Bell's Deb's Red Ale - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

jcalabre

California

3.5/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Originally sampled on 29 November 2002. I am writing this review from my notes.
This pours cloudy, brown colored with a nice one finger head. It has a medium body, upfront sweetness, followed by some bite on the tongue. This is a nice beer. It is unique.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2003 21:27:05 | More by jcalabre

oberon

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pretty nice aber color with perhaps copper tinge.Smelled very sweet and malty and some fruit tinge from the hops,very comples.Tasted of baking spices?A little filling but that may be just me.A real complex red ale very well made in my opinion,have had it a few times.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2003 07:59:14 | More by oberon

Mitchster

Michigan

4.35/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Brew is a murky red-amber that has flecks of yeast flittering in the mild to moderate carbonation. Pours with a dense peaking dark beige head that leaves lots of tenacious red lace atop small to medium sized bubbles. Aroma is rich and complex...fruity hops, juicy grapefruit, warm sugar cookies, and lots of prunes and raisins...similar to a lighter version of Third Coast Old Ale. Taste starts with a soft, meaty body and gives way to a roasted sweetness in the back of the throat, quickly fading into a long, biscuity, pleasant, fresh bittering hop finish with a mild astringency. Prunes and raisins are more dominant in the nose than in the flavor, but there for sure. No alcohol bite or fusels (even as it warms) make this extremely drinkable despite it's modest ABV (It even gives me a warm feeling at this ABV...perhaps because I associate it with Third Coast Old Ale)...a very well done potent and complex red. Another top-notch brew that maintains Kzoo as my favorite brewing company.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2003 16:21:17 | More by Mitchster

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.18/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Is there something in the water in Kalamazoo, or just something in Larry Bell's blood, sweat and other bodily fluids that makes everything these guys make stand apart from everything else?
Cleverness abounds in Bell's country, for their red is not named after any Deborah, but the famous unionist, Eugene V. Debs. A murky red color, spicy nose, quite hoppy. Flavors of plums, raisins, cinnamon. Malt is substantial, but not dominant. Medium body, but thick and full with flavor. Remarkably soft, smooth, and spicy!

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2002 00:24:44 | More by feloniousmonk

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Murky looking scarlet in color. Sticky medium sized ivory white head recedes to a thick film and then stays that way for a while. Huge mix on the nose. (Make that Bighuge mix on the nose.) Bready yeast tones. Caramel maltiness. Sour lactic notes. Very nice. Medium to full body. I really like the subtle notes of lactic sourness in this beer. Must come from their yeast strain as I've picked it up in their beers before. Hops also play heavily into this Amber. They seem to be of the NW variety and contribute an underlying citric note. Deep caramel and biscuit like malt profile provides the backdrop for all of the above. This could very well be my favorite Amber (if not, one of my favorites).

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2002 19:44:02 | More by Bighuge

Jon

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Debs' (as in Eugene Debs) Red pours a glowing copper color with a sizeable off-white head that lasts. The smell is of faint smokiness with some malt character presenting itself nicely. Taste is rather malty, with some of that smoky feel again. Perhaps a little hops in there, as well. Solid mouthfeel with some mild carbonation. Pretty smooth ale. It's also fairly easy to drink, which makes it a standout in the red ale category. Once again, you can't go wrong with Kalamazoo!

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2002 20:15:43 | More by Jon

ZAP

Minnesota

4.65/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Now here's a dandy....It's funny how you learn to identify these beers by the smell...I got this from my brother Big Huge..I never really looked at it, and poured it and smelled it...I said this has got to be "Bell's" and in the upside down fine print I see it is...

This is a high quality beer....a big red with character....dwarfs any other red I've had...Nose is fresh and spicy with a a good dose of maltiness...the body is tremendous for this style...Like I said this beer has character....But the taste is the best thing...it features a strong maltiness complimented with some excellent spiciness....This is one of the best in its class in the world in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2002 21:40:39 | More by ZAP

ADR

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This beer seems bigger than the American Amber category...

Red-brown "swamp-water" color with the characteristic Kalamazoo chunks doing the slow dance in your glass. Tiny skim of a head. Spicy aroma, especially of nutmeg with a touch of lime. Take all your pumpkin pie ingredients, mix 'em in a bowl, add a cup of lime juice, then put it in a "Juiceman" juicer and this is what might come out in your glass. Impressive body and fullness, a sense of cherry after a few sips. Hops lend pepper to the finish but are not overly assertive. To me, this is a cool weather brew with more citrus and spice than candy impressions, a little dirt and smoke, almost like a little "cousin" to Bell's Batch 5000.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2002 07:39:55 | More by ADR

Wildman

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

@ Bell's Eccentric Cafe

This beer was a dark reddish amber color and had a nice off-white head which left some lace. It had an aroma of malt and hops. The flavor was of the malt and a slight citrus taste which is common among the Bell's beers. The finish was a bit dry and it had a medium body. Not a bad beer.

Serving type: on-tap

10-02-2002 07:09:15 | More by Wildman