Bells Smitten Golden Rye Ale

Brewed by Bells Brewery
Style: Specialty Grain
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

Serve in Shaker, Tumbler

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Poured from a 12 ounce bottle. Pours a hazy gold to copper with a nice white head of crisp foam. The aroma is sort of grainy, spicy, skunky. Odd. I hope its not skunked. Taste confirms it isn’t. The rye comes through strongly in this one. A bit of rye spice lingers on the back of the tongue. Nice carbonation. Fairly tingly.

Bottle. Pours a hazy gold, thin head with light lacing. Earth and grain in the nose. The flavor is nicely complex, with pronounced grapefruit and pine. The rye adds an interesting twist to the taste. Smooth finish, considering the initially pronounced bittering. Overall, a pretty decent beer. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Nice head, very light carbonation, citrus notes (bitter in the nose) kind of gasoline-y aftertaste. Would be a great summer beer! ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone
Earlier Rating: 1/30/2013 Total Score: 3
Nice head, very light carbonation, citrus notes (bitter in the nose) kind of gasoline-y aftertaste. Would be a great summer beer! ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Draft. Pours golden with a thin head. Aroma is very citrusy and earthy with a late pine note. Taste is oranges and lemons, rye note is relegated to the finish. Palate is nice and smooth. Would benefit from more prominent rye to balance the citrus. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

12oz bottle from Knightly Spirits on Orange Blossom. Murky gold pour with a frothy white head and good stick. Aroma is grainy malt cereal. Tastes are honey, floral, grain, peppery, orange, bread. Creamy-ish thin to medium palate. Drinkable. Lemony and long soapy finish. Pretty great for the style.

Bottle, pours hazy honey with big fluffy white head. TONS of lacing. Didn’t realize this one was bottle-conditioned. Really interesting orange peel, slightly funky aroma. Light and dry with a really nice assertive rye profile. Sturdy pithy bitterness throughout. Finishes dry and clean with just a bit of astringency. Sessionable and interesting brew.

Clouded yellow pour with an off-white head. Aroma is floral and citrus hops. Taste is rye, citrusy hops, the rye is well balanced. tasty beer, ok lacing.

Bottle from the CBC. Yeah, yeah, yeah! Sparkly, golden with a light, pervasive haze. Frothy, eggshell white head with sticky melted marshmallow type lace ( a less dense meringue). Nose is lemon, light spice/rye, toasted malts. Flavor is more pronounced in every element with a much more pronounced rye character, a more juicy citrus note, grass, ends earthy and bitter. Leaves a chalky, mildly astringent bitterness on the tongue. Not bad, but would be tough to session.

Bottle from Sam’s Quik Shop in Durham. Pours bright golden with hazy bits floating all around. White head, decent lacing. Nose is earthy, with notes of dandelions, rye notes, and citrusy/earthy notes. Taste is hoppier; one of the few beers that’s hoppier on the tongue than the nose. Brighter, more citrus. Unique.

Pours a beautiful golden color, had to be hugely dry hopped probably with Simcoe with as much resin coming off it. 70IBU so its a nice big hoppy beer, the rye is a great finish to it.