Midwestern Pale Ale - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

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

TimbeauGetsMoneyErrday

1.93/5  rDev -42.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Just wasted $9.99 on a sixer of this filth. Pours a hazy golden with nice white head. Smells like Oberon - macro hybrid with a hint of wonderbread and grass. No hops present at all. This is NOT a pale ale of any sort. It's a bland, blonde lager. Decent mouthfeel and carbonation. Offensively dry bitterness upfront and aftertaste. Tastes like I just chewed a Tylenol. Come on Bells. You can do much better than this. Scrap this brew and get back to work making the goods. I'd never buy this one again. The remaining 5 beers in my fridge will probably be consumed by unfavorable house guests.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 02:35:41 | More by TimbeauGetsMoneyErrday

facundoCNB

New Jersey

2.56/5  rDev -24.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

a cloudy orange with stuck carbonation.. i see about a million bubbles just hanging out in my glass. 2 fingers of head with great lacing. yeesh, all i really smell is yeast.. and it smells like lager yeast. no hops, no barley, nothing. ok, i get a nice caramel, burnt like bitterness out of this. not bad, but seriously what gives? this isn't what an APA is supposed to taste like. i don't get it this tastes like a lager. yeasty and malty. no hops. granted ofr a lager it's tasty, but for an expired ale (if there is such a athing which i believe this is it) it's still decent. medium body, moderate carbonation, refreshing, and sessionable.

i don't get what's going on with the taste. tastes like shit beer but good for the "genre".

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 05:12:27 | More by facundoCNB

Ryan011235

Ohio

2.74/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.75

Poured into an Olde Hickory glass on 1/20/13

11639 Pkgd 12/19/12

Golden yellow with a dulled cloudiness to it. Two fingers of foam are topped by loose bubbles. The head recedes slowly leaving ample lace across the glass.

Aromas of grass, honey suckle, flowers, pollen, biscuit and orange peel. Toasty and very slightly herbal. More layers of grass as it opens up. The taste and feel are both succinct. Very grassy with a hint of herbal twinge on the finish. Mild bitterness. Toasted grains throughout. The body is light, though somehow kind of syrupy. Carbonation is sharp. This beer is not one to dally.

Overall, this is drinkable but I made the right choice to hold out for a single bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 20:47:07 | More by Ryan011235

scruffwhor

Illinois

2.78/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Some tiny sediment particles hang around this bronze and amber, slightly hazey APA. One finger of head and a thin layer of foam for most of the twelve ounces.

The aroma is very weird. I poured this beer into a clean pint glass. There's some citric hop aromas, alittle biscuity, toasty malt. But overwhelmingly vomitous!? There's a vomit aroma thats a little off puting to say the least. My guess is I got an unlucky bottle of some sort.

Crisp and grainy palate with a lighter than expected body. Biscuits, crackers, and bread crust with a strong funky orange and earth almost barnyardy flavor. I don't really know what to make of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 15:32:55 | More by scruffwhor

HarrySTruman

Michigan

2.83/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Hazy, golden, almost orange. Big, fluffy head with strong lacing.

Smells of wheat and grass. Smelled like a wheat beer from the first whiff. Smell isn't that powerful.

Tastes floral and malty, the wheat taste from the smell is there as well. Beer reminded me of some Czech Pilsners brewed in the US without the crisp finish. Certainly not what I would expect from an APA, also not a very big flavor. Lacked the citrus and hops that most APA's are going with today. Probably a bit too muchc wheat and floral flavors.

Easy drinking, smooth, not too crisp, light carb. Would be easy to put back a few too many of these, but with the low ABV I wouldn't feel too guilty of it.

Hard to describe overall. Not a great representation of the style. If I were in the mood for an APA, this wouldn't be my choice, but if I were in the mood for something a bit different, this could be a great choice. For how cheap and easy it is to get, I'll probably buy it again.

I'm reviewing this after drinking three over two weeks. It isn't quite as good as I thought it was the first time I had it.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 00:16:48 | More by HarrySTruman

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

cityofFestivals

Pennsylvania

2.9/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Full disclosure, I am a huge Bell's fan. In my opinion, every thing they ever do is exceptional. That is, until this.

A - Hazy, golden, almost orange. Big, fluffy head with strong lacing. I was actually pretty stoked to give this a rip.

S - Wheat. Not too strong, some floral.

T - Floral and malty, and obviously wheat. Big disappointment in lacking citrus and hops that are often found in current APA style. The floral presence is a little annoying. There comes a point when too much floral seems perfumey.

M - Easy drinker but not very crisp. Average.

O - Pretty disappointing offering from a world class operation like Bell's. It's a non descript sessionable beer that doesn't differentiate itself from others in it's class. Bland and way too safe; memorable for all the wrong reasons. Just way too many other beers in this style/class that are better buys and much more enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 17:55:24 | More by cityofFestivals

TheSSG

Illinois

2.98/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a big, dense, resiny, white head. Soft malt in the nose, with a nice floral hoppiness. Straw colored. Starts tart, almost. Bright, bitter hops with a citrus note. A medium-high bitterness, moves into a malty finish.

This isn't horrible, but not as good as I've come to expect from Bell's.
The hop profile is just not very good; low aromatics, mostly bitterness, not a lot of hop complexity.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 03:06:41 | More by TheSSG

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

MattSweatshirt

Texas

3.05/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottled 11/26/12

Pours a hazy bright golden orange body with a white head that leaves lace sticking around.

The aroma is malt with floral and spicy hops.

The taste mimics the aroma with those same three components.

A little watery, light bodied, refreshing, and hits with a little hop bitterness.

An enjoyable beer. Not much to write home about though.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 20:42:02 | More by MattSweatshirt

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

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

gatornation

Minnesota

3.15/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottled on 110512

A- pours a straw golden sunshine color with a white 1 finger head some lacing looks good

S- pale malts and fruit a hint of spice

T-watery with a hint of beery like fruit a touch of citrus hops and dry spices

M- tart and dry with berry like flavors

O- just an average pale ale watery with not alot of taste or hops drinkable for sure just not one i would reach for when i want a PA

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 22:17:47 | More by gatornation

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

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.19/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

Who needs the Subcontinent when you have the Midwest? Boom. Anyway, this stuff pours a lightly hazy brass topped by a finger of lightly off-white foam. The nose comprises biscuit, light corn, and a hint of both grass and flowers. The taste holds notes of grass, lemon peel, light greens, and a hint of soft biscuit way in the background. The body is a hefty light, with a light moderate carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, a meek pale ale with hardly any character of its own, much less the usual strength thereof normally found in Bell's beers.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 16:45:21 | More by TMoney2591

Alextricity

Michigan

3.2/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Bottled 11/26/12. Poured into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: Super hazy, gold appearance. Very nice head that amounts to about 4oz of foam, and it stays for a long time. As nice as the head is though, it doesn't seem to like clinging to the glass much.

Smell: Something about it is quite strange... I think it's the heavy amount of grass and dirt I pick up in it, but the traces of spice and malt bring it up.

Taste: First sip was very good, but then the reality came in ... Midwestern Pale Ale is unfortunately only an average beer. I get that nice mouthfeel on the beginning of each sip, and then the malt. As you'd expect from a pale ale, pretty muted. The finish is kind of putting me off with this one the more I drink it... there's more bitterness than anything, and seemingly grass in place of hops in the flavor department. As some other reviewers have said and as the bottle says... "BLONDE ALE" is what comes to mind with this beer more than anything.

Midwestern Pale Ale is a respectable pale ale. Many people find pale ales to be on the boring/uninteresting side, and I agree... but I like a good one every now and then. If you like pale ales that are more on the bitter side, try this one from Bell's ... though be expecting to drink more of an American Blonde Pale Ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 01:06:49 | More by Alextricity

TastyAdventure

Kentucky

3.21/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Very dark color for the style. .

Good taste for the style (not a huge fan of PAs) . bitter. hint of some spice.

Good level of carbonation.

For me, not worth the $2.99 I spent.

I'd like it if there was not a character minimum on these reviews... I don't have much more to say about this beer but I would like to do this review for my own records.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 20:41:54 | More by TastyAdventure

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

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

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Looks nice, even though it is cloudy. Nose is like hay and grass. Normally, I may be okay with that. But this is a pale ale, and I feel like there should be some sort of hop presence around. It drinks okay, but it's so earthy and grassy, that it just doesn't strike me as a pale ale. I expect a lot from Bell's, and rightfully so considering all of their releases. The people that make Expedition Stout should be able to do better than this.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 03:26:56 | More by RblWthACoz

BWED

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a tumbler.

A- Pours a nice hazy golden yellow, with some nice debris suspended throughout the body. (Reminds me of the Bell's bumper stickers I saw back in the Midwest: "If God wanted us to filter beer he wouldn’t have given us livers.") Barely offwhite two finger head is strong and thick. It retains very well too. Lacing is fantastic, leaving a sheet of thin foam all around the glass, all the way down. This beer looks great!

S- Crisp and wheaty, a nice summer smell up front. A little bit of citrus, and a dry floral hint are in the background.

T- Wheat. Clean, light, almost lager-like. More floral than citrus. I think a good APA should have it the other way around.

M- Slightly sticky and bitter. Not in a bad way, but it leaves the mouth feeling a little dry. Almost astringent.

O- This is not a bad beer. It looks fantastic, smells great, but the taste just falls a little short. I could drink it again... but since Bell's already makes Oberon, I think I'll be passing this one up next summer.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 03:36:44 | More by BWED

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

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

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy pale yellow to orange-ish color with a white head. In the aroma, a mellow orange citrus hop. In the taste, a bit dryer and watery than expected, a mellow hop and a balance maltiness. A small bite, yet mainly smooth and a lighter bodied mouthfeel, with a lightly dry, light malt in the aftertaste. Mellow and easy, balanced and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 18:09:56 | More by OWSLEY069