Bells Kal-Haven Ale

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

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip, Tumbler

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GABF 2009. Hazy amber color with a medium off-white head. Aroma is funky brett, rye bread, sweet malt, and grassy hops. Flavor is also brett and rye, as expected, decent but not a standout, with some grassy hop notes and barnyard funk. Palate is nice and dry and somewhat tart with medium body. Pretty good overall, but not a standout among brett beers.

Horse blanket sour aroma. Dark gold in color with excellent head. Smooth and sweet, malt dominated. The brett is subtle, mostly present in the aroma.

Sampled at the 2009 GABF. Cool concept, needs a little more refinement. While this beer certainly has a lot going on in terms of the complex aroma and flavor profiles, the construction of those profiles is somewhat off. I think that a beer such as this could benefit from extended barrel aging and possible blending with other editions. Being that this is most likely an experimental batch that isn’t likely to happen. I’m happy to try it nonetheless.

Tap at maduro for pre-great taste... Pours a cloudy cinammon brown reddish pour with a thin soapy white head... Aroma of bretty pineapple and some pithy bitterness... Soft bodied with accents of pineapply Brett, a bit of pepper, and a semi-warming effect which I wasn’t expecting. Earthy aftertaste.

On tap, orange amber colored pour with slight foam, aroma is dry nuts and yeast, flavor is chalky malty tropical fruits , finish is medlium

Tap at Bells City TAP House event PBW10. Pours a hazy amber with a medium off white head. Aroma of light rye, toasted malt, citrus and light brett. Flavor of citrus, toasted malt, rye and some brett poking through. Aroma touch nicer then flavor.

[Draft @ City Tap House] Hazy amber color with a small, off white head that left light lacing on the glass. Aroma of brett, wood, grass, vanilla, caramel, and toast. Taste of sweeter caramel, wood, fruit, spices, brett, and a dry finish.

On draft at City Tap House. Pours a very cloudy dark golden orange/copper color with burnt orange hues when held to a light source and a one finger frothy off white head that slowly fades into a lasting ring. Streaks of Lacing left behind. Slightly funky tart aroma with lotsnod swee caramel malt and dry Brett notes in the nose. Sweet citrus hops and rye compliment the sweet malts and Brett character. This one smells pretty good. Chewy medium body that is slightly spicy with lots of sweet caramel malt and rye along with a slightly puckering dry bretty efervescence. The tart Brett presence is mos prominent up frogt and slowly fades throught the palate as the malts and rye counter it. Very well balanced and quaffable with a sweet dry finish.

On tap at the City Tap House. Foggy brown with a creamy white haze. Nose is rye, toffee and clove. Medium body with a tingle. Taste is rye, candi and sourdough. Dry finish, lightly bitter and grainy.

You can smell the Brettanomyces, but they blend into the beer so there isn’t much sourness to the beer. The malted rye is very much at the front of the beer, but then blends in nicely with the hops to create a rich, earthy character.

I’m having this right now at the brewpub, and it’s pretty good. It poured a cool Amber with reddish "core" and small head. The flavor is sweet and malty. Very refreshing ale! Cheers!