Midwestern Pale Ale - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

carlborch

Michigan

4.54/5  rDev +34.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Pours golden-amber. Brilliant but with significant amounts of sediment, despite pouring with care. Yeasty film sediment left in the bottom of the bottle. Three-quarter inch , off-white, creamy head formed. The heads dissipated quicker than desired but retained 1/8 inch after a few minutes. Fresh malt and hop nose. Crisp palate and delicious modestly bitter lingering. Certainly moreish! Rather modest carbonation. Highly developed Belgian lace. A delicious ale!

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 21:18:52 | More by carlborch

schoolboy

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +29.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I saw this at Save On and it looked new-to-me so I grabbed one. I'll cut to the conclusion - I would gladly grab some any time.

This pale ale comes out mirky. Very mirky, in fact. That was unexpected and interesting. It has great head and lace. The aroma hits you pretty quickly after opening - great finishing hops. Truly a first rate aroma for the style.

Next you taste it and you are treated to a dry, hoppy, mildly bitter (not over the top). It is extremely well balanced - perfect for the style. The aftertaste is pleasantly bitter but fresh.

I could see this as an outstanding session beer. I want more!

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 23:16:18 | More by schoolboy

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.33/5  rDev +28.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle poured into a Bell's imperial pint.
5.2% ABV, 11511 PKGD 10/27/12

A - I have a Bell's bumper sticker which I've since turned into a magnet that reads, "If God wanted us to filer our beer, he wouldn't have given us livers." It comes as no surprise to me, then, for this bright pale goldenrod beer to be filled, bottom to top, with suspended particles. After all, I did dump the whole beer in the pint which produced a loose, tall white head. Plenty of lace coats the glass after said head disappeared.

S - Deliciously grainy pale malt does well to whisk one away to the scene of the painting; an open field of grain and light fall breeze. Notes of pilsner sweetness are tucked behind providing good balance to the light hop experience. Subtle floral attributes brush against the bigger herbal earthy notes for a laid-back, Midwestern aroma.

T - Malts and hops come together in mutual matrimony, celebrating each others presence without ever becoming dominant. Grainy pale malt gives this beer a nice farm feel, again, and the herbal, earthy hops mimic that notion while subtle pilsner malt sweetness and smoothness frolics with gentle floral attributes in the background.

M - Smooth feeling with a light carbonation prickle, this pale has a sturdy malty body but isn't sweet per se. It's also not bitter or hoppy, though it leans slightly in that direction, finishing with a kiss of dryness that brings you back for another sip.

O - A lawnmower beer at it's finest, Bell's Midwest Pale Ale perfectly captures the Midwest mindset in regards to drinkability and hop usage; easy going and balanced. The label captures the spirit of the beer equally as well; simple, steadfast, and free. This pale has nice flavor and nuances if you're looking for a "lighter" beer to kick back with and enjoy but it will also work tremendously well with a number of foods. Well done, very well done.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 02:29:28 | More by BeerFMAndy

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

MattyG85

Minnesota

3.85/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 12 oz. bottle into a Sam Adams "Perfect Pint" glass.

Appearance: Pours a pale and hazy golden orange with lots of rising bubbles. Big four finger white head with good retention. Leaves a lot of lacing around the glass.

Smell: A bready malt forward aroma that is fairly floral. Sweet pale malts and wheat grains with hints of biscuit, yeast, hay, and crackers. Lightly grassy scent with lemon zest but the hop presence is pretty light. There is a nice floral aroma mixing with the malts. Laid back but decent Blonde style aroma.

Taste: Like the smell indicates, a malty and grainy pale taste. Pale malts and wheat grains with a taste of biscuit, yeast, hay, cereal grains, and crackers. Fairly musty and grassy with some citrus lemon zest. Floral with a very laid back hop bitterness. A nice taste for a lighter wheat style beer.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with a medium to high level of carbonation. Crisp, smooth, and slightly drying.

Overall: A decent beer, but its a lot more in the Blonde wheat style than American Pale Ale. Nice floral taste.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 04:15:56 | More by MattyG85

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

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Served o tap in a pint glass

A hazy lighter orange color. This beer is very floral and earthy. The hops in this beer provide a bright and pungent citrus of mostly oranges and lemon. The hops are somewhat soapy and remind me of lysol (in a good way). The beer isn't quite a farmhouse style but there is a lot of wheat in this beer, It's a borderline whear beer. It's got a ton of wheat and is very grassy and floral. This beer has a light feel and is rather easy drinking. This is a solid session able brew.

Serving type: on-tap

01-24-2013 23:32:09 | More by TwelveOunces

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

nUgZ

North Carolina

3.69/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

12 ounce bottle poured into a pint glass.

A: Pours a hazy orange color with a half finger head, a ton of suspended sediment, and some lacing.

S: Malts up front with a nice floral hop balance.

T: The taste is very much like the smell. Nice bitterness. A little watered down though.

M: Medium bodied with good carbonation.

O: Not bad, but not one I would seek out. I'm glad I tried it.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 01:14:51 | More by nUgZ

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

pschul4

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours a nice hazy gold witha big white head that leaves nice lacing

S- Very light in the nose. Some floral notes along with sweet pale malts

T- Again light and floral. I prefer my pale ales with a hint of citrus or pine. This tastes more like drinking a dandelion

M- Light and drinkable. Love the mouthfeel

O- Wish the flavor wasn't so flowery. But what can ya do? I'm sure the people who like floral beers will love this one but not for me. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 02:51:12 | More by pschul4

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

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

barnzy78

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle (bottled 10/27/2012), pours a hazy golden color with tons of carbonation! Nice fluffy white head, excellent retention and lacing is left all the way down the glass. Aromas are wheaty, grassy, earthy, spicy, yeasty, lemony; smells more like an American Pale Wheat Ale. Tastes are earthy, spicy, wheat, barley, grain, yeast, grassy, lemon pith. Mouth-feel is creamy, smooth, on the fuller side of medium, plenty of carbonation, finishes more bitter than expected, but still nice balance here. Overall, this is in a different direction than most of the newer APA's on the market recently (that being hop forward with loads of 'C' hops). I like this for being different than all the rave.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 22:03:12 | More by barnzy78

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

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

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

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

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

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

Midwestern pale with Michigan barley is a worthy attempt but comes up a bit short.
Color is golden and a bit light for a pale, maybe more towards a blonde. Has a hazy appearance, and sports a really nice fluffy bright white head.
Aroma lacks hops. I can detect none at all. Malts are nutty and bready. Taste is for want also, drinks flat with a nutty grainy malt flavor no hops that I can tell.The finish is abrasive and dry.
This beer is only a month old so its not stale hopefully the recipe will be tweaked as they become more familar with their own particular barley.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 14:37:18 | More by micromaniac129

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

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

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

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

emerge077

Illinois

3.35/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Packaged 10/27/12, so just under two weeks old. It pours into a large mug with a billowing head of white foam, copious tendrils of sticky lacing coating the walls of the glass. The head maintains itself for the duration of the glass. Color is a hazy gold with suspended micro sediment giving in a moderate haze.

Sulfuric aroma when first poured, pretty off putting, although when allowed to sit for a couple minutes the skunkiness dissipates. Left behind is a yeasty chalkiness, raw grain aromas, and some sweet malt presence. Can't say it appeals really.

Smooth feel, light carb and a mild astringency, mild hop bitterness in the aftertaste with some florals and grainy, nutty notes of basic barley malt in the middle. Pretty simple and straightforward as intended, though not especially exciting. The language on the back label calls it a Blonde Ale, despite it's name, which is more fitting for it's stripped down character.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 02:02:13 | More by emerge077