Bells Brewery (UK) Reviews

Beese	2.9 Bells Mad Cow Cask at The Watford Beer Festival on 09/11/2007. Fairly tasty bitter, more towards golden ale. Fruity nose and some chewy grain notes. Tuesday, February 4, 2020
BeerMaestro12	4 Bells Winter Ale Wednesday, January 3, 2018
The_iMan	2.2 Bells Winter Ale I want to give this beer a better rating. i don't dislike it at all. There just isn't much to it's flavor or pallet. If you're converting a budlight drinker to craft brews this is a good choice if that drinker wouldn't like fruitie beers. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone Friday, April 25, 2014
Dal9000	3.6 Bells Winter Ale At Detroit airport. Initial aroma of a lager hops , sweet metallic. Pours cloudy light yellow. Initial taste of very light hops that finishes sweet. Gets better slightly warmer. ---Rated via Beer Buddy Sunday, January 12, 2014
Bvdubn	2 Bells Winter Ale Sunday, January 5, 2014
deekyn	3.4 Bells Dreamcatcher At Hunahpu's Day 2013. A-amber with light head. Some lacing but weak. S-simple. Soap pine and other typical ipa. Carmel notes. Grapfruit. M-lightly tacky, medium bodied and full pallets. Some good carb T-pine and grapefruit abundance. Mostly hops and some Carmel notes. Some toffee. Nice mild ending. Saturday, August 24, 2013
marepone	4 Bells IPA Tuesday, July 3, 2012
fonefan	2.6 Bells Arapaho Cask (handpump) @ The KIT (Kelham Island Tavern), 62 Russell Street, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England S3 8RW. Clear medium to light dark red brown color with a average, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, roasted, caramel, berry, moderate hoppy, citrus sour. Flavor is moderate sweet, light to moderate acidic fruity berry sour and light to moderate bitter with a long duration. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft to flat. [20090419] Thursday, June 18, 2009
RichardGretton	3.3 Bells Superheater Cask@Leicester Beer Festival, 2009. Cloudy and thick golden beer. The aroma is strong and mildly grapey, the flavour is syrupy, spiced and vinous. Overall a low quality Belgian style beer. Saturday, April 18, 2009
leaparsons	3.2 Bells Superheater Cask, Leicester Fest 09. Hazy yellow gold. Like barley water. Aromas are citrus and wheat with floral notes. Yeasty with spiced oranges and evident alcohol. Flavours are tropical fruit and citrus with sweet apricot and pineapple. Like Lilt superpowered by alcohol. A literal fruit punch to the face. Some sourness on the finish. A decent experiment. Friday, April 10, 2009
detroitsteel	2.9 Bells Vulcan Bomber Cask. Dark amber - brown, small head, strong lacing. Malty, sweet and sugary. Not very bitter, not much hops. Didn’t do much to stand out from the crowd, but pleasent enough. Wednesday, January 14, 2009
cgarvieuk	3 Bells Smalley's Stout Bottle at home ...deep black v light thin head ... ... quite blackcurrant ...little balsamic vinegar which oddly isnt ruining this, though it does distract ... roast malts ... thinish mouth feel ... little copper.... bit midding Wednesday, October 1, 2008
maeib	2.7 Bells Smalley's Stout Bottled. Black as night with a short lived beige head. The aroma is fairly burnt malts. The taste is quite thin and watery amongst the burnt malts and sour coffee. A bit of a mish mash. Thursday, August 28, 2008
maeib	3.3 Bells Arapaho Bottled. A hazy, orange gold coloured beer with a white head. The aroma is hoppy with citrus notes. A litle bitter in the mouth with some sharp citrus notes. Clean and drinkable. Tuesday, July 29, 2008
DruncanVeasey	2.3 Bells Irish Smooth Orange mist with bathfoam suds dying into a slick. Aroma invitingly fruity with mouldering apple peel, pineapple jelly, barnyard, burnt tyre, marzipan. Bit damp and mildewy in the mouth, with alcohol, apple/pear fruit, finally some ashy malt. Weird one. Thursday, June 26, 2008
leaparsons	3.5 Bells Thud Bottle conditioned. Dark brown with a small head. Aromas are rich sweet malts with sticky ripe pear. Spices with smoky notes. Flavours are malty, sweet and syrupy with earthy pine hops. Very spicy, rich and viscous. Warming alcohol. A good heady brew. Monday, April 7, 2008
leaparsons	3 Bells Bendy Puppet Botte conditioned. Hazy amber gold with no head. Aromas are citrus and pine with floral notes. Spiced oranges with grapefruit bitterness and alcohol. Flavours are sweet grapefruit and lemon with spicy and herbal notes. Sweet malts and quite syrupy with yeast and lots of peppery notes. Alcohol on the finish. OK. Monday, April 7, 2008
leaparsons	3.1 Bells A.J.M. Baltic Porter Bottle. Black with no head. Aromas are smoky with roast malts. Mollasses and liquorice with some citrus. Flavours are sweet coffee with citrus and berry frutiness. Smoky and herbal with grapefruit bitterness on the finish. Quite dry. Monday, April 7, 2008
DruncanVeasey	3.3 Bells A.J.M. Baltic Porter Inky pitch slicked with beige. Nose straight Club Royal Original Pale Cream (15% sherry) to begin with, but slowly unfolding with smoke, coffee, red pepper, and slight vinegar. Dark, vinous and sourish with the merest tickle of carbonation. Plenty more warming sherry in the mouth faintly underscored with chocolate sweetness and smoke. This beer has an almost Flemish Sour meets English porter/dark mild/old ale character to it and it’s weird, but enjoyable. Thursday, April 3, 2008
kassner	2.9 Bells IPA Bottle. Must say not my type of IPA, lacking floral hops. Pretty straight dry hops and not overwhelming. Faintest hint of Malt, oily, did pour with a nice head, cloudy yellow gold color. Did finish clean but really not much finish at all. Saturday, March 29, 2008
DruncanVeasey	2.6 Bells Copernicus 500ml bottle. Will not be agitated into a head from any height. Pitch pour with ruby edges and zero carbonation. Potent sweet sherry alcohol aroma,with touches of red wine and liquorice. Mouth damp and mildewy, developing some heady stewed apple, alcohol bitterness and parting roasted malt/liquorice. Lingeringly charred aftertaste. Too much alcohol, too many off-notes and not enough body for the malt to shine. Warming, flat and difficult. Musty hops sneaking through in the aroma as it warms. A gnaw of bitter choc. Eventually develops an Aardmonnick-like combination of sour fruit and smoky malt if left to stand, but not sure it’s intentional... Tuesday, March 11, 2008
harrisoni	3.2 Bells Nun on a Mission Cask handpull at The Fly in the Loaf, Liverpool. Pale chestnut colour with thick beige head. Blackcurranty, reminds me of blackcurrant Lockets. Lots of Willamette hops? Certainly a blackcurrant finish/menthol. Spanking condition. Really unusual. I mean it’s got a bit of an odd aroma, but the blackcurrant is amazing. Saturday, January 5, 2008
DruncanVeasey	3.4 Bells Winter Ale Bottled. Burton snatch/CE snout with burnt and blackcurrant hints. Smooth, slightly soapy and apple-accented. Burnt, tangy and sourish. Wisps of smoke. Cocoa of the 70% kind. Generous roast to finish with softening biscuity afters. Vanilla sweetness swamped with bittering hops and dark, dark cocoa. Almost pitch. A bit headless, but a fine-tasting specimen. Thursday, December 27, 2007
DruncanVeasey	3.2 Bells What The Duck? Fresh takeout from the brewery. Attractive orange amber with fluffy white suds if you shake the flagon up a bit. Citrussy grapefruit hop snout with a sniff of orange peel. Hairs-on-your-chest citrussy hop bitterness with background biscuit. Lingeringly bitter. Drinks like a sessions. A fruitily hoppy drop. Tuesday, November 6, 2007
DruncanVeasey	2.8 Bells Wide Mouth Frog Bottled. Headless orange pour. Sniffs of sulphur and apple peel earthiness. Buttery malt, citrussy hops and a gnaw of Granny Smith’s. Big, creamy vanilla-malty afters. Tasty refreshment. Saturday, June 16, 2007
leaparsons	2.6 Bells Copernicus Cask, Leicester Fest 07. Deep chesnut brown in colour. Aromas are Autumn fruit with spices and caramel malts. Alcohol is very evident. Flavours are syrupy malts with some chocolate. Too much alcohol diverts from any character the beer may have. Sweet, forgettable and turbo charged. Tuesday, May 29, 2007
DruncanVeasey	3 Bells Mucky Dog Bottled. Mucky indeed. Filthy orange haze without the slightest suggestion of a head. Faint carbonation. Fruitily malty snout with a big glug of booze and red apple earthiness. A sniff of oak. Actually smells a bit Tripelish. Flavour is earthy, malty and red wine sourish, with a nuttily bitter finish and slightly biscuity afters. A better beer than it looks and pours. Friday, May 25, 2007
RichardGretton	3.1 Bells Smalley's Stout Bottle. Black beer with a light head. The aroma is lightly coffee, roasted and slightly smoked. The flavour is very grassy and watery coffee bitter. Overall a poorish beer. Wednesday, May 23, 2007
RichardGretton	2.5 Bells Vulcan Bomber Bottle. Muddy looking beer with a malty aroma and a peppery watercress flavour with a bitter finish. Overall quite a weird tasting beer Tuesday, March 27, 2007
chriso	3.4 Bells Jet Ale Cask (handpump) at The Market Tavern, Atherstone. A curious little number. Very dark brown with a creamy beige head; theye really like the tight sparkler in this pub. Sharp fruit and thick malt on the nose, with some citric hop notes. More berry and stone fruit on the palate - quite tart, almost sour. Musty, woody and a little vinous. I also thought I picked up parma violets. Quite a lactic bite on the finish. Just pulls up short of being sour. Quite interesting. I think I like it. Monday, March 19, 2007
maeib	2.5 Bells Copernicus Cask conditioned - gravity dispense - Leicester BF. A dark mahogany coloured beer with no head. The aroma is pretty harshly alcoholic and has notes of nail polish. The taste is like stinging nettles. Harsh and phenolic. Not the best strong beer. Monday, March 19, 2007
leaparsons	3.1 Bells Jet Ale Bottle conditioned. Black with a small beige head. Aromas are very floral and smoky with sweet light roast malts and spices. Flavours are sweetened coffee with tobacco and woody notes. Some ashtray character. Hints of blackberry and tried berries. Dry with some metal on the finish. Somehow tastes "Dark". Close to being bad, ends up OK. Tuesday, February 20, 2007
leaparsons	3 Bells Vulcan Bomber Cask, Leicester Fest 06. Deep amber/brown with a bubbly head. Aromas are sweet toffee malts. Flavours are lots of toffee with some sweet caramel. Very malty. Some citrus and dry on the finish. A bit one-dimensional but still good. Thursday, May 11, 2006
maeib	2.6 Bells Mucky Dog Cask conditioned - gravity dispense - Leicester BF. A copper coloured ale with a sweetish aroma maybe a little perfume. The taste is sweet with noticeable alcohol, and a touch of hop. Quite dull really for a beer of this ABV. Tuesday, March 21, 2006
DJMonarch	3.2 Bells Vulcan Bomber Cask Handpump at the Bhurtpore Inn, Aston 09/07/2005 Mid brown coloured with some alcohol and plenty of fruit. Malty with a little dryness and bitterness in the finish. Wednesday, December 21, 2005
DJMonarch	3 Bells Rainmaker Cask Stillage at the Charotar Patidar Samaj, Leicester 19/03/2005 Amber coloured slightly fruity with some wheat flavour. Dry slightly bitter lasting finish. Wednesday, December 21, 2005
harrisoni	3 Bells Dreamcatcher Cask gravity Notts BF 05. Copper colour, disappearing off white head. Hoppy beer, some earthiness, bit muddy. Bit watery in mouth, some nettley citrus. Bit of tea Sunday, October 23, 2005
DanielBrown	3.5 Bells Vulcan Bomber Hand pulled at the Anchor, Birmingham. Red beer, with a fluffy head. Metally, nutty flavour. Strong taste, very dry on the finish, with a longish aftertaste. Good, hard stuff. Sunday, June 26, 2005
leaparsons	2.8 Bells Dreamcatcher Cask, Leicester Beer Fest 05. Amber/gold with a bubbly head. Aromas are dry and spicy hops with Autumn fruit. Flavours are soft malts, fruity - some pear and citrus. Reminded me of lemonade. Boring, but OK. Saturday, May 7, 2005
Joeh	2.7 Bells Rainmaker Cask @ Reading Beer Festival. Drinkable yet bland bitter with fruit but little bitterness. Some sulphur in there also? Friday, May 6, 2005
chriso	3.2 Bells Rainmaker Copper colour with a red tinge. Malty aroma, with touches of smoky tobacco. Dry and fairly bitter. Decent enough, but there’s nothing out of the ordinary to grab the attention. Cask (gravity dispense), Reading Beer Festival 2005. Wednesday, May 4, 2005
duff	2.2 Bells Rainmaker Cask@Reading BF. Green apple in the aroma. Grainy malt, thin mouthfeel. Some unwamted rubber characters. A very dull bitter. Tuesday, May 3, 2005
DanielBrown	3.3 Bells Rainmaker Gravity at Reading Beer Fest, with Kook, Duff, Chris_o and Joeh. Strongly bitter, peppery even. Some fruity malt, but generally just very bitter. Good stuff, to put hairs on your chest. Monday, May 2, 2005
kook	2.4 Bells Rainmaker Copper with no head. Malty flavour, but quite bland. A bit dry and a b it think. Ok drinkable bitter. Sunday, May 1, 2005
RichardGretton	3.3 Bells Rainmaker Cask@Leicester Beer Festival. Strong coloured bitter with a light aroma and a nice dry flavour at the finish with a smooth body. Overall a good balanced bitter. Sunday, March 20, 2005
maeib	3.3 Bells Cosby's Cask conditioned - gravity dispense - Leicester BF. A mid brown coloured bitter. The aroma has a trace of orange citric hop which is replicated in the flavour together with some lemony notes. It is an easy drinker and quite pleasant without having any outstanding qualities. Friday, March 18, 2005
Gazza	1.8 Bells Rainmaker Sulphury, dryish, thin and overtly malty dark amber ale - you can tell they’re a new brewery! (Cask at Brunswick, Derby) Friday, October 29, 2004
DeepBlack	4.3 Bells Rainmaker On hand pump from the Cask in The Brunswick Inn in Derby. The 1st thing about this beer was the look, beautiful, deep redish dark brown. Taste-wise, pretty nice too, good head all the way down as well. Thursday, October 28, 2004
imdownthepub	3.7 Bells IPA Cask Conditioned at Harbury Beer Festival ’04. Yello amber, slight head. Juicy fresh fruity bitter, not really an IPA in the true sense. Understated flavours, ideal as a session bitter, easy drinking. Particularly fresh btter finish, well balanced. Sunday, September 5, 2004