Midwestern Pale Ale - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

Dave_in_GR

Michigan

3.74/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured into a pint glass from a 12oz bottle.

Appearance is a light amber with lots of white, foamy head. Nice lacing as well.

Smell is a bit surprising, not a lot of citrus in this, but some floral notes from the hops.

Taste combines floral and spicy flavors with some sweet malts.

Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with medium carbonation, but there is an unpleasant lingering aftertaste.

Overall this is a surprisingly flavorful ale, the spicy and floral hops are really pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 00:33:36 | More by Dave_in_GR

Brenden

Ohio

3.61/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

This one is a hazy dark yellow, just a bit lighter than amber. On top rests an off-white head somewhere between one and two fingers tall with good retention. Lacing is deposited in thick patches and in pretty impressive density.
Grassiness is big in the aroma, though some floral notes are part of that. There's a mineral edge that reminds me of particular English varietals, though I imagine that's just how it all plays together. There's a bit of sweetness lent from a citrus element and a pithy sort of dryness coming out with a note of rind.
Much the same can be said of the flavor with a few exceptions. This isn't an especially hoppy pale ale, but bitterness picks up in mostly floral and herbal notes. An underlying grains note remains stronger underneath, and a bit of peppery spice from the hops is also more noticeable. There's a touch more sweetness from notes of fruit.
Crispness comes out strong right up front and stays strong. There's also a moderately smooth feel in the light-medium body. Carbonation may have a little too much bite to it, but it works together fairly well.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 13:26:52 | More by Brenden

Roman5150

Michigan

3.45/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

bottle into pint glass

appearance: cloudy unfiltered light orange/yellow, huge foamy head

smell: smells more like a lager or a pils than a pale ale, sublte citrus/lemon and faint earthiness

taste: very light flavor, i feel like this is more of a lager than a pale ale, not much hop presence. Watery, and very bready flavors come through in the finish, hint of Rye as well.

mouthfeel: not much carbonation, very very light on the palate

overall: A great summer pils or lager type beer, I don't understand why this is labeled a Pale Ale, probably explains the poor reviews. Either way, if you're looking for a hoppy pale ale, look elsewhere, if you want a smooth summer beer that tastes more like a czech pils or lager (a very good one at that) try this, it has subtle flavors but not much complexity. Great session beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 02:22:48 | More by Roman5150

stewart124

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Back of the bottles labels this a home grown blonde ale.

Hazy orange to dark gold in color. Nice white lacing.

Nose has plenty of bread in the nose. Spice and light citrus from the hops.

Medium bodied with a tasty dose of spicy hops. Peppercorns, bread and a lemon zest help pull this off. Light in bitterness for an American pale ale but seemingly on target for a blonde ale. Lots of biscuity character that builds well with the noble hops. Sharp finish and a dry spicy bite.

I feel that I should be reviewing this as a blonde ale and not an APA. This is a very nice blonde ale and a mediocre pale ale. I can see why it would review so poorly.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 00:42:43 | More by stewart124

Maninthearena

Minnesota

3.34/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.25

Appearance- Pale Orange/amber. Pretty Cloudy.

Nose- Citrus and malted barley.

Taste- Some American hop undertones (grapefruit-like bitterness) mixed into some malt and grains. Maybe a little tannin character coming through, but not enough to conjure up the harvest as pictured on the bottle.

Palate- Crisp with some fine carbonation, a little thin for my liking. Could be so much more of a beer with some more heft.

Overall- A decent beer, but not one of Bell's best. Went downhill from pour moving towards the finish.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 00:29:04 | More by Maninthearena

thedoubler55

New Jersey

3.09/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

A: A cloudy gold color when you pour almost brown like caramel, has almost no head at the top and very minimal lacing.

S: Slight hints of corn, and the malts come through.

T: Nothing special at all with this beer, smells like a normal pilsner and taste like one too, was not impressed with the taste on this one. The taste is bland with corn and malts throughout slight hop notes.

M: Medium bodied with medium carbonation.

O: Overall I would have to say this was the worst beer I have had from Bell's, there was nothing good about it.

Serving type: on-tap

04-17-2013 20:40:35 | More by thedoubler55

Tone

Missouri

3.81/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours a slightly hazy, golden/copper color. 5/4 inch head of an off-white color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of hops, hop oils, slight floral hops, sweet malt, hint of pale malt, and a hint of earthy malt. Fits the style of an American Pale Ale. Mouth feel is smooth and clean, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of hops, sweet malt, slight pale malt, hint of citrus (grapefruit?), hint of nuts, hint of roasted malt, and a hint of floral hops. Overall, not complex, but good appearance and session-able.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 12:22:56 | More by Tone

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.35/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a Half Acre snifter.

A- pours a caramel color with a 2 finger off-white head. Big bubbles and blotches of lacing remain.

S- light caramel, lemon, light spice and pine.

T- pale malts, caramel, lemon, light citrus rind/pine bitterness.

M- medium body and carbonation. Syrupy surprisingly with crisp finish.

O- just a ok beer. A little to golden ale/pilsner ish for me. Maltier than a pilsner but just not like most pales.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 02:05:49 | More by kawilliams81

SometimesIfart

Michigan

3.03/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

A - Pours a dark murky gold with a slowly dissipating head standing two fingers in height. Left a small amount of lacing.

S - Creamed corn and pilsner malt.

T - Creamed corn and pilsner malt followed by a small about of bitter hops that I can't quite put my finger on. A bit of citrus comes through as it sits.

M - Medium bodied with medium carbonation.

O - Overall, this is probably the worst beer that I have ever had from Bell's. It's a decent beer overall, But definitely Bell's worst.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 23:58:13 | More by SometimesIfart

ONUMello

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle, bottling date 1/16/13 poured into a pint glass
A: Hazy orange color with a one-finger head that lingers
S: Aromatic, with strong malt, florals and just a hint of hops
T: Lots of grain, florals up front then an absolutely empty midpalate and a slight hop note on the finish
M: Medium-bodied, again empty midpalate, otherwise decidedly average
O: In general I'm a fan of Bell's but unfortunately this is probably my least favorite beer I've had from them. There's just not a lot of complexity or anything intriguing on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 20:50:52 | More by ONUMello

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

(Served in a tulip glass)
11/26/12 on bottle
A- The hazy deep orange body supports a beige sticky film and a carbonation of big bubbles pop of the base of the glass.

S- The pale malt has a hint of hair perm with some pine hops in the finish and a light raw silage aroma grows as the beer opens.

T- The pungent bitterness has a sulfur hint and a pils male with a dry hop spice that starts to come through as the beer opens. The pine hint is a bit stronger in the dry finish and has an astringent quality to it.

M- The light mouthfeel is finished with a tight little fizz

O- This beer is light on hops and is a bit too dry in the pale malt flavor. It is kind of blah tasting and a bit boring to drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 14:02:53 | More by rhoadsrage

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev +5%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Bottled 02/06/13. Emptied into a shaker pint.

Looks a hazy golden blonde, almost looks like a wheat ale. No real collar formed. Thin lip of suds and surface spore foam resides. There are even tiny floaties in suspension.

Floral in aroma. Notes of dead grass, white pepper, and biscuit bread. Mild herbal quality dries out the nose even more.

Appealingly dry and unmistakably floral and grassy. Specialty and pilsner malts can be tasted. Dry and crisp for an ale. Late estery notes remind me of crabapple in the finish. Lightly soapy. Swallowed up by more bittering dryness.

Drinks decently. Pins-and-needles effervescence generates the coarseness in the mouthfeel. That seems a little mucky mixed into a slightly oily body.

Not too shabby for a pale. Unimpressive, but sessionable. Not the best from Bell's.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 04:09:05 | More by thecheapies

rlee1390

Indiana

3.36/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A-Cloudy yellow/orange one finger head that doesn't last.

S-A malty mess, lots of wheat, no hops very slight grass.

T-Lots of bread, malt and wheat. Not well balanced, Something is off. No hops. Orange and grass.

M-Light not much carbonation.

O-Bell's Pale Ale was bad, this was bad. If they can make Two Hearted you think they'd be able to make a good pale ale. Guess not.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 22:11:15 | More by rlee1390

morimech

Minnesota

3.58/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Hazy golden color with an attractive two finger head that had good retention before settling to a thin cap. Moderate amount of sticky lacing is left down the glass.

Strong malt aroma that is grainy and slightly musty. A touch of lemon grass as well.

Malt forward flavor. Slightly toasted and bready. A touch of peppery hops add some flavor but this is a malty first beer. Dry character.

Solid body and carbonation. Nice drinkable texture is a nice feature.

Not sure what Bell's was trying to achieve with this beer. Certainly is not going to appeal to beer geeks but I enjoyed the malt profile and I even liked the hops used. Just wish there was more hop balance.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 19:36:51 | More by morimech

BeerDawgs

Georgia

3.56/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

A - A cloudy golden color, with lots of head and lace. Impressive looking!

S - Malty grain and barley. Not any hop aroma.

T - Mild and malty. Nice and Smooth.

M - Highly carbonated.

O - A decent pale ale. A very malty, not much hop, pale ale. Not bad at all, but I prefer a little more balance

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 01:15:39 | More by BeerDawgs

GossageBrewery

Missouri

3.28/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Poured this APA from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Poured a hazy orange color, produced a average white head, nice retention and it left ample lacing on the glass. The aroma of the ale contained husky grain, citric hops. Light/Medium bodied, there was a foundation of malted grain, fresh baked bread, and a strong dose of citric hops. A little off balance in favor of the hops, but overall its a nice session beer and an average example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 20:14:58 | More by GossageBrewery

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.63/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Packaged 11/05/12, qish I'd seen that, shame on Missouri Wholesalers, they let stuff pile up in wharehouses until stock is shifted...

Pours an effervescent amber with 2+ fingers of cream colored head. Slightly hazed, goof head retention & nice lacing

S: Grassyness & lemon peel & a bit of floral hops, the nose was the best part of this beer

T: Light biscuitty malt, grassyness & whispers of lemon up front. Grassyness & wheatyness as this warms, slight peppery spiceyness too. Finishes grassy, a little grainy with lemon zest notes

MF: light/medium bodied & crisp carbonation, decent balance

Refreshing & easy to drink, but nothing special. I'd rather have Boulevard PA which is $2 a sixer cheaper than this & way more flavorful

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 03:48:24 | More by russpowell

jucifer1818

Florida

2.85/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 2.5

a: best part of the beer, indictive of the style
5/5

s: soft wheaty smells. nothing too special
3/5

t: didnt like it too much. Strangly yeasty and off tasting
2.5/5

m: slick and light
3.75/5

wasnt a big fan of this one. one of the weakest brews from Bells.
2.5/5

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 01:51:38 | More by jucifer1818

secondtooth

Indiana

4.23/5  rDev +25.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pours a cloudy golden with a superlative white head and attractive tree-line lace. Lovely!

Nose is crisp malts and a snappy citrus hops presence. Seems balanced and enticing.

Taste is nicely hopped, but not overly so given the style. I get a complementary malt bill alongside the hops. Overall, a perfectly balanced and exemplary pale ale. Top marks for the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 23:37:33 | More by secondtooth

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.99/5  rDev +18%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Served on tap in a pint glass

Appearance – The beer is served a hazy orange color with a one finger white head. The head fades relatively quickly leaving a moderate level of lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell- The aroma is heaviest of an earthy and citrus hops along with a nice bready base. Along with these aromas are some lighter notes of tropical fruit as well as a little bit of apricot.

Taste – At the start of the taste a bready and grapefruit flavor greets the tongue along with some more grassy hop flavors. Some flavors of a light fruit flavor as well as a little bit of pineapple flavor soon come to the tongue. These sweeter flavors disappear soon however as flavors of grapefruit citrus hop grow stronger in nature with them being joined by some hop flavors of an earthy variety. When combined with the rest of the flavors, a bitter and dry, hoppy and bready flavor is left on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The beer was slightly on the creamier and thicker side with a carbonation level that was average. The thicker body was nice for the bready flavors of the brew as well as gave a chance for all the hop flavors a chance to e fully sensed by the tongue.

Overall –A pretty nice English style IPA. It’s on the drier side with a good blend of citrus, earthy and herbal hop. Well worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 01:54:18 | More by Darkmagus82

avalon07

South Carolina

3.15/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had an orange color and a cloudy texture. There was a small amount of foamy head that quickly dissipated. Decent lacing.

S: A sharp, but somewhat odd aroma of hops, citrus, and a grainy quality.

T: Tasted of hops, citrus, grain, malt, and a bready quality. The problem with the flavor here is the hoppiness. It's simply overhopped. Much too bitter and harsh. The other elements are fine, but overpowered.

M: A well-carbonated beer, but has an overly bitter finish. Light-bodied.

O: Not the worst APA I've tried (there are definitely blander ones out there), but terribly uneven.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 01:36:07 | More by avalon07

tdm168

North Carolina

3.44/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

A - orange with a big, soft, pure white cap of dense head that has great retention

S - bready, doughy malt

T - bread, faint toast, citrus, mild hop bitterness; very light flavor

M - light to medium bodied, well carbonated

This is a disappointing pale ale. The flavor is very mellow. It's predominantly malt with a faint hop presence, but there is little to get excited about. It's really easy to knock this back, but it's boring all the same. This won't be a beer I'll pick up again.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 02:14:50 | More by tdm168

RaulMondesi

California

1.83/5  rDev -45.9%
look: 3 | smell: 1.25 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.25

This was a "throw in," but Raul wishes that it was a throw out. See what Raul did there? I'm tellin' ya, growin' up in tha hood does no harm! This thang had no redeeming qualities. None. Nasty nasty and ghetto ghetto.

Two words: drain pour.

Goodnight.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 04:49:48 | More by RaulMondesi

hackmann

Michigan

3.06/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: hazy golden orange body that has tons of plankton (super fine sediment) floating around – that is from all the sediment on the bottom of the bottle. Two finger white head that leaves tons of lacing on the glass. Tons of lacing on the glass during the first ¼ of the beverage – spotty thereafter.

Aroma: light bouquet overall; light spice, hint of floral, not much else

Flavors: spicy, semi-sweet grains, earthy, little bitterness, mineral water around the edges

Mouthfeel: light carbonation feel, spicy, light to moderate bittering on the mid palate, medium body, light aftertaste – just a touch of spice … nothing special

Overall: average to slightly above average; doesn’t have character – missing distinct notes and depth; easy to drink

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 02:54:45 | More by hackmann

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.69/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Mixed and matched this one at the House of 1,000 beers. New Bell's beer? Awesome!
Bottled 10/27/12 so over 3 months old

A - Pours a small 1/4 inch of sticky white head with enough supported carbonation to keep it atop. OMG a crap ton of floaties in my glass like a heavy snowfall but it seems to be an orange yellow in color.

S - Some wheat, citrus hops, and a twang of pale malts. Smells fairly nice.

T - A touch smoother than the pale ale, citrus hops are nice but their is a sort of skunked wheat flavor I can't put my finger on. Maybe it was caused from the Blonde ale clashing with the pale malts? Other than that it's kind of drying but somewhat enjoyable.

M - Light to medium, crisp, spot on with carbonation.

Overall it's not an over the top experimental but it's quite a different take on a pale blonde ale. Maybe the rye will be better because I actually enjoy the regular pale more...

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 02:18:55 | More by DrDemento456