29 December 2007

Bell's Amber Ale


I've already well established that Bell's makes a fine beer; where it particularly succeeds is in the stouts, but it doesn't fall down elsewhere. That being said, the Amber Ale - while a solid copper ale, hoppy and not too sweet - comes nowhere near the "best of breed" status enjoyed by its darker siblings. Like I said - a good beer, but given the wide variety of amber ales and ESBs out there, not an essential element of your pantry.

27 December 2007

Bell's Winter White Ale


From the annals of strange explanation text, Bell's Winter White Ale says of itself, "A seasonally nuanced wheat ale that is both stylish and refreshing." I'm not sure what that means, but it is a refreshing beer. It's got a little more of a kick than, e.g., Hoegaarden (unsurprising - it is a winter white ale), but goes down easy. Another limited-release worth checking out if you get the chance.

26 December 2007

Bell's Sparkling Ale

The mythical beer has appeared. Formerly only a phant'sy of Bell's Seasonal Calendar, there it was on the shelf in front of me - Bell's Sparkling Ale. And here it is, below:


Beautiful. Let's have a closer look at that lovely label, eh?


Ahhh. And as to the golden lovely ale itself - Bell's calls it "an American Triple" - it delivers on all counts. Light and refreshing despite the 9% ABV, it has a satisfying mouth-feel and just enough (but not too much) Belgian aftertaste. Perhaps the best Bell's non-stout I've so far tasted - but there's more to come on both the stout and non-stout front, soon.