Midwestern Pale Ale - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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