Bell's - Amber Ale

More than halfway on our journey through the Central U.S., we stop in Comstock, Michigan, at the Bell's Brewery to have their Amber Ale, purchased at Vintage Estates.

This was first brewed in 1985, and it "embodies the heritage of our brewery and celebrates the nature of the Great Lakes region." It "deftly balances a mixture of toasted grain & light caramel notes with a range of floral, citrus and herbal hop notes, capped by a clean bitterness." It has a shelf life of 6 months and is 5.8% ABV.

Overall average rating: 7.1/10

This is amber in color and very cloudy with aromas of malt, some citrus hop, and Belgian yeast. The taste is clean and crisp, with a front and side tongue bite and then a mid tongue bite in the after taste. We also taste light malt, slight barley, and a warming hop taste.

Shawn- This beer is pleasant, balanced, and clean. I actually love the hops in this beer. I would give this a higher rating if it weren't for the metallic taste, 7/10.

Angela- It's not terribly memorable, but it's not a bad beer. I (surprisingly!) enjoy the warming hop finish, 6.75/10.

Chris- I think the more I drink this beer, the higher I'll rate it overall, 7.5/10.

Bell's Christmas Ale

"A bit of cheer from the north country"

Our next Christmas ale is Bell's Christmas Ale purchased at Vintage Estates.

This beer was created to be "a sessionable holiday beer" differing from the "spiced winter warmers" standard to this time of year. It is a malt-driven beer, "made with 100% Michigan grown two-row barley malt and a mix of Michigan and Northwest hops." It has a shelf life of six months and is 5.5% ABV.

Overall average rating: 6.2/10

This pours a slightly cloudy red amber color with aromas of honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg - very Christmas-y, in my opinion. There is a lot of tongue bite with flavors of honey and cherry. It very crisp and refreshing.

Shawn- It is pretty well-balanced, but I wish the complexity developed more, 6/10.
Angela- It is a good and very drinkable Christmas ale, so their goal to make a sessionable holiday beer succeeded, 6/10.
Chris- I was disappointed in the aroma, but the taste made up for it. It is a delicious Christmas ale I would recommend to anyone as a good starter Christmas ale.