Bell's Brewery: Amber Ale

Now that I'm back settled into my little apartment in Philly, it's time to get back to enjoying some of the perks of east coast life, which means a whole new slate of beers to try that we don't usually find out west. For my first pick of the new (and final) school year, I went with a new beer from a brewery that's already proved itself: Bell's Amber Ale.

Bell's does not get props for their naming scheme with this one. Apparently unable to think of a clever moniker for their self-proclaimed flagship, they settled on pure unadulterated generica. But while the name may be a bit uninteresting, the brew itself fares much better.

Whereas most amber ales are marked by pronounced malts and hops (think fat tire, boont), Bell's decided to back off on the hops and really bring out a big malty body. However, the malts tend more towards sweet than smokey, and the beer is pretty well carbonated, which means that Bell's offering in this category is still much lighter tasting than a brown. There's an almost floral bitterness running through the beer that lingers on the tongue for quite a while.

Overall, this is definitely a solid offering, though I would have preferred a bit more hops. Definitely one to check out if you are one to go for big mats, especially sweeter malts.

Bell's Best Brown Ale

Since Rojas hasn't come through yet on his promise to pick up the blogging, and because I'm just so goddamn happy to have made it through another week (only two to go!) I decided I'd blog another beer. Since pretty soon I'll be back in Cali and the easternmost beers will be out of reach, I figured I would try one more beer from a tried-and-tested brewery that we don't have access to out west. So here comes Bell's Best Brown Ale.

Brown Ales are generally pretty mild as ales go, so it can be tricky to pull of a genuinely satisfying brew. Properly executed, they're subtle-yet-complex. Poorly done, they're bland and forgettable. Bell's version falls somewhere between these poles. It has a very pleasant toasted malt flavor that is accented by a very faint spiciness that comes through in the end. It's got a decent amount of carbonation, which actually ends up working out very well; a nice balance to the maltiness.

Overall, a solid take on a staple brew. Definitely rates high on the drinkability scale. Somewhere above a Nukie but probably below a Downtown on my scale.

Bell's Brewery: Kalamazoo Stout

A while ago when I reviewed Bell's Special Double Cream Stout I said I'd get around to reviewing their Kalamazoo Stout someday. Well, here ya go...

Kalamazoo is the kind of stout that manages to pack a keg's worth of taste into a 12 oz bottle. The beer is fairly hoppy, but what it really hits you with is a ton of malts with the bold and bitter taste of roasted coffee. It is also full bodied and has a slight creaminess, though it's got a fair amount of carbonation which along with the hops gives it a lingering bitter aftertaste. All in all if you like stouts and you have a taste for coffee, then this is definitely one to keep stocked. But if you aren't a fan of big bold and bitter malty coffee flavors, then you might not find it to your liking.

But for me at least this makes Bells 2-for-2 in my book. I'm gonna have to see what other brews they've got to offer.

Bell's Brewery: Special Double Cream Stout

As Mattie indicated on Friday, 'tis the season for Winter special brews. With that theme in mind I am pretty stoked to share Bell's Special Double Cream Stout, though it looks from their website as though it might not be available out west. If that's true, it sucks, because I had hopes of hauling a case of them up to Tahoe for the yet-to-be-planned ski trip we'll be going on.

Bell's (formerly known as Kalamazoo) has been referred to as "America's stout specialists." This is actually the second stout of theirs I've had, the other one (Kalamazoo stout) was also quite good but I'll save it for a non-holiday post. Bells is a Michigan Brewery, and that's where they are biggest, but they show up in establishments that pride themselves on craft brews over much of the Eastern U.S.

Back to the beer at hand. The double cream is fairly thick, even for a stout--thicker even than Guinness. It's got a blend of something like 10 or 12 different malts, but like stouts generally, the malts have a very "roasty" flavor. The underlying flavors are coffee, chocolate, and that distinctive smokiness--classic stout flavors. But besides being exceptionally well balanced, the beer is marked by a subtle sweetness and a very creamy mouthfeel.

When I first tasted it I remarked to my buddy that it was the "hot chocolate of beers," but that comment needs some qualifying. It's not sweet like lambics are sweet. It's just has a much milder bite than most stouts, which combined with the undertones of chocolate and the silky smooth texture gives the impression of drinking hot chocolate.

Which brings me back to the Tahoe comment. This is precisely the sort of beer you'd reach for after getting back home to your cabin after a day on the ski-slopes and throwing a couple of logs on the fire. But for those of you who don't like the mountains, it'll probably hit the spot on any day where you'd much rather enjoy a lazy day inside than brave the winter elements. Now if I can just get BevMo to stock the stuff...