Bells Harvest Ale

Brewed by Bells Brewery
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

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750mL Bottle. Batch #K10818. Bottle No. 865 of 1041. Thanks so much to Sean for sending me this. It’s a beer I always fantasized about drinking in my early days of ticking Bell’s beers and now the opportunity is here. I do believe, however, that I have set my expectations too high. Aroma gives a rather quiet, minty pause and some green leaf. Flavors are similar, but pick up a distinct and slight wet dog graininess. It’s just got a little bit of that wet flour character. The hop bitterness is present, but I’m expecting more hop flavor that isn’t so grassy, singular, and kind of plain. I think I was looking for more impressive hop work on this beer and a clean grain profile.

Date: May 05, 2012
Mode: Draft
Source: Brick Store Pub
Appearance: hazy orange, creamy beige head, heavy lace
Aroma: sweet caramel aroma, floral hops, hint of citrus
Body: creamy body
Flavor: sweet caramel flavor, bready, subtle yet well balanced hops, well rounded bitterness
Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 12/20
Rating: 3.2/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: ** /4

Bottle. Nose is sweet with tropical fruit notes. Pineapple, coconut, nectarine, and orange. Cloudy copper with light head. Big hop flavor with very little bitterness. Lots of fruit in the flavor. Full-bodied but silky and easy drinking.

On tap at Bell’s on April 27, 2012. Served in a pint glass. Reviewed from notes. Pours a nice golden color that is quite clear with a good white head and a bit of foam. The nose carries a bit of spice and quite a bit of European hops. This smells like an IPA with all European hops. Spice, earth, and herbal qualities coming through. The flavor is very similar. Over-the-top spicy in some ways. I think this would have been better scaled back given the delicacy of some of the hops that seem to be involved. Body is light-medium with a dry bitterness through the finish. Not a huge fan, unfortunately.

On tap at Dexters Pub, pours a clear orange with a bubbly white head, aroma has a good amount of wet hops with some tropical fruit, the flavor has a nice citrus front end with a clean hop finish, mouthfeel is very smooth, good stuff.

Bottle to pint. Looks and smells good;rank. Tastes great; golly with a good mouthfeel. Probably my favorite fresh hop to date.

...some people call me maurice ni la mesera sabia que putas me estaba dando, pero dentro de las hoppy, es hoppy

Floral, hoppy, well balanced, easy drinking, and one of the best session beers around! (yes, IPAs are session beers. Get over it)

on tap at Brick Store Pub. more of a Pale Ale. orange pour with a 1+ finger white head. faint citrus hop nose. medium smooth body filled with great citrus / floral hop bitterness throughout. clean bitter / floral finish. very drinkable.

750ml Bottle: Pours dark yellow with medium head. Sugary hop aroma. Very smooth. Easy for an IPA. Not much hop flavor. Good.

Yummmm-O! Served at a good temperature with a lovely, thick, foamy, creamy, light tan-to-cream colored head that settles after a bit and loads of lace. Color is a very slightly hazy, apricot amber with a variety of bubble trails. Aroma is a very volatile blend of hop, caramel, malt, and a little fruit. Flavor is like nose, fairly dry, only a hint of sweetness, slight tang, and just right bitter, great balance. Body is full, chewy with great carbonation. Finish is like flavor, of average length to perhaps slightly long, very easy drinking. I want more!