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Mercury (The Winged Messenger)
Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
- From:
- Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
- Michigan, United States
- Style:
- Belgian Pale Ale
- ABV:
- 4.8%
- Score:
- 80
- Avg:
- 3.5 | pDev: 12%
- Reviews:
- 107
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Oct 17, 2019
- Added:
- Jun 28, 2014
- Wants:
- 9
- Gots:
- 96
No description / notes.
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Ratings by bros:
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Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois
3.25/5 rDev -7.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.25/5 rDev -7.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Bottled 12/4/14; drank 1/3/15 @ the Yarchives.
Semi-opaque dandelion hue.
Bright white head; a curtain of lace.
Black pepper, banana & mild clove nose.
Medium thin mouthfeel.
Black pepper notes up front with a mild banana & clove finish. A black pepper bite settled on the lips over the course of the session.
Decent; forgettable.
May 14, 2019Semi-opaque dandelion hue.
Bright white head; a curtain of lace.
Black pepper, banana & mild clove nose.
Medium thin mouthfeel.
Black pepper notes up front with a mild banana & clove finish. A black pepper bite settled on the lips over the course of the session.
Decent; forgettable.
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado
4.25/5 rDev +21.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +21.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
this has aged extremely well, and now stands as one of my favorite examples of the style. the beer is brilliant! pale straw colored, not quite all the way clear, but no visible sediment is present either. the head is a gushing bubbly pearl white color, highly active. aroma here is spicy from the now mature belgian yeast, with some elements of a wit more than a belgian pale or golden, i get an herbaceou property, a little citrus, and all kinds of fruit from the yeast here, green apple, pear, plantain, white grape, its all happening. the flavor is awesome too, all so well integrated, with even a little funkiness arising to it, farmy and bone dry, not sure its bretty, but its got a lot more going on than most belgian strains in this aspect, and the fruitiness is still there too. this comes across as very summery to me, super rustic and refined in a different kind of way. maybe one of the less exciting beers in the series on paper, but the liquid tells another story. super effervescent on the feel, crackling dry, and grassy in the end. superb beer overall, an awesome example of the complexity than can exist in a light style like this, and one of the best beers overall in the series, at least as it exists now, i never got to try it fresh...
Apr 28, 2017Reviewed by macrosmatic from Florida
3.49/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.49/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Reviewed from (long-standing) notes. Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Cycle Brewing pint glass.
A: Hazy deep yellow, with good visible carbonation and a finger's worth of white head that lasts quite well.
S: A low level of aroma overall. Some Belgian fruity yeast, biscuit malts, some wheat and some musty barnyard character.
T: Biscuit malts with milder pilsner and wheat malt flavors. Yeasty, and a touch of barnyard that's reminiscent of a saison. Belgian tests with apple, pear and banana esters. A touch of clove. It finishes with lingering yeast esters and just a bit of hop bitterness.
M: A medium heft to the body overall - if this is indeed a Belgian pale ale, it's rather on the heavy side for style. Alcohol presence and carbonation sensation are average for style.
O: This wasn't my favorite Belgian Pale Ale. It seems more of a combination between a saison and a BPA. The fruity yeast esters didn't pull through a ton. Add that to not having any Brett character to add depth and you've got a fairly forgettable beer. Not offensive, but I'm not particularly looking forward to the next in the series.
Dec 11, 2016A: Hazy deep yellow, with good visible carbonation and a finger's worth of white head that lasts quite well.
S: A low level of aroma overall. Some Belgian fruity yeast, biscuit malts, some wheat and some musty barnyard character.
T: Biscuit malts with milder pilsner and wheat malt flavors. Yeasty, and a touch of barnyard that's reminiscent of a saison. Belgian tests with apple, pear and banana esters. A touch of clove. It finishes with lingering yeast esters and just a bit of hop bitterness.
M: A medium heft to the body overall - if this is indeed a Belgian pale ale, it's rather on the heavy side for style. Alcohol presence and carbonation sensation are average for style.
O: This wasn't my favorite Belgian Pale Ale. It seems more of a combination between a saison and a BPA. The fruity yeast esters didn't pull through a ton. Add that to not having any Brett character to add depth and you've got a fairly forgettable beer. Not offensive, but I'm not particularly looking forward to the next in the series.
Reviewed by feloniousmonk from Minnesota
3.59/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.59/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: Clouded, bright golden coloring, solid white head atop.
Aroma: spicy (coriander?), floral, a touch of citrus, a little whiff of sour.
Taste: Brisk hoppiness right off the top, then smooth, slightly sweet. Wheaty. Medium-bodied, mellow, not sure what exactly this is supposed to be. Belgian blonde, wit? Hm. Nice beer, but unremarkable.
Once more, I'm a touch nonplussed. I really should have found a copy of "The Planets" to play while drinking, perhaps that would help me understand what this beer's raison d'être might be. What'll the label say? "This is one of a seven part series inspired by Gustav Holst's musical composition, "The Planets." Strap in and embark on a flavor tour of our solar system---in the order of Holst's piece. Mars to Neptune."
Mar 05, 2016Aroma: spicy (coriander?), floral, a touch of citrus, a little whiff of sour.
Taste: Brisk hoppiness right off the top, then smooth, slightly sweet. Wheaty. Medium-bodied, mellow, not sure what exactly this is supposed to be. Belgian blonde, wit? Hm. Nice beer, but unremarkable.
Once more, I'm a touch nonplussed. I really should have found a copy of "The Planets" to play while drinking, perhaps that would help me understand what this beer's raison d'être might be. What'll the label say? "This is one of a seven part series inspired by Gustav Holst's musical composition, "The Planets." Strap in and embark on a flavor tour of our solar system---in the order of Holst's piece. Mars to Neptune."
Reviewed by brian44556 from Kentucky
3.12/5 rDev -10.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3.12/5 rDev -10.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Poured into a Braxton Tulip. Bottled 12/4/14.
Pours a light shade of orange. Decent head that fades rather quickly. Little to no lacing. Quite a bit of sediment sits at the bottom of the glass.
Aromas of banana bread, Belgium yeast, canned pears, and bit of spice.
Tastes of canned pear juice with a dry, yeasty finish. Earthy hops, with notes of banana and clove.
Very refreshing with a light body.
Just ok, I wouldn't recommend. One of the few offerings from Bell's that didn't wow me.
Feb 18, 2016Pours a light shade of orange. Decent head that fades rather quickly. Little to no lacing. Quite a bit of sediment sits at the bottom of the glass.
Aromas of banana bread, Belgium yeast, canned pears, and bit of spice.
Tastes of canned pear juice with a dry, yeasty finish. Earthy hops, with notes of banana and clove.
Very refreshing with a light body.
Just ok, I wouldn't recommend. One of the few offerings from Bell's that didn't wow me.
Reviewed by Jadjunk from Georgia
3.54/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.54/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
"This is one of a seven part series inspired by Gustav Holst's musical composition, "The Planets." Strap in and embark on a flavor tour of our solar system - in the order of Holst's piece, Mars to Neptune." Brewed in the style of a Belgian Pale Ale, release #3 in the Planets series, a one-off release in bottles and on limited draft.
Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to a tulip glass.
(Appearance) Pours a frothy crisp head of a pastel white over a mildly hazy golden amber body with abundant pulpy sediment in tow and ample, lively carbonation. Retention is average and lacing is light and droopy. 3.75
(Smell) Unmalted wheat and light cracker and pale malts with a moderate sweetness, met with a yeast note that accents spring fruits, banana and peppery spices, notably coriander and clove. Aromatically, it plays close to an aromatically pleasing witbier, but not an overly original one. Potency is moderate. 3.5
(Taste) Malt body of pale malts and moderate cereal wheat with a creeping sweetness, a delicate yeast fruit note of banana and light citrus juice, and an effervescent peppered and dry finish. Very light in alcohol but considerably flavorful in malt complexity and yeast flavor, despite keeping a high drinkability. I enjoyed it but find it lulls in between styles, and makes it difficult to place. 3.5
(Mouthfeel) Texture is slick, clean, peppery and medium dry. Carbonation is high, generating a moderate frothiness and a briskly crisp finish. Body is shy of medium for the style, light/medium overall. Balance is slightly peppery and earthy bitter over sweet. Alcohol presence is very low and there are no off characters. 3.75
(Overall) Arguably the tamest of all of the planets beers by style, and not very disappointing so long as you're not expecting anything phenomenal. While falling under Belgian Pale Ale here, It certainly has a strong Belgian Wit ale angle going for it, with big pronounced hazy yeast, banana character and an assertive coriander and clove spicing. Altogether it's tasty and a pleasing experience, but pedestrian in comparison to the previous two entries in the series and undoubtedly to be compared to the ones forward. 3.5
Bell's Brewery, Inc.'s
Mercury: The Winged Messenger
3.54/5.00
Jan 22, 2016Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to a tulip glass.
(Appearance) Pours a frothy crisp head of a pastel white over a mildly hazy golden amber body with abundant pulpy sediment in tow and ample, lively carbonation. Retention is average and lacing is light and droopy. 3.75
(Smell) Unmalted wheat and light cracker and pale malts with a moderate sweetness, met with a yeast note that accents spring fruits, banana and peppery spices, notably coriander and clove. Aromatically, it plays close to an aromatically pleasing witbier, but not an overly original one. Potency is moderate. 3.5
(Taste) Malt body of pale malts and moderate cereal wheat with a creeping sweetness, a delicate yeast fruit note of banana and light citrus juice, and an effervescent peppered and dry finish. Very light in alcohol but considerably flavorful in malt complexity and yeast flavor, despite keeping a high drinkability. I enjoyed it but find it lulls in between styles, and makes it difficult to place. 3.5
(Mouthfeel) Texture is slick, clean, peppery and medium dry. Carbonation is high, generating a moderate frothiness and a briskly crisp finish. Body is shy of medium for the style, light/medium overall. Balance is slightly peppery and earthy bitter over sweet. Alcohol presence is very low and there are no off characters. 3.75
(Overall) Arguably the tamest of all of the planets beers by style, and not very disappointing so long as you're not expecting anything phenomenal. While falling under Belgian Pale Ale here, It certainly has a strong Belgian Wit ale angle going for it, with big pronounced hazy yeast, banana character and an assertive coriander and clove spicing. Altogether it's tasty and a pleasing experience, but pedestrian in comparison to the previous two entries in the series and undoubtedly to be compared to the ones forward. 3.5
Bell's Brewery, Inc.'s
Mercury: The Winged Messenger
3.54/5.00
Mercury (The Winged Messenger) from Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
Beer rating:
80 out of
100 with
536 ratings
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