Bells Midwestern Pale Ale

Brewed by Bells Brewery
Style: American Pale Ale
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker, Tulip

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Bottle. Pours cloudy amber with thick, pillowy off-white head. Nose is citrus backed by fresh baked bread. Taste runs a gamut of grain flavors - mild cracker notes, some biscuit and some sweeter toffee-ish elements. Focus is definitely on the grain profile and I am impressed by its complexity. Finish settles into the strong and oily lemon and pine bitterness of the hops. A really nice pint that delivers where more assertive pale ales have failed.

Poured from bottle. Orange and cloudy. Fruity apricot aroma. Earthy somewhat fruity but rather bland. An ok pale ale

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a tulip. Midwestern Pale Ale comes out of the bottle a full, mostly transparent golden color. A frothy off-white head forms about an inch high initially, but it fades quickly to a few wisps on top of the beer. The aroma is fairly light. There is a biscuity malt presence for sure. Grassy, slightly floral, with a little bit of lemongrass in the hop aroma. Overall the nose is pretty light, though. Unfortunately the flavor really follows the nose. There is a bit of malt sweetness up front with a biscuity tone to it. A rising bitterness has a mostly grassy character, with a little bit of citrus and lemongrass as well. The finish is lemony and bitter, with a rather unpleasant aftertaste. There is not that much here, and what is here is not that good. The mouthfeel is within the normal range for this style. Smooth, filtered, with a lightly crisp and moderately creamy carbonation. The body is a little bit lighter than medium for what I would expect. I am rather let down by this offering from Bell’s. I can usually pick something up from them and feel confident knowing that it will be a solid beer. While there is not anything technically wrong with this beer, I feel they are insulting the great beers that come out of the Midwest.

Hazy yellow with a white head. The aroma is has some biscuit malt as well as a hint of pine and orange. The flavor is similar. I get some bitter orange and grass notes, as well as some biscuit and toffee. Low bitterness. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

12 oz bottle pours amber with an off white head. Aroma of sweet malts and citrus. Taste is the malts and a hint of citrus. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Bottle. This is a nice pale ale that is good for a short session in summer.

Bottle share by Bob, hazy golden orange pour with a thin white head. Aroma of malt, cracker and some earthy hops. Taste is very similar with a little bit of a spice.

Pours a hazy amber with lots of sediment, bubbles, a ring of head leaving a ton of lacing. Aroma is mild, with grains, lemon, mango, and honey. Taste is grainy malt with the carbonation lending a hand to the hop bite going down. Very spicy lingering finish with some lingering hops. Up against pale lagers this could hold its own, but it’s not outstanding as an APA.

Appearance: Hazy orange under a white head which lingers as a thin head with random bubbles decorating its surface. A nice collar inches up the sides of the glass.
Nose: Husked grains and crispy crackers. Unsalted saltines. Soft fields of grain waving in a lazy breeze. Lemon esters on top. Freshly mown grass, mango juice, honeyed rolls. Pears, peaches, and apricots. Kiwi. Tropical. Baled hay in the back.
Palate: Medium light weight which finishes dry and bitter with straw, lemon rind, and cut green grass. Kiwi, cantaloupe rind, and aloe for a touch of the tropics. Peach and apricot skins both sweet and bitter. Pear skins – dry and parching. Bales of honey kissed hay and husked cereal grains.
Final Thoughts: Intriguingly delicious to say the least. The image on the label really says it all to me as with each sip I could easily see myself, glass in hand, gazing out over rolling fields of golden grains while my neighbors harvest their pears. It’s not your typical West or East Coast American Pale Ale which is exactly why it is the Midwestern Pale Ale. Good stuff.
(An original written work by Beer Ambassador, LLC. Plagiarism is not tolerated.)