Bells Christmas Ale

Brewed by Bells Brewery
Style: Scotch Ale
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

Serve in Thistle

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120z bottle. Pours a murky, redish brown with an off white head. Not heavy on the carbonation. Nice white lacing in the glass. Aroma is of malt, bread, spice, small hints of caramel, and for some reason gingerbread. Taste is of caramel malt, spice, cheap scotch, bread, and that gingerbread again. Very watery, which is surprising. Very drinkable, and definitely worth a second drink.

Bell’s doesn’t really do anything wrong but that doesn’t mean that everything is exceptional. This dark copper colored beer doesn’t have much of a head. It’s a malty creation with hints of caramel and a touch of fruit cake minus those nasty dried oranges. It just seems a little thin for something Bell’s would do. Still drinkable.

Pours a very cloudy orange colour with a creamy white head. Aroma is filled with spice and seasonings- noticeable nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom? Maybe even some pumpkin.. Taste is pleasent, very flavorful and filling. I look forward to enjoying this for the next couple of months.

Bottle. Pours copper with a yellowish head of dense foam that sits about two fingers high. Aromas are of caramelly and sweet malt with a touch of fruit that reminds me of orange juice and light spices. Flavor is decent for a Christmas beer, but odd for a Scotch Ale. Malty caramel is balanced out with fruit and spices and finishes in a nice crisp hops pine-freshness. I didn’t expect much, so this is a pleasant surprise. Things seem to hang together fairly well and it is a pretty nice Christmas-y Scotch Ale.

12 oz bottle purchased at Zipps in Minneapolis. Batch 8802. Pour is hazed orange amber with a ton of fine carbonation bubbles. Pretty two inch off white head that falls slowly. Aroma of bittersweet maltiness, hint of smoky peat and fresh resin pine hoppiness. Fresh and bright nose. Taste is very much the sharp bitter, then sweet maltiness. The hops pick up mid palate and lead it to a bitter finish. Some citrus orange peel in there. Taste is pretty abrasive. The smoky peat does not really come through on the taste, which is too bad, may have calmed this down a bit, sharp is the main word I would use for this one.

pours clear redish color with small head, nice lacing. flavor and aroma are sweet, malty, almost no hop presence. not sure i would classify it as a scotch ale, but a nice session beer neverless...

Can this beer be what Bell’s intended? Aroma was good but the flavor was very sour and slightly bitter throughout. Very little maltiness and overall quite thin. No depth of flavor at all. It reminded me of what an unpasteurized beer or homebrew tastes like after six months outside of refrigeration. I couldn’t finish the six pack so I gave it to a friend and he couldn’t finish it either. I had batch 8802 in a six pack stored under refrigeration at the liquor store.

bottle. has a very tart aroma. pours a dark amber color with a thick tan head. has a taste of wheat and rice. really plain tasting. not real impressed.

[Batch 8802, first batch I believe] Pours a cloudy orange/amber with a small beige fizzy head. Tart and sour aroma, light peat and caramel malt, equal notes of grass and citrus and a hint of nutmeg. I suppose its not peat in this brew but rather a number of oddities that contribute to the botanical spicy flavors. Very malty first taste, caramel and grass, followed by a light citrus hop bite and some spices, bitter orange peel. I do get a bit of the ’green’ wood flavor that piscator34 points out. Long pale malt finish. Medium bodied with larger soda carbonation that smoothes as it warms/airs. Drinkable, but meh... not very interesting even with all the different flavors, a rare miss.

12oz bottle courtesy of fiver29. Pours a hazy amber with a thick 3 finger beige head and delicate lacing. Nose is sweet malt and citrus hops. Taste is caramel malt upfront with some sweet fruitiness and tart citrus hops in the backend. Lighter mouth feel. I liked this one a lot. Thanks John!