze. Nicely developed rocky head. Looks good

S - Caramel and toffee sweet malts. Some lemon and orange citrus. Some ethanol.

T - Lots of flavour here, some which works and some that doesn't. The caramel malt is the biggest percentage rounded out with some dates, cherries, grass and oranges. I actually get a distinct green tea flavour in the back, interesting.

M - Sticky, medium, slightly hot

O - An interesting beer, I thought it was pretty good and looked really good after the pour. I'd try it again if I had one!

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2011 15:16:03 | More by OakedCanuck

Gfunk720

Connecticut

3.53/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Pretty beautiful. A reddish amber color, just glowing. The head is white and healthy, with good lacing. Not clear, but not really murky either.

S- I get some belgian notes, and some light hops. I get some slight malt and caramel as well, but nothing crazy. Not what I expected...

T- A nice crisp ale with plenty of hops. To me, this is more of a DIPA that has faded out than any sort of strong ale. The flavors are good, but nothing crazy or too complex.

M- Nice and crisp initially, the carbonation and mouthfeel are pretty nice. The flavors fall a bit flat though after the initial hit, and the aftertaste is nothing special.

O- I had one of these fresh a while back, and I felt it was drinking a lot better. The hops have faded, and it just doesn't have the malt to age particularly well. Still crisp and dry, but the flavor isn't getting any better.

-GFunk

O

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2011 23:20:20 | More by Gfunk720

mynie

Indiana

4.38/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bought this about a year ago, and I've been taking real good care of it ever since. Folks told me to age it for a while, so I did.

Pours ruddy. Hazy red, nearly headless.

Smells more like an old ale than a strong. Not that there's really a formal difference between the two, just that one is an unclassifiable, strong beer and the other is an unclassifiable, strong beer that's been aged. Hmm... Anyhow, pleasant fruit nodes from the thick malt, and some generic-smelling hops are still present.

Tastes like nicely aged, fruity malt, lightly bitter hops, and sweet yeast. It's old, but the age brings everything together quite nicely. Starts outs with nodes of plums and apples, moves into a lemony yeast flavor, ends on a node of old, bittersour hops.

Ladies and gentlemen, this beer was meant to be aged. Because of this, it don't taste like a regular big beer. Instead, it's a shining example of a neglected style.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2011 06:27:51 | More by mynie

MaxBrewell

West Virginia

3.8/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to my brewing pal, Jesse for this one.

12 ounce bottle.

A - Clear reddish orange color with dense,off-white head with nice retention and lacing.

S - Citrus, caramel, some dried fruits.

T - Citrus, and caramel malts and some fruit notes. Slight bitterness on the finish. Nicely balanced. There is an un-accounted for taste that I can't quite describe.

M - Medium body and carbonation. Alcohol is well hidden, despite 8.5% ABV. Not a typical American Strong Ale.

D - Overall this was a very unique beer. And I was glad my friend Jesse was nice enough to share it.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2011 01:49:57 | More by MaxBrewell

gregshead

California

2.73/5  rDev -27.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to NickD for this one:

A: Pours a copper red w/ finger of head that dissipates quickly.

S: Lots of sweet smells. Sugary caramel smells.

T: Tastes of fake cherry and cough syrup mixed with raisins/figs but not in the good quad way.

M: Thick but the the appropriate amount of carbonation.

O: This one disappointing but not terrible. Just below average for this style.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2011 06:17:59 | More by gregshead

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-transparent amber with a thick light tan head that stays. some lacing

S-smells like hops and caramel, with more focus on the caramel. the scents aren't too strong. smells similar to a barley wine.

T-hits the tongue with great grassy hops, then transitions it to a great mix of sweet caramel and molasses. it reminds me of candy. i like it. its definitely a sweeter version of the style.

M-soft and creamy medium carbonation with a dry finish

O-a decent and different strong ale. the taste stays. its definitely worth a try. i perfer the Batch 10,000 myself.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2011 18:48:16 | More by AdamBear

Rhettroactive

Virginia

2.83/5  rDev -24.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

From 12oz bottle to Bruges hybrid glass on 4/26/11
*From notes

A: Bleeding copper maroon in color. Cloudy - a two finger head yields some lacing, but nothing to write home about.

S: Raisins. Big time raisins. When I really stick my nose deep into the glass, I detect hints of salty parmesan cheese, which as you might imagine, isn't the most desirable quality in a beer.

T: Bready, almost like a cinnamon raisin loaf. It feels fortified, as the heavy dose of raisiny, pruney essence slaps me across the tounge. The alcohol is fairly well masked.

M: A bit thin, though the carbonation is reasonable.

O: A weird beer. Bell's 25th Anniversary Ale is certainly different, though sadly it's something I don't plan on returning to for quite a while. Looks like I'll lose that last bottle in the cellar for a few years and see what happens. As it stands now, it's unremarkable and a bit of a dissapointment.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2011 23:17:11 | More by Rhettroactive

Krakistophales

Connecticut

2.9/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours light red/dark orange with a finger's worth of off white head that recedes into a thin layer of bubbles atop the glass.

S: Caramel, malt, slight toffee, slight earthy hops. Not much going on here.

T: Initial bits of citrus, followed by some earthy hops, grassy hops and a slightly bitter aftertaste. Even less going on here.

M: Good carbonation, light body, if not for the blandness of it, highly drinkable.

O: Not impressed with this one at all. I find the batch 8,000 and 9,000 and hopslam to be far superior to this one. Like, solar systems apart.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2011 05:33:14 | More by Krakistophales

Bendurgin

Maine

3.3/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Another one from Grant. Thanks again! Poured this into a snifter. This one pours a deep caramel color with about an inch of bubbly beige head. Lots of sticky lace.

Musty dark fruity aroma on this. Plumbs and dates with hints of toffee. Slight floral hops in the background of the aroma. Smells like a barleywine in my opinion. Faint flavors of citrus in the profile with bready malts. This finishes with a bit of toffee sweetnes. Not bad, but it all seems a bit underwhelming.

Medium body on this one with kind of sharp carbonation. Overall, not a bad brew. A bit underwhelming but enjoyable. I wonder if this was a bit better when it was fresh. Or if it would be better with a bit more age.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2011 01:46:29 | More by Bendurgin

stewart124

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a beautiful copper color with a thin head.

Strong caramel in the nose with some citrus. Sensing a nice sweetness.

Whoa this is very drinkable!. Nice amount of light caramel with a light to medium body. Very good piney background bitterness. High alpha hops add a great punch to this pleasant American strong ale. Delicious!

Not sure what I was expecting from Bell's 25th Anniversary Ale but I am pleased to say the least. Did I say this was drinkable? Pulls toward a lighter barleywine but really doesn't hold up in body. This really is easier to drink than most strong ales. This would really sneak up on someone.

Another job well done by bells.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2011 01:46:32 | More by stewart124

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.45/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served from bottle into a Bell's stemmed tulip. Poured red-orange with a one finger off-white head that subsided to half a finger slowly. Maintained phenomenal lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, caramel, and sweet alcohol. The flavor was of sweet malt, caramel, sweet alcohol, subtle citrus, dark fruit, and very subtle citrus hop. It had a medium feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a fairly decent brew. The flavor was pretty well blended and smooth on this one. However with that said, it wasn't overly good nor was it overly bad. It was complex though which is always nice to see. The aroma wasn't very impressive though. Worth trying at least once, but I plan to leave it at that...

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2011 17:52:57 | More by thagr81us

srandycarter

California

4.05/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Muddy amber, nice head falls fast to ring. Not much lace.

S - Bready, heady goodness. Deep malt and my favorite thing about this beer.

T - Malty, nice, but thinner than smell suggests.

M - Again, thinner and less complex than I thought. Good carb, ok balance.

D - Fort eh ABV, very easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2011 05:15:21 | More by srandycarter