Bells Eccentric Ale

Brewed by Bells Brewery
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

Gingerbread-like spiciness with curious minty and chocolatey notes. Opaque brown body with shy off-white head that recedes fairly quickly to ring. Strong alcohol with spicy ginger and choclate malt flavours emerging from underneath. Very dry medium body with fair carbonation. Tulip glass, just above fridge temp. Bottle enjoyed with ClarkVV, MartinT, muzzlehatch and Rastacouere.

New England Road Trip Easter ’05 with MartinT, tiggmtl and Rastacouere, beer #39. Sampled in our motel room, joined by the locquacious and sagacious ClarkVV. 12 oz bottle vintage 1997 provided by Clark. Vastly deep and dark but somewhat thin, no head...mint, caramel and licorice in fascinating if slightly underpowered nose...chocolaty-rich body, nicely alcoholic, warming not burning...surprisingly thick biscuity malt with strong hints of vanilla and pine...later on, thin and somewhat attenuated, certainly oxidized. Can’t believe I’ve never had this, but very glad I’ve tried it now.

this was shared at a gathering at kuhnhenn 3/19/05. number 401 got to start the next 100 with a michigan brewery.poured a reddish brown with a off white head. aroma alcohol, a nice mixture off spices and malts, cinnamon and hints of caramel. flavor wow the spices and alcohol comes right out and graps you than the hops come out a very good beer.

Pours a cloudy red with minimal off white head. Smells of random vegetables, almost like cucumber. Starts off smooth then slowly makes its way down your throat and a few seconds later stings the pallet with a shock and awe kind of sense to it. Great complexity. Great beer. 1995 Vintage bottle @ Bells 20th Anniversary Party. Pours a dark brown with almost no head present at all. Very flat. Nose is very sweet, slight alcohol. Taste is very thick and flat, notes of caramel and alcohol with some melon type notes to it.

Good cloudy brown color,the aroma was spicey with a decent malt side and a mild hop presence.Nice tan head that lasted for a short time then faded to nothingness.Nice sweet flavor of malt and fruit with a bit of hops thrown in and a decent alcohol side that makes you crave more.But not tonight since this has to be my last because this stuff is tweaking me out way to much and my pallate is shot.

The nose was complex w/ coriander (spice) and dark fermented fruit, citrus and a slight vinious note. The pour was a rich, full brown color w/ golden highlights. There was no head and no lacing. The flavor had a brown sugar sweetness, dark fruit and vinious notes w/ a slight sourness. The mouthfeel was creamy, well rounded, w/ a medium body.

Pours with a murky brown body with no head or lacing. The aroma is sweet yet slightly sour with fruity/raisony notes, a touch of mint and a little caramel. The flavor is very sweet with dark fruit notes, some brown sugar and a touch of alcohol. Medium bodied, smooth and slightly warming.

Not sure when this fellow was bottled, but there’s no neckband. Opaque muddy red body, zero head. The aroma reminds me of a barleywine as there’s big malts, alcohol and hops. I smell raisins, brown sugared squash, and dark chocolate. The flavor is similar excpet I get more resiny hops and a light alcohol burn in the finish. Heavy-sitting finish, it’s like rum-soaked fruitcake. 2005 bottle thanks to BBB63: Cloudy brown body, thin tan head that leaves some soapy lacing. The aroma has chocolate cake, maple syrup, and lightly estery alcohol. The flavor is full of piney, spicy hops in tandem with clean alcohol. Additionally there’s chocolate fudge and caramel sweetness.