Bell's Amber Ale - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A: Amber with a nice head and plenty of lacing.

S: Sweet amber malts with a tiny bit of hop presence.

T: Slightly buttery amber malt base. Very creamy.

M: Like the taste, excellent creaminess to this one. Most of the ambers I have had fall well into the category of thin or creamy, and this is definitely of the latter category. Utterly brilliant.

D: Excellent year-round offering from Bell's--for the most part, Larry and the crew can simply do no wrong.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2009 03:18:22 | More by Thorpe429

DerekP

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bell's Amber Ale is unquestionably amber colored, with sweet malts that show in the taste and smell. I smell quality hops as well. What I really enjoy about this beer is the obvious lack of filtration. One look in your mug or pint glass and you'll see the aftereffects of mashing hops and barley; the little guys that find their way through a strainer, and into a carboy for the joy of fermentation.

I got about a quarter to half-inch thick head that seems to be planning to stick around for good, or at least until I'm through with the beer. The bottle shows the ABV as 5.8%; not too bad, definitely sessionable. There's a little over a hint of an alcoholic taste coming through, nothing to fuss about. The body is a solid medium, appropriate to the degree of sweet malts. Every bar in the country should have this brew available. I really stand behind this beer, not just in defense of microbreweries and the culture of better beer, but for the fact that it is extremely drinkable, and could definitely be appreciated by the most close-minded, light beer aficionado. Bell's Amber Ale should serve as the gateway brew to better beer for the lowest common denominator of beer drinkers.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2009 02:17:12 | More by DerekP

Spica66

Indiana

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I have been drinking this beer since the only way to buy it was to bring your own growler to Larry at the window in the old warehouse. I grew up in Kalamazoo, MI, and it was a happy day for me when I could legally make that stop! The beer has always had a fresh amber taste, medium body and hops, and medium mouthfeel. Never heavy or light, a good, all-round example of amber ale. I used yeast from some of the first brewery bottles that you could buy to brew my first amber ale.

Serving type: on-tap

05-18-2010 14:04:30 | More by Spica66

TCMike

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a medium copper color, and produced a one finger beige head.
The aroma is of caramel sweetness, light hop, and light malt.
In the taste the hop bitterness comes through more, but with the caramel taste tames it some. It feels medium bodied. It taste great! The bitterness of the hops linger a little. Would make a good session beer, in my opinion, even though it's 5.8 abv.(slightly out of the definition of session).

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2011 19:21:24 | More by TCMike

ccrida

Oregon

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into my Schell's shaker pint, Bell's Amber is amber with an egg-shell head leaving clingy lace.

Smell is sweet, a little citrus hops.

Taste is similar, a really nice sweet malt base here, with just enough fruity hops to provide depth, but not bitter, with a clean, quick finish. I consider Amber Ales to be a bit of a benchmark of a (US) brewers ability, and Bell's is really showing off their ability here.

Mouthfeel is pretty well carbonated, medium light bodied.

Drinkability is high, this is a really tasty Amber Ale, just sweet enough to satisfy but not get cloying, the citrus note of the hops keeps it interesting, very well made. I'll have another!

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2011 02:10:18 | More by ccrida

ZAP

Minnesota

4.3/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

An exciting amber ale....a nice spicy hop nose...also some malt sweetness on the nostrils....orangish in color...cloudy...chunks of stuff flloating all over...beautifull!! The taste is definitely dominated by the malt sweetness...but it is more of a Belgian style hard candy sugar type sweetness...the herbal hops lend a nice balance...I've had many "amber ales"...most are OK but not real interesting...this one is veritable adventure in tasting...another dandy from one of the top breweries in the U.S.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2002 22:26:15 | More by ZAP

Sixpack595

Michigan

4.3/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Clear copper color with full white head. Slightly sweet, floral aromas and taste. Hops are citruicy, giving great aroma, and good taste. I have heard bad thing about it in bottles, but I drink it on tap quite often with no complaints. Really a great beer that everyone can enjoy.

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2003 22:58:31 | More by Sixpack595

BeerFink

Ohio

4.3/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Figured I'd give Bell's flagship brew a try...

Cascading into my pint glass, it forms an attractive looking dark copper color topped off with a generous head. Good head retention and good lacing. The smell was big on the malts with a slight hop bouquet. True to the aroma, the taste was long on the malts. Smooth and creamy malt was kept in check with some tight carbonation. Sweet malt, caramel, a little butter was first on the palate. Some good toasty flavor leads into crisp hops for a dry, citrous finish. After you have a few sips, you begin to notice a dry bitterness that is almost coffee-like. Surprisingly complex taste that I missed on the first sip. Well balanced and easy to drink. Good choice for a flagship brew. I really think this would please the masses.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2005 01:31:42 | More by BeerFink

Vancer

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Now, this was just a nice and solid offering, again, from Bells. Intriguing pour – hazy amber / orange with a thing ivory head. Notes of malts with orange and spice in the aroma, which carried over to the quaff quite nicely. Luv a taste of the fall spices in an amber ale. A little cinnamon goes a long way, but the subtle hint was perfect.

Medium to full bodied for an amber, this was just an excellent drinker for one or many

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2006 13:25:05 | More by Vancer

BlackAngus

Indiana

4.3/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Cloudy, orange color. Large tan head that lasted all the way down.

S - Sweet, malty aroma, with a light hops character.

T - Sweet and malty, definite hop bitterness, but very well balanced.

M - Nice carbonation, light-medium body, clean and crisp.

D - I can drink this often...very well-crafted beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2007 04:16:18 | More by BlackAngus

CharlieMopps

Virginia

4.3/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: From a moderate pour, this beer produced two and a half fingers of thick, creamy head, displaying great retention and much lacing. Its color was the quintessential amber, dead-on for the hue, and looked rather delicious.

S: The smell seemed to indicate that the flavor would be mildly hopped, but also there appeared to be a grainy side as well. Hopefully this will equate to a delicious and well-balanced amber.

T: Wow.. impeccable balance to this beer, which was noticeable almost immediately. A good malt base comes first, followed by a hop presence in the middle, which is where the flavor hits its peak balance. The finish is one of the smoothest I've tasted, washing into an aftertaste that leaves a quaint residual bitterness from the hops. Amazing.

M & D: Well-carbonated, and perfect for the taste. The mouthfeel is creamy and crisp with a great body. Again, balance is the key and its done so well here. For being a brewery that's mostly known for its stouts, this amber has sure proven its worth amongst the Bell's fold. This one is definitely a must-have for Amber fans, and the flavor will definitely allow you to drink your fill.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2007 19:36:22 | More by CharlieMopps

Magpie14

Michigan

4.3/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: a deep robust brown crimson color with a nice thick cream colored head. Sits really nice in the glass with bubbles moving freely about. Nice web of lacing in the glass

Smell: roasted malt nose and sweet candy/caramel swirling about. Touch of a earthy type of hops...very little but is present.

Taste/Mouthfeel: great sweet toasted malt flavor! Has nice malt characteristic overall and is paired nicely with sweet caramel. It has a nice crisp and smooth body and I even noticed a little bit of fruity orange overtones as it glides down.

Drinkability: this is a staple beer for me and never disappoints. Solid all around and is very easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2007 23:46:31 | More by Magpie14

pmcadamis

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - This one pours a hazy amber to light brown orange-ish hue that reminds me of a certain kind of wood finish that people often use on their decks. The head is a fluffy one finger off-white substance that shows some really nice retention and leaves a small amount of lace on the glass. Looks like an O-fest brew.

S - Sweet and fruity with a lot of really nice malt notes. Cinnamon rolls (the little cheap kind that you can unroll into one long cinnamon strip), honey bread, and fruitcake. This is really deep and ripe! Over-ripe bananas that have just turned black, banana crunch muffins, and big cheese danishes that come in a vending machine.

T - Malty and fruity like the nose, but the flavor adds in some nice firm hop bitterness that is very much like freshly rolled hay. I'm reminded of Banana Nut Crunch cereal. Some critusy wheat-like flavors are there too, and this helps keep the beer summery and refreshing. There are some really crisp citrus and toasty caramel malt characteristics that make this a great early autumn/late summer brew.

M - Medium bodied and extremely creamy. This is bordering on full bodied with all of the lush and rich fluffy carbonation that is produced in this beer.

D - One of the better amber ales out there. This stuff is thirst quenching and relatively light, but provides enough complexity and depth of character to keep a beer lover interested. A very fine choice for a session brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2007 06:16:29 | More by pmcadamis

HardTarget

Texas

4.3/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottle Inspection: 5.8%, a note about pale malts, and marketing blurb. There's a long code (8221) which I guess might tell me the date brewed, and going on their webpage does let me know (in IE, not Firefox) that it was packaged on Nov. 7, 2007 (sampled Leap Day, Feb. 29, 2008).

Aroma: Citric hops, a mix of orange, grapefruit, and a hint of ginger in the yeast.

Appearance: Lightly hazed copper orange body holds a creamy white head all the way through the beer with some lacing.

Flavor: An APA profile with some toffee and caramel notes. The orange rind hops start, then the slow transition over to the toffee malt which goes a bit sweeter to caramel, then a blend of all of it in the finish. Nice profile!

Mouthfeel: Moderate to low carbonation leaves a creamy mouthfeel, finish is a bit dry.

Overall Impression: Wow, nice amber! Great flavors in moderation and balance let both the hop and malt characteristics shine. I think this might be my favorite Bell's yet!

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2008 01:06:09 | More by HardTarget

bluegrassbrew

Georgia

4.3/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a nice copper amber with some sediment floating around in the haze. Minimal head, but fizzy.

Smell is a nice balance between some sweet caramel malt and just a hint of citrusy hops.

Taste is where this one earns its bread. Nice caramel at the base with slowing creeping citrus fruit towards the end.

Overall, this is a very nice sessionable ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2008 05:06:23 | More by bluegrassbrew

abcsofbeer

Virginia

4.3/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass that allows you to see the unfiltered nature of this ale. The color is a cloudy, light amber that is topped off with an off-white two finger head.

The aroma is nice, sweet with a faint hoppy smell. I detect some small pepper aroma and also citrus orange. The taste is very good, well blended malts and hops. The hops come into play at the tail end but are well received. The flavor also has a little pepper kick to it. The MF is medium bodied and very flavorful. Very good.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2008 17:01:03 | More by abcsofbeer

ncvbc

North Carolina

4.3/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a murky amber in color, medium head with spots of lacing. Smell is good and balanced but all I think is buttered bread and toasted caramel. Some grain and light hops. Very delicate and balanced taste. A brief hint of bitterness up front but this is more of a malted amber. Toasted bread and light grain with some sweetness. Good earthy, light citrus hops. Smooth, lightly crisp but almost doughy mouthfeel. Carbonation level keeps it from becoming creamy or full. The hops keep this brew in check but malt flavor is the winner. Very drinkable, session amber. A vacation from the hopped up trend of ambers that seems to be going on, I like it.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2008 02:32:20 | More by ncvbc

Jekster

Indiana

4.3/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Appearance: Pours a dark amber red / orange that lightens toward yellow on the edges. The glass is laced by a nice one to two finger off white frothy head.

Smell: Sweet malt and bready overtones take the forefront in the aroma of this beer. Hiding behind that are slight fruity aromas like apple or pineapple. A slight American hop character is also noticeable.

Taste: Fruit comes through in the pallet along with a distinct yeasty bread flavor. I taste sharp tart apple like a nice dry white wine. The flavors dissipate rather quickly when swallowed leaving a slight presence of alcohol esters to peruse my mouth. There is a slight lingering bitterness along with a drying aspect probably due to the alcohol (near 6%).

Mouthfeel: This beer is fairly effervescent for an amber ale which contributes to the overall dry light feel of the beer. It's thirst quenching while not being a completely light and wussy beer.

Drinkability: This beer is pleasant without being overpowering. It's easy to drink and what I would call a quaff-er. I could sit back and enjoy quite a few of these with some light snacks during a movie or while eating pretzels and shooting pool. It's what I would choose if I wanted something with a balance between a sweet bready backbone and a American hop bitterness.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I would easily buy this beer again. It's a nice beer when you don't feel like blasting your mouth with hops yet want something that is not overpoweringly sweet. It has nice complexity yet is simple and refined at the same time.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2009 01:34:52 | More by Jekster

JamesS

Indiana

4.3/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice copper color with some good head and nice lacing, and a fair bit of lacing. Good sweet scent, hints of rice, sugar, and caramal, along with a great tart aroma; the scent reminds me more of an Irish red than an American red. The taste, though, is more American; though there is a bit of Irish tart, it's mostly a great blend of malts and hops, sweet at first with a nice hit of bitterness as you finish each drink. Gets better with each taste. Goes down very smooth, if a bit overcarbonated. Excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2009 20:13:08 | More by JamesS

jwhawkins81

Ohio

4.3/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Batch number 8996 was packaged on 2/27/2009

Aroma - Well balanced aroma of hops and malt

Appearance - Thin fizzy off white head, cloudy orange red color.

Taste - Well balanced this is just a plain good beer. A smooth malty grain flavor with just enough hops for balance. Enough flavor for you not to forget its there.

Mouthfeel - Thin but with plenty of carbonation.

Drinkability - If priced right this could be a definite go to beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2009 21:22:16 | More by jwhawkins81

RunForYourBeer

Indiana

4.3/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from batch 9781.

A: Pours an orange color with very little head.

S: Nearly all caramel malt on this one.

T: Starts out with lots of caramel malt with hints bready malt. Finish with some light citrus hops.

M: Medium with the right amount of carbonation.

D: High.

This is a good beer. It's highly drinkable and easy to get in my area. Would make a great session beer or gateway to craft beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2010 22:04:46 | More by RunForYourBeer

Gavage

New Jersey

4.28/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Slighty hazy amber / orange color with a huge 3" head. Carbonation levels seemed a bit strong. The aroma was of caramel and yeast. The flavor was simple and pleasant as caramel, sweet fruitiness, and mild bitterness were well balanced. There was some light lacing that developed on the glass.

This was a light/medium bodied brew with a smooth crisp start and a smooth caramel finish. Caramel and fruit tones lasted briefly on the tongue. Extremely drinkable and a simple session beer that has some nice flavor you won't get bored with.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2004 00:06:49 | More by Gavage

ultralarry2006

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle. Left a one finger head with decent retention, and not much lacing at all. Body was a cloudy orange amber.

Smell - toasty, bicuity, and above all, caramelly malt.

Taste - like the smell, and pretty straightforward, caramel, with slight milkiness to it. Toast, biscuits, also. Some slight grass and herbs.

Mouthfeel - full, smooth, low carbonation, some chewiness.

Drinkability - this is very good and goes down well. Very sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2006 19:42:49 | More by ultralarry2006

Applesauce1

Virginia

4.28/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I picked up a six-pack of the Amber Ale at The Happy Cat 2 in Athens, OH.

Appearance: hazy orange-copper color (not much of an amber color); nice 1" white head on the pour
Smell: maybe some citrus, a little bit of hops
Taste: nice; a nice balanced flavor; a decent amount of hops with some citrus flavor
Mouthfeel: medium bodied
Drinkability: very good, you can have a few in a night

Overall, an impressive beer. This would be a great session beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2007 05:53:51 | More by Applesauce1

flowerysong

Michigan

4.28/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Appearance: Slightly hazy medium brown body, coarse tan head.

Smell: Sweet malt with some citrusy hop aroma and a bit of caramel.

Taste: Starts out sweet, toasted malt; some earthy and yeasty notes in the background along with just a hint of diacetyl; nice medium hop bitterness in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, medium-high carbonation.

Drinkability: Excellent example of the style. Full of flavour and well-balanced, easy to drink quite a few.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2007 05:43:10 | More by flowerysong