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

psuKinger

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Batch #11288, bottled July 2nd, 2012 (about 2 months old). Bottle into nonic.

A: Classic hazy amber hue, with a big frothy 2-finger off-white head on top. Near-perfect.

S: Lemon grass and herbal notes. Sweet bread. Perhaps a touch of pine resin and a twinge of alcohol.

T: Lemon zest is present, as the nose indicated, but there's also a bright grapefruit flavor with a pale malt twinge here that I didn't really pick up on in the nose. I'm not picking up on much in the way of a classic caramel/amber malt profile, which is suprising based on the name of the beer. Pine-bitterness arrives at the finish to round things out.

From the nose I feared that this beer might run overly sweet. But no, this has been healthily-hopped, keeping everything in balance.

M: Light and lively, with decent carbonation and a good dry finish.

D/O: Goes down smooth. Easy-drinkin'. I could knock this back in large quantities. I'm attributing a significant percentage of the flavor here to hop addition, and therefore I do believe "freshness" would be a concern here moreso than for many other "amber/red ales". If fresh, I could blast a six-pack of this.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 00:58:55 | More by psuKinger

Mojo

Alabama

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer pours up a nice coppery amber color with a small white head, decent retention and decent lacing. The nose is fairly subtle. To my nose I could really only pick up what smelled a little like cinammon. Mouthfeel is medium with average carbonation. Taste is nice. Kind of grass, biscuit, and hops. The malt upfront is kind of buried in the mix though. Not too bad. About what I expect from Bells.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 03:18:22 | More by Mojo

kangarooAdam59

Maine

3.9/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

As I continue on in my "Bell's business of re-reviewing" old beers, another old favorite that I can't get in Maine:

Into a pint glass:

A: brown colored body and leaves a moderately sized white head that lasts for about thirty seconds. Nice spotty lacing appears and some light carbonation is seen rising.

S: sweet and has some light hops coming in as the beer warms.

T: basically the same with a dry aftertaste

M: medium and has a dry finish.

O: this was my go-to Bell's when I lived in Michigan and I still say its solid that if I ever move back would be happy to always have a six pack of.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 12:56:41 | More by kangarooAdam59

jimmah120

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

quick review here: this a great looking beer; unfiltered amber gold with a small white sudsy head. smell and taste is dry leaves, apple, grain, buscuits, lemon pepper, clove. not overly bitter but pleasantly so.

Not being a big fan of ambers, I enjoyed this immensely.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2012 08:54:43 | More by jimmah120

TheBigLebrewski

Michigan

4.55/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bell's' flagship. Bell's, Bell's, Bell's. And no brand-whoring about it, Bell's gives what you want from a brewery. In the interest of full disclosure, I wear their belt buckle.

Bottle to pint glass. Moderate mostly white head with a touch of brown. Excellent lacing retention. Damn near perfect color for an Amber; a tiny bit less color than the subjective amber idyll. Very good smell, though pretty subtle.

This is amber ale. Not 'an' amber ale. If you want to drink a straight up amber ale, this is it. The taste is spot on. Leaning towards sweetness, as ambers do, but not at all overly sweet, as is far too common for the genre. Mouthfeel is perfect. This is very good beer.

Here I will qualify: I, personally, would prefer a more balanced ale; in particular, a touch of hop in the finish would make this beer incredible. And, in truth, there is a lack of hop in the finish. (See Stone's Levitation - an American Amber Ale - for a comparable beer of a different genre that I personally prefer).

Overall, I will say it's not my favorite beer. Not even close. But it is as close to the perfect straight Amber Ale as I've ever tasted. And according to the way we try to rate beers here, this deserves one of the best ratings I've given. Again, there are dozens of beers I personally enjoy more, but, that being said, this is far and away the best straight amber I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 04:49:46 | More by TheBigLebrewski

JamesShoemaker

New York

3.73/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The Bros have this one scored really high. The problem with Amber is that it tastes different batch to batch, sometimes bottle to bottle. I would recommend having one and then a few months later having another one. Maybe I'm crazy.

The times when it's been good, this beer is super drinkable and very tasty. When it's not good, it honestly doesn't taste a whole lot different from Michelob Amber Bock. Sacrilege!

However, this beer is ridiculously popular in the upper Midwest. Chances are, if a store carries Bell's, they carry this brew and Two Hearted (a beer which the Bros have ranked very low, surprisingly).

Give it a try if you find a single, pass on a six pack though.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 21:08:09 | More by JamesShoemaker

wiscokid920

Wisconsin

4.13/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled 01/19/2012 Poured in pint glass
Back label mentions this beer was first brewed in 1985 and “embodies the heritage of the Bell’s Brewery and nature of Great Lakes Region.” Big claims that I’m excited to enjoy!

A- Unfiltered, amber with 2 finger off white head with decent retention and lacing.

S- Nose is great combination of malts, caramels, toasted gains, hoppy with citrus notes

T- Smooth citrus up front, smooth and malty in middle and quickly subsiding to a crisp hoppy, grassy finish. Very refreshing and enjoyable.

M- Medium bodied with slightly chewy feel. Good carbonation that works well on the palate. Ends with nice crisp finish.

O- Definitely lives up to the Bell’s name. My favorite offering of the Amber Ale style. Without a doubt I will recommend and purchase again!

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 03:24:07 | More by wiscokid920

Alextricity

Michigan

3.78/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled 7/30/12

Appearance: Pours a really nice, medium amber color. Forms a decent head that goes away pretty quickly. Lacing is sparse, and the beer appears to be unfiltered. Pretty nice.

Smell: Absolutely STRANGE. It smells dirty. Musky. Like a wet trunk. It isn't very pleasant at all. To be honest, I figured this was a dud based on the smell alone. Really not a nice smelling beer to my nose.

Taste/Feel: Thankfully, what matters most, is probably the best part about the beer... the taste. It has a pretty mild carbonation with a whole lot of malt. Some of that muskiness from the smell I get in the taste, but it's barely there, and goes away quickly when it does show up, which is a very good thing. There's a little bit of spice there too, but I just get a lot of malt, and I dig it. There are traces of alcohol in there too. The feel isn't bad at all... it's great for an amber, with a fairly low carbonation.

Overall, I thought right off the bat I'd be let down as soon as I caught a whiff. I was happy to see that the taste isn't much like the aroma at all. I actually enjoyed this beer the more I drank it, and I feel I'd just enjoy it more if I tried it again. A very good amber if you can get passed the smell.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 03:11:39 | More by Alextricity

Beerlover

Minnesota

4.88/5  rDev +26.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

appearance is good, color is off for an amber, more of a hazy golden yellowish color instead of an amber reddish brown. unfiltered. Smell is balanced, more on the malty side with minimal hops aroma and some carmelyness.

taste...is amazing! wow! this is the first beer thats really surprised (in a good way) me in a while! initially its pretty sweet, almost to the point that you'd think it was going overtake the beer, but then after a second or two the sweetness completly dissapaits and you get some caramely malts and a very easy to drink smooth well rounded balaced beer. there is also this carbonated tingling... that is unexplainable but great, never expierienced that before but loved it! Move over alaskan and full sail this is my new favorite amber! Sessionable!

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 05:00:31 | More by Beerlover

Guden

Maryland

3.48/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Light amber color with a solid one finger head that sticks around.

S- Light citrus and a bit of malt. Very light.

T- A smooth refreshing citrus (lemon) up front with a bit of sweetness followed by a piney bitter finish that blends with a honey note. Not bad but could use some more maltiness for my tastes.

M- Fairly low in body, just enough to fill the mouth with a well dialed in carbonation level that's not too prickly but effervescent and refreshing.

O- A decent beer but a little lacking in the aroma and maltiness for the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 01:32:54 | More by Guden

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.05/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottled on 28 June 2012. The back label mentions this was first brewed in 1985!

A mildly hazy amber with a dense, off-white head with excellent retention and great lacing, this is beer is a looker. The nose is great. A moderate, complex malt character is present, with a blend of caramel, toasted bread, a little bit of a grain character, and even a little bit of dough. A mild hop character is present, pairing really well with the malt profile. A little bit of citrus, a hint of pineapple are the most prominent notes.

The palate opens with a nice blend of toasted and caramel malt with some cotton candy, brown sugar and bread notes, all light and in great balance. The is accompanied by the hop character, which is soft and resplendent, with a blend of sweet grapefruit, pine and oranges. Medium-light in body with a mildly chewy feel and mid-palate, this beer is moderately carbonated and is a treat on the palate. This is a pretty excellent amber if you ask me. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 00:56:44 | More by DefenCorps

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from session notes.

Pours out a hazy amber color with a short lived but pretty-while-it-lasts head, no lacing. Smells of biscuit dough and a touch of caramel apple with just a whispered hint of pie spicing. Tastes about evenly of bready notes and fruity esters, with a clean bitter finish, crisp texture and medium carbonation levels.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 02:15:30 | More by WastingFreetime

ninaturner

Florida

4.38/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Caramel color, somewhat chalky, unfiltered.

Aroma: You can smell a hint of caramel malt and some yeast, but there is little aroma.

Taste: You can definitely taste the caramel malt in the beer. I love the kick of bittering hops at the end. Probably my favorite part of the beer.

Mouthfeel: Great mouthfeel; somewhat thick but not too thick--similar to other amber ales.

Drinkability: Mouthfeel and overall flavor make this beer highly drinkable.

Overall: You can't go wrong with this Bell's Amber Ale!

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 23:00:48 | More by ninaturner

Jamesthebrit

Michigan

4.2/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: I was very impressed when I poured this one which I guess I shouldn't have been. This one is amber for sure. Not light or weak but a nice solid color.

S: Probably the weakest point of this beer. A little malt comes through but that's about it. Maybe a little bit of yeast but... Rather light here.

T: Good malty note with a hint of yeast and hops and a nice smooth finish. Brings more than a lager while still being pretty easy to drink.

M: Sits medium light but the carbonation turns it into something very smooth and creamy rather than harsh. Very nice.

A very nice light beer here. Brings some nice flavor to the table but does not overwhelm. Should be good for the average beer drinker as well as people with a more refined taste.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 01:39:49 | More by Jamesthebrit

rlee1390

Indiana

3.88/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Cloudy orange/amber, carbonated with a two finger heads that fades.

S-Lots of malt, caramel along with bread notes.

T-A malt forward brew, caramel and bread balance well with each other. Citrus and floral notes come out as well. Little bitterness.

M-Medium bodied, velvety in the carbonation.

O-A nice easy drinking American great. Not great but an easy drinker.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 01:05:20 | More by rlee1390

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.83/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served on tap in a 10 oz chalice glass

Appearance – As the name implies it has an amber color with a light haze. Upon serving there was a one finger off white head that faded quickly to leave only a light amount of lacing.

Smell – The aroma was of caramel and toasted bread. Mixed with these were some lighter notes of citrus and some nuttiness.

Taste – The taste starts out as a mix of roasted malt and caramel. While sweeter in the beginning, it some dries out and bitters some as some citrus and pine hop tastes enter the flavor profile. While these never get too strong they do a nice job of balancing some of the sweet in the beginning. Toward the end of the taste some nuttiness comes to the tongue and overall a very nice roasty flavor is left to linger.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is smooth but not thick and the carbonation is on the average side. The creaminess is very nice and helps accentuate the nice more roasted flavors of the brew.

Overall – A pretty tasty amber Well worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

08-05-2012 22:48:46 | More by Darkmagus82

tdm168

North Carolina

3.88/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - pale, transparent amber with a thin, loose layer of white head that fades away quickly

S - faint bread, caramel

T - caramel, faintly herbal, faintly citrusy, sweet

M - medium bodied, sticky, well carbonated

This is a decent beer, but simplistic. The caramel takes the forefront with a subtle hop character. It's easy to drink, but ultimately boring.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 20:09:02 | More by tdm168

BeerCon5

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a slightly cloudy, bright amber color with less than one finger of bubbly white head that disappeared quickly.

The scent was pretty spicy, toasted grain, and notes of floral hops.

The taste was of moderately bitter floral hops, toasty grain, notes of citrus, and spice.

Medium body, smooth and kind of oily feel, moderate carbonation.

Overall a pretty nice, easy drinking beer. Very tasty and well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 14:36:16 | More by BeerCon5

KajII

North Carolina

3.38/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

[Best served in a Shaker glass]

The pour was a cloudy medium amber with an average sized (1-2 finger) off white creamy head that reduced to a thick film with a large collar and had excellent sheets of lacing.

The aroma was of a light toasted grain malt, light floral hops and a mildly sweet doughy yeast with notes of caramel, honey and citrus (orange).

The taste was quite malty with a nice caramel sweetness from the onset with the finish being lightly hoppy with a slight bitter citrus peel presence and just a touch of honey at the end. The flavor lasted an average time with a good light bitter sweet taste left to linger for just a while longer.

Mouthfeel was a bit beyond light in body with a watery yet still slightly creamy texture and a nice mild carbonation.

Overall a smooth easy to drink brew with a nice light sweetness, that is offset by the mild hoppy bitterness...

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 15:12:47 | More by KajII

AleWatcher

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Bottle into tulip pint.

Orangey amber body with a small tan head. Incredible retention. Thick lacing is virtually opaque before it slowly rides the legs back into the body.
Smells of toffee, caramel, and a pleasant, though surprising, note of something reminding me of coffee.

Wow is this drinkable. Without paying much attention I've sucked down 3/4 of my glass... Nice little hop note at the back providing a punchy little dry bitterness. Roasty malt with some sweet caramel and toffee up front. Very nice for an amber ale.

Feels medium bodies, well-carbonated, and a little oily.

Overall- this really is a great amber ale. It won't ever get the love and praise it deserves: it is just a solidly well-made beer... Of course, coming fr Bell's I would expect no less.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 02:30:27 | More by AleWatcher

srv33

3.68/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Amber pour, hah, thin head, a little medium-fine lacing. Smells of pine, honey, sweet light citrus, bread. Taste is solid and has a non-overpowering balanced malt-hop ratio, excellent session brew, great signature, very solid taste, would buy again. One of my favorite non-ipa ales from Bells.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 23:33:27 | More by srv33

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a dark caramel color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is dominated by malts. Taste is caramel malts up front, some hops, slight bitterness at the finish. Feels full bodied in the mouth and overall this is a solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 22:56:16 | More by tone77

superspak

Michigan

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

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled 3/22/2012. Pours a very hazy orange amber color with a nice 1 finger dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Some decent spotty lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of biscuit, toast, caramel, light citrus, floral, and nuttiness. Some pretty good well balanced aromas that are a bit muted. Taste of caramel, biscuit, grapefruit, orange, floral, toast, nuttiness, and light pine. Light bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, grapefruit, toast, floral, and light pine on the finish for a short bit. Slightly dry on the finish. Good balance of citrus hop flavors with the malt backbone. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy and slightly crisp mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden with pretty much no warming noticed at all on the finish. Very easy to drink as expected for 5.8%. Overall this is a very nice amber ale. Nice flavor balance and smoothness; very sessionable and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 03:32:36 | More by superspak

lwillitz

Florida

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

12-oz bottle into small mug

A - massive off-white foamy head over a slightly-cloudy amber body loaded with carbonation bubbles; patchy lace

S - malty caramel sweetness, floral hops, touch of vanilla

T - caramel-sweetened malt balanced well by bitter notes of pine and citrus from the hops and a suggestion of burnt malts; lingering finish grows increasingly bitter as it fades away

M - oily light/medium body, average carbonation

O - a decent amber, but nothing remarkable

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 22:25:14 | More by lwillitz

Murphious

Illinois

2.95/5  rDev -23.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This one by Bell's is a typical amber ale---well, typically good. Nothing really bad about it, but nothing stands out as better than the rest out there. Good balance of malt and hops, no bitterness, caramel smooth finish, and the cloudy appearance makes it somewhat different.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 00:37:02 | More by Murphious