Bells Sparkling Ale

Brewed by Bells Brewery
Style: Abbey Tripel
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

Serve in Trappist glass, Tulip

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   add pic

On draught @ Taco Mac Kennesaw. Light golden pour with a bone white head. This is actually sparkling, fizzy. Aroma was of candi sugar and belgian yeast. Straight forward tripple. The finish was dry yet somewhat fruity, light booze yet well hidden throughout. This was very simple but right on point for the style. Full mouth, nice.

12oz bottle courtesy of my bud, llcooldave!! Sparkling ale?!!? WTF is this Dave??? Turns out, not so bad... Poured a clear, light honey-colored body with a haze of off-white head that left nice lacing. Aromas of cloves, spices, yeasty, fruity and cotton candy. Flavors of yeast, fruity, bananas, cloves and a light floral finish. Medium mouthfeel with lively carbonation and a dry finish. No sign of the 9% alcochol.

12 oz bottle. Pours a translucent brass color with a small white head that slowly recedes to a fine ring. The aroma is moderate with Belgian yeasts, white frutis and bread dough. The flavor is similar with yeasts, pears, sweet grains and malts. The palate is smooth and full with prickly carbonation. The finish is short and clean. Overall: Pretty good stuff.

12 oz bottle from Princeton’s. Bright yellow colored pour with a white head and some floaties. Fruity aromas with some apple notes being prominent. Vibrant fruity flavors with apple coming through in the finish again. Nice twist on the tripel style.

On tap at The Eccentric Cafe, pours a very light golden color with a thin white head, has a very sweet aroma and an extremely sweet flavor, overall I found this one overwhelmingly sweet. Not my cup of tea.

Bottle pours gold with a frothy white head. Aroma is peach, apricot, grass, and yeast. Flavor shows the same and is supported with a sweet honey malt backbone. Overall body is moderate to full, moderately sweet, moderately bitter and finishes with some warming alcohol.

Pours a slightly cloudy dark golden honey color. Nice aroma of sharp cheddar cheese. It almost smells like the cheese packet in the box of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese... in a good way. Flavor is basically a nice malt upfront with a trailing citrus tang. Overall, this is a damn good beer... Not much else I can add to it.

In short: A standard strong Belgian blonde ale. Good, but too clean and generic
How: A few 12oz bottles, consumed fresh. Tasting session with Montreal crew
The look: Clear blonde body topped by a white ring of foam
In long: Nose is typical basic fruity esters of Belgian blonde ale with light notes of fusel. Taste is honeyed malts, basic Belgian blonde ale fruity notes, light spicy notes. Pleasant semi-dry finish. No alcohol presence. I took limited notes on this one. Not bad at all, but not something stands out. This is the type of beer that you really cannot fault for anything. But it is also the type of beer I cannot find exciting. Feels generic. If anything I’d say that this beer is too clean, too polished. I understand why they call it Sparkling. This beer cleaner than my drinking glasses, and my drinking glasses are very clean. I prefer my Belgian ales a little less clean with more “stuff”. Somewhere between my drinking glasses and my underwear.

I thought this beer was terrible and is way too overrated on this site. Clear yellow with a quick head and little carbonation. No real malts or flavor...the only redeeming quality was its 9% but i think i may rather have a malt liquor.

Draught at HopCat, RBSG 2010. Very spicy, yeasty aroma. Honey, spice, rather lame American yeast. Very dull. Not terrible, but everything I dislike about American triples.