Third Coast Beer

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

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker, Tulip

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Larry Bell plays fast and loose with the terminology sometimes, and this is such a time. Strictly speaking, this isn’t a beer, it’s an India Pale Ale (or more properly, an American Pale Ale). I agree with the other reviewers that the hops climb all over the malt in this, but I love that in an PA copy!! There is a distinct ’orange peel’ flavor in this that I love, too. Near the bottom of my Top Ten list (it will probably be displaced someday), but still a favorite of mine.

Even though you can tell it is a Bells product, this ale has a very unique flavor that is a very nice change of pace and will keep you coming back.

A better than average APA, a bit bitter. I feel kind of burned on this one as I first bought it at Binny’s in Chicago thinking that it was a beer I would be unable to buy in Ohio. Lo and Behold I saw it today in the local beer shop, including a 6-er chilled in a cooler. Good stuff from Bell’s... Great label on the bottle, I can almost see my house from here!

not much there. yes, hops, but not much there...thin; tasted like something the brewer would make for a baseball park... it just didn’t do much for me at all

Weird marks on this one. The hop flavor is all there, and all quality...but it doesn’t have the malt backup as so many of Bell’s other brews do, as my friends below have repeatedly pointed out. Mmmm, and Bell’s biscuity malts are so good! Still, on a super hot day mowing the lawn, blow through 3 in a row and tell me it’s not satisfying! Ah, Larry Bell, you have us all hooked here in Michigan!

Not a bad beer. It was a bitter for my tastes. At least bitter in the sense that the other tastes didn’t offset the bitterness. I don’t know what others are talking about when they say there isn’t much flavor though. Its got tons of flavors, they just don’t mesh as well as I’d like.

Contrary to popular opinion, I thought this stuff was pretty decent. Not every beer should require a knife and fork. Where are you guys seeing the ’Bell’s’ logo on the bottle?

Of all the Bells brews this one ranks at the bottom in my book. Which isn’t a particulary bad thing considering in what high esteem I hold it’s brethren. The flavor seemed to be missing, however this might be the intent as Kalamazoo Brewing calls this their ’lightest’. All in all it comes across as pretty average.

I’ve come to expect amazing stuff from Bells, but the last two beers I tried disappointed me, and this one was particularly lackluster. The labels are really cool, but the beer is strange and thin and rather off balance with the hops providing an unfortunate note left so naked and alone.