Jupiter (The Bringer Of Jollity)
Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store

GuyFawkes from Illinois

3.34/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Bottled 2/15/15; drank 3/6/15 @ the Yarchives.

Brown/purple/red appearance.

Tan head; strong lace.

Creamed coffee & yeast notes in the nose.

Medium thick mouthfeel.

Cream & yeast flavors up front; a coffee bitterness on the finish. Milk chocolate notes emerged as this warmed.

An odd flavor; more interesting than good.

Apr 28, 2019

FBarber from Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours a ruddy brown color. Appears rather viscous for a brown ale. Thinnish khaki head dissipates steadily leaving a ring of tan foam around the outside of the beer.

Smell is quite malty and earthy. Some bread, roasted malts, very nice on the nose.

Taste is initially very bready - tastes like fresh baked bread with some roasted notes to it. Slight hoppy bitterness on the finish is noted. Aftertaste nicely mellows leaving a malty almost oaky flavor lingering on the tongue. Its nothing complicated, but its very well executed.

Feel is quite hefty for a brown ale - thats where the "imperial" moniker actually shows up. Very smooth. Medium to decent carbonation provides an initial tingle on the tongue.

Overall a very good beer. Certainly a more robust brown ale than I'm accustomed to anticipating, but its quite good.

Sep 28, 2016

Jadjunk from Georgia

3.44/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | 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 an American Brown Ale, available in 12 oz. bottled 6 packs and on limited draft.

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to a snifter glass.

(Appearance) Pours a frothy fizzy head of a cola tan color over a deep maple brown body with ample sediment and light to no visible carbonation. Retention is poor and there is no lacing. 2.5

(Smell) Aromas of bread malts, biscuit malts, caramel syrups and lightly roasted grains with a subtle undertone of chocolate. Very clean and accessible aroma with a charismatic, yet mild-mannered malt profile, although not much hop character comes through. 3.5

(Taste) The flavor follows the aroma directly, malt driven with layers of caramel, bread and biscuit malt characters, baker's chocolate and delicate roast on the finish. Still little to no hop character evident in the aroma, but the beer manages to balance with enough specialty malt edge to counter the reserved sweetness of the malt. Fairly pedestrian but enjoyable. 3.5

(Mouthfeel) Texture is slick, lightly chewy, smooth, medium dry. Carbonation is modest, generating a mild frothiness and a medium crisp finish. Body is medium for the style, medium+ overall. Balance is nearly even sweet to earthy grain malt. Alcohol presence is mild and there are no off characters. 3.5

(Overall) Jupiter comes off okay, although it's probably the most ordinary and predictable beer in the planet's series to date. Nice, accessible malt profile with complexity, yet avoids being overbearing. I could have quite a few of these and be satisfied, although I was hoping for something a bit out of left field for this ale. It doesn't particularly challenge the style guidelines and falls very much in line with my expectations of a brown ale, which for me means it's easily forgettable. 3.5

Bell's Brewery, Inc.'s
Jupiter: The Bringer Of Jollity
3.44/5.00

Feb 23, 2016

ParnellJoseph1138 from Minnesota

3.84/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: A very dark molasses color that somewhat resembles a dark apple cider. Definitely higher on the SRM scale than a lot of brown ales.
S: Malt aroma delivers biscuit, bread quality, but also caramel and raisin notes.
T: A full-bodied brown ale with a distinctive and sizable malt presence. Biscuit and bread notes, but also some burned caramel characteristics and certainly some molasses and nuts. Initially the beer delivers some sweetness but then it transitions to earthy malt and finishes with a bit of bitterness. A somewhat earthy and a touch piney on the hop side.
M: Light to medium on the carbonation and somewhat chewy/bready.
O: A solid beer but the back end dark barley notes and bitterness detract from the overall taste experience.

Sep 28, 2015

tally from California

4.22/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 oz. bottle poured into tulip glass.

Mud brown appearance. Slight metallic twang on the nose. Sweet, minimal to modest carbonation. Chewier than expected.

A solid brown, puts me in the mind of Dog Fishhead's India Brown ale, but suffers for the comparison.

Sep 28, 2015

chinchill from South Carolina

3.52/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle with a packaged date of 14 Feb. 2015. Served in a St. Bernardus snifter.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy dark brown color with a thin off-white head that has weak retention but manages to leaves spots of lacing. .

Smell: Toffee, dark bread and roasted nuts with hints of chocolate. Mild.

Taste: SImilar to the smell - nutty and bready flavors up front along with a touch of caramel. Turns mildly bitter and dark (more roasted) by the finish. Some alcohol esters reflecting the 8% ABV.

Mouthfeel: Medium body. Medium carbonation.

Overall: higher ABV brown ale but perhaps a step short of the profile of an "imperial".

Sep 10, 2015

SportsandJorts from Virginia

4.78/5  rDev +24.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Appearance: pours a solid walnut brown color. some hues of red some of mahoganys. a finger or two of a tan head forms and has good retention, leaving behind a strong and frothy lacing. pretty dark and opaque but some brightness to it.

Smell: strong caramel, toasted grains, nuts, light chocolate, and some vanilla. faint earthy hop character and some fruity esters.

Taste: opens with some earthy hops, blends nicely as sweet flavors come in with notes of caramel and a light chocolate. Malty backbone comes on strong with nuts and toasted grains, hinting ever so slightly at roasted. some vanilla comes through. a lightly fruit yeast plays in occasionally.

Mouthfeel: full bodied. borderline dry. leaves behind just a little bit of bitterness.

Overall: This planet series has come across quite a bit of controversy among the users of this site. but every beer has been spot on to what Bell's aimed to do, and I have loved every bit of it. This beer just may be the most impressive part. Done without any extremeness to it, just a masterly crafted brown ale, possibly the best one I have had. If this were around I would probably find myself going back to it quite a bit.

Sep 10, 2015

Huhzubendah from District of Columbia

3.77/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Drinking planets yo. Listening to Holst. Wanna know why? Because aids. Light brown body, small soapy head. Malt, brown bread, lightly fruity. Certainly one of the better beers in the series.

Aug 29, 2015

ryanhooks81 from Georgia

3.62/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

cloudy with a very thin head that dissipates quickly. nutty, caramel aroma. malty, nutty taste. medium body. fairly thin. good carbonation. overall pretty tasty.

Aug 16, 2015

dbauer78 from Pennsylvania

3.72/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: very thin head the quickly disappears, a dark cloudy brown
S: nutty and a mild caramel
T: little bit of burnt caramel, roasted malts, some coffee and chocolate notes as well
M: on the thinner side with a good amount of carbonation
O: I think that this a very drinkable brown ale and it is very easy to drink

Aug 15, 2015

Yumbo from Illinois

3.81/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

tastes incredible, but everything else about this beer is either weak or not there. Smell is weak. nutty and hoppy. and i reallllyyy want the feel to be as thick as a stout. seriously tasty though and so smooth

Jul 19, 2015

stortore from Illinois

3.79/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12 ounce bottle into a snifter. Bottled 2/15/15.

Pours a hazy medium brown, no real head or lacing. Smell is pretty subdued. What aroma I do pick up, is of lightly roasted malts, some chocolate, a little brown sugar. Taste leads with lightly roasted malts, chocolate, some toast or bread, some nuttiness. Slight bitterness throughout. Smooth, decent body, good level of carbonation.

This is a nice beer, pretty good for a brown ale. The flavor kind of grew on me as it warmed.

Jul 13, 2015

emyers from Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

12 oz. bottle poured into a Great Lakes snifter.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy brown color with a thin off-white head. Not much lacing.

Smell: Earthy, nutty, hints of chocolate. Some yeast on the tail end. Solid.

Taste: SImilar to the smell - lots of nutty flavors up front along with a touch of caramel malt. Very balanced flavor profile. FInish is fairly bitter. No alcohol heat.

Mouthfeel: Medium body. Medium-high carbonation.

Overall: Solid brown ale.

Jul 13, 2015

arizcards from Arizona

3.91/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a single from TW Arrowhead in early April for $2.79. Packaged on 2/14/15.

Beer poured a light brown with an OK head that dissipated quickly.

Nose was a touch roasty and some chocolate.

Taste has a toasted and slightly roasted malt backbone, some cocoa, and a decent amount of hoping that kept the sweetness grounded.

Mouthfeel was medium bodied and smooth.

Overall a solid strong brown ale. Another nice effort by Bell's!

Jun 26, 2015

ThickNStout from Georgia

4.07/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

12oz bottle from Sprayberry Bottle Shop (Marietta, GA). 2.99. Bottled 2/14/15. Served in a Bells snifter.

Pours a dark, opaque, muddy brown with about a three quarter finger beige head. A thick collar rests over the edges where the golden brown liquid allows a little light through. A little haze lingers on the surface but no lace left on the glass.

Smells of chocolate, dull sugar, roasted malts, bague nuts and a hint of coffee. Not bad at all.

The flavor is all about the malts. Chocolate, mild roast, burnt caramel, grainy toast, biscuit, faint brown sugar, a little nutty, vague earthy hop bitterness and a slight warming alcohol. A great balance of malt flavors.

Creamy, medium body with moderately soft carbonation. A malty blend of cocoa, burnt caramel and toasted grain continues in the finish.

Jupiter is a damn fine brown ale. In tribute to my personal favorite movement of Holst's suite Bells hit a fine mixture of specialty malts and allowed them to shine. I'm not a big fan of the style but rather wish I'd been able to pick up several of these.

Jun 23, 2015

RickS95 from Indiana

4.18/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pours a mysteriously murky dark brown with a light tan head. The color is very dark with lighter notes around the edges when held up to a light...kind of a Barleywine color with the onslaught of malts. The head is a finger and a half thick with amazing legs. Great staying power that slightly hides the thin film of lace.

It even smells brown. There's nothing to indicate a single hop was even considered when brewing this beer. It's nothing but malts, presenting a slightly earthy, vaguely chocolate character.

There is some hop presence in the taste, but it's there just to provide some balance from all the dark malts. Again, it's got an earthy taste with some slight roasty and chocolate notes. No one single flavor stands out, it's more a concoction of malts that provide the taste. Slight alcohol, phenol-like taste in the finish.

At first sip, it's very creamy. Once the grainy, roasty malts work over the palate, the creamy goes away and the grainy evolves. Faint alcohol warmth and a slight medicinal feel comes alive as the beer works it's way back.

It's an easy sipper with no real weaknesses. A good beer in the cooler months, but is home on the table in any weather.

Jun 15, 2015

Pencible from Virginia

3.16/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3

A: This poured a murky mahogany with a little light tan head.
S: It smelled like strawberry shortcake, with a little caramel.
T: It tasted like sugary caramel and dried strawberries, with some earthy barley. It had a clean, mostly sweet aftertaste.
M: It was thick with moderate carbonation. Nice big body.
D: This was an interesting brew, with a sweet scent and taste. The body was solid, and the finish was smooth. Well hidden alcohol too, so it was really easy to drink. Not sure this is my preference, but it was a nice unique drink to try once.

Jun 09, 2015

elNopalero from California

4.93/5  rDev +28.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is quite possibly the best brown ale I have ever tasted. A week after and I still think about it.

Continuing my tour of the planets. This pours a cocoa caramel born with a creamy cap of foam. I get a hint of the green and sticky hops tucked away in the aroma. Mostly caramel Malts and some light toasty goodness. It's tasty with a sticky sweet backing and just enough body. Slightly nutty, with some toffee and the faintest hint of toasted coconut, this beer is a delight for the senses. As "a showcase for specialty malts" this beer also reminds me that I'm serve rely lacking in a good vocabulary to describe the nuances it brings. Ni modo, this is good stuff.

Jun 09, 2015

Treyliff from West Virginia

3.97/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle poured into a tulip glass, bottles 2/15/15

A- pours an amber-brown color with a rub hue, small off-white foamy head reduces to a ring around the glass after settling

S- nutty brown malts with hints of chocolate, toffee, woodsy, caramel & cinnamon

T- big malty sweetness up front gives flavors of toasted hazelnuts, toffee/caramel & earthy yeast. Toasted bread crust and cocoa finish

M- viscous body with moderate carbonation leads to a chewy mouthfeel and a creamy finish, slightly warming

O- a high ABV brown that is quite balanced, one of the better browns I've had in a while

Jun 06, 2015

Boto from Connecticut

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Draught @ Headkeeper: This one pours a fairly opaque brown color. There was a bit of a brown head that didn’t linger long or leave much lacing. The aroma is a little lighter than expected. Maybe some chocolate, nuttiness and vanilla. The taste is good. It is well balanced. Nutty, some chocolate and vanilla. A subdued sweetness. Faint pine and earthy hops. Nice.

May 28, 2015

Cytoplasman from Florida

4.77/5  rDev +24.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Color is brown and cloudy with no head. Smells of gingerbread and malts. Taste caramel, malt, and very subtle hops. It feels syrupy with a bit of carbonation. This is a damn good brown ale!

May 27, 2015

neenerzig from Ohio

4.14/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured out of a 12 bottle into one of my pint glasses, this beer pours a clear, medium brown color with a very nice, big amber glow when held up to the light with a slightly tan head that is well over an inch thick when first poured. Head settles to a solid 1/2 to 2/3 inch thick with very good lacing., and eventually a solid 1/4 inch with good retention. Aromas of cocoa and roasted nuts, vanilla, and hints of caramel malt sweetness. Flavors of roasted nuts upfront that gives way to a nicely pronounced cocoa sweetness followed by the aforementioned vanilla and hints of caramel malts. Rounded out with a bit of herbal hops, Very nice flavor profile and mix of flavors. There is a lingering dark chocolate and roasted but bitterness, but it is very pleasant and not overpowering. Has a slightly crisp, but mainly smooth, frothy, and creamy, medium to full bodied mouthfeel with moderate carbonation. Very easy to drink for an 8% ABV beer, as the alcohol is well masked. One of the best beers from Bell's I've had in awhile. Worth a try for sure!

Eric

May 21, 2015

maximum12 from Minnesota

4.04/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Planet series score: one very good, one very bad. And here comes the tie-breaker (for now at least): 12 ounces of imperial brown. Check. Checkcheck.

The pour is Roman brown, red showing at the margins. The nose is startlingly decadent for a brown ale: Jobs-rich chocolate, bitter cocoa, whipping cream, bit of maple nut & toffee. Really a great nose in a category that mostly fails at this category: but who really cares? Let’s get to what’s important, eh?

Jupiter is a brown that’s clearly been juicing. The nuttiness that’s fairly tame in the nose bursts into the secondary, pursued by fleet chocolate, quick caramel, earthy bitterness bringing up the rear. Tiny flecks or roast & herbal herbiness round it out, but it’s the nuts that cling to the palate. Totally light & easy drinking for an 8% ABV beer; I’d have guessed 5%.

This should have been labelled an Imperial Nut Brown Ale, except then nobody would have bought it, since there have been so many abominations with similar monikers. This I’d drink again in spades or hearts: very good beer.

May 21, 2015

BirdsandHops from Oregon

3.94/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A: Pours a murky brown with half a finger of khaki head that fades into a thin ring with little lacing.

S: Sweet cocoa and nutty aromas with vanilla and a touch of caramel. Simple, but quite nice.

T: Semi-sweet chocolate with nutty flavors and some darker malt notes. The finish is slightly charred and bitter.

M: Medium body and carbonation, this beer is nicely drinkable.

O: An enjoyable beer, overall. Not generally the biggest fan of brown ales, but I like this one.

May 10, 2015

bsp77 from Minnesota

4.29/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Serving glass: Poured from bottle into Imperial Pint.

Appearance: Dark chestnut brown with thick tan head.

Smell: Dark fruit, nuts, chocolate and spice. Dry and sweet aroma.

Taste: Rich malts of dark fruit, caramel and chocolate. Some spiciness from the hops at the finish, along with a distinct nuttiness.

Feel: Full bodied, moderate carbonation. The finish is surprisingly dry considering the upfront sweetness.

Overall: Excellent ramped up brown ale. The dry, nutty, spicy finish goes a long way to adding complexity and balance to what could have been an overload of sweetness.

May 09, 2015