Porter | Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
Brewed by:
Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
Michigan, United States
bellsbeer.com
Style: American Porter
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.60%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
Our award winning Porter bridges the gap between malty brown ales and heavily roasted stouts. Notes of chocolate, coffee and roasted barley are offset with just a slight hop bitterness. Enjoy any time of the year.
Added by Mitchster on 02-06-2002
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 3,034 | Reviews: 1,096
3.12/5 rDev -19.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
The beer is very dark brown and has a light tan foamy head. Typical smells for a porter of dark malts, slight toasted aromas as well as chocolate. there was a slight sweetness but more honey like tan vanilla. The taste is similar. Well balanced nice bitterness from the toasted malts not that sweet. Medium bodied and nice carbonation level.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
The beer is very dark brown and has a light tan foamy head. Typical smells for a porter of dark malts, slight toasted aromas as well as chocolate. there was a slight sweetness but more honey like tan vanilla. The taste is similar. Well balanced nice bitterness from the toasted malts not that sweet. Medium bodied and nice carbonation level.
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3.73/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a 12oz bottle with a packaged on date of 10/10/18; into a pint glass.
Appearance- a stout like darkness with lots of visible carbonation bubble streams along the glass; head is a fluffy, almost creamy light brown that leaves decent lacing!
Smell- chocolate malt, coffee and graham cracker!
Taste- roasted coffee beans and hints of graham cracker, pie crust and copper pennies.
Feel - medium body, nicely carbonated with a semi dry finish.
Overall- not bad at all, however the flavor character leaves a bit to be desired after what the nose sets up.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a 12oz bottle with a packaged on date of 10/10/18; into a pint glass.
Appearance- a stout like darkness with lots of visible carbonation bubble streams along the glass; head is a fluffy, almost creamy light brown that leaves decent lacing!
Smell- chocolate malt, coffee and graham cracker!
Taste- roasted coffee beans and hints of graham cracker, pie crust and copper pennies.
Feel - medium body, nicely carbonated with a semi dry finish.
Overall- not bad at all, however the flavor character leaves a bit to be desired after what the nose sets up.
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3.95/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.59/5 rDev -7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25
It's a good porter with light hops, some dark cocoa, slight coffee, slight burnt malts, but nothing from it is really sticking out that is blowing my hat off. It's still worth a try if you can get your hands on this porter. Maybe my expectations are too high. Cheers! B
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look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25
It's a good porter with light hops, some dark cocoa, slight coffee, slight burnt malts, but nothing from it is really sticking out that is blowing my hat off. It's still worth a try if you can get your hands on this porter. Maybe my expectations are too high. Cheers! B
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4.14/5 rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.88/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours ebony with a small tan head. Smell is of a bit of chocolate and dark malts. Taste is heavy on the chocolate, with cocoa, not too roasty, and some restrained sweetness from the malt. Just an edge of hop bitterness on the end. Medium body.
Overall, I found this to be a solid porter. Lighter on the hops and roast than some of the others I've tried, and as they say on the label, it is somewhere between a Brown and a Stout . Well balanced, nothing that really stands out, just a nice everyday porter.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours ebony with a small tan head. Smell is of a bit of chocolate and dark malts. Taste is heavy on the chocolate, with cocoa, not too roasty, and some restrained sweetness from the malt. Just an edge of hop bitterness on the end. Medium body.
Overall, I found this to be a solid porter. Lighter on the hops and roast than some of the others I've tried, and as they say on the label, it is somewhere between a Brown and a Stout . Well balanced, nothing that really stands out, just a nice everyday porter.
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3.52/5 rDev -8.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Served on tap into a stemmed snifter at Legends Restaurant in New Suffolk, NY.
A: Pours a nearly black color with mahogany brown highlights, a one half inch, wheat to tan colored head, limited retention and somewhat soapy lacing.
S: Served cold, it presented only a buttery nose initially, developing light honey and mocha notes, as it warms.
T: Dry. Butteriness as detected early on, giving was to roasty coffee and cola flavors with a lemony note. Strong bitterness really predominates.
M: Full bodied and strong carbonation. Oddly watery feel.
O: Reminds me more of a dry stout, but certainly drinkable, if not quite exceptional.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Served on tap into a stemmed snifter at Legends Restaurant in New Suffolk, NY.
A: Pours a nearly black color with mahogany brown highlights, a one half inch, wheat to tan colored head, limited retention and somewhat soapy lacing.
S: Served cold, it presented only a buttery nose initially, developing light honey and mocha notes, as it warms.
T: Dry. Butteriness as detected early on, giving was to roasty coffee and cola flavors with a lemony note. Strong bitterness really predominates.
M: Full bodied and strong carbonation. Oddly watery feel.
O: Reminds me more of a dry stout, but certainly drinkable, if not quite exceptional.
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3.83/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.92/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This is my third bottle from a six pack, my first ever sixer of Porter from Bell's... these guys are new to my area, which seems crazy considering how long they've been around (mostly in the Midwestern US area, though), but I'm here to give my New England-centric review of their long-beloved porter beer. We have some truly awesome porters here... Mayflower Porter and Everett by Hill Farmstead are some of the best examples of the style I've ever had. How does this old-school version hold up against the best-of-the-best?
The pour is a dark brunette color with nearly no clarity to it. The only way I can tell it apart from their Kalamazoo Stout is that the head is a lighter color; it's a pale khaki with some intense lacing that shows itself after a few minutes in my glass. Kzoo Stout has a much darker and more intensely detailed color to its pour. In essence, this makes a lot of sense; I've always thought of porters as the less-intense versions of their stout counterparts. Good stuff.
The nose is roasty and coffee-forward, with some chocolate, caramel and toffee coming forward as it gets to room temperature. Light herbal notes and earthiness seem to conjure themselves as a solid balance to the darker maltiness present. This is, for all intense and purposes, a stalwart porter, thus far, anyway. It has the look and scent of a true American porter beer, with slightly more hop aspects than its English cousin.
The flavor is very hoppy indeed, with herbal and leafy hops balancing a chocolate and roast-forward mid-palate. Coffee-like notes seem to hit my palate, but there's a lot of hoppiness to the main goings-on here. This is pretty balanced, to the point that even a slightly more grassy/pine-y or herbal hop character could make it seem "black IPA"-ish in terms of stylistic definitions. As such, it really rides the line and uses its deep chocolate maltiness to grip the mid-palate. The finish doubles down on the roast, providing some nearly-acrid maltiness that almost feels acidic. It's a bit too much, in my opinion, and I wish it were a bit smoother, but it's still well within the style wheelhouse.
The feel here is pretty light bodied for a mid 5% dark beer, with a solid carbonation and a dry-ish finish. No real ethanol note to speak of, of course, and the flavors coalesce nicely. This is a really well-made porter. I don't think it's quite as good as some of my regional favorites, but it's worth checking out for sure. If I had known this was on the roastier/drier end of porters, I probably would've bought more Best Brown, though, to be honest.
2,584 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This is my third bottle from a six pack, my first ever sixer of Porter from Bell's... these guys are new to my area, which seems crazy considering how long they've been around (mostly in the Midwestern US area, though), but I'm here to give my New England-centric review of their long-beloved porter beer. We have some truly awesome porters here... Mayflower Porter and Everett by Hill Farmstead are some of the best examples of the style I've ever had. How does this old-school version hold up against the best-of-the-best?
The pour is a dark brunette color with nearly no clarity to it. The only way I can tell it apart from their Kalamazoo Stout is that the head is a lighter color; it's a pale khaki with some intense lacing that shows itself after a few minutes in my glass. Kzoo Stout has a much darker and more intensely detailed color to its pour. In essence, this makes a lot of sense; I've always thought of porters as the less-intense versions of their stout counterparts. Good stuff.
The nose is roasty and coffee-forward, with some chocolate, caramel and toffee coming forward as it gets to room temperature. Light herbal notes and earthiness seem to conjure themselves as a solid balance to the darker maltiness present. This is, for all intense and purposes, a stalwart porter, thus far, anyway. It has the look and scent of a true American porter beer, with slightly more hop aspects than its English cousin.
The flavor is very hoppy indeed, with herbal and leafy hops balancing a chocolate and roast-forward mid-palate. Coffee-like notes seem to hit my palate, but there's a lot of hoppiness to the main goings-on here. This is pretty balanced, to the point that even a slightly more grassy/pine-y or herbal hop character could make it seem "black IPA"-ish in terms of stylistic definitions. As such, it really rides the line and uses its deep chocolate maltiness to grip the mid-palate. The finish doubles down on the roast, providing some nearly-acrid maltiness that almost feels acidic. It's a bit too much, in my opinion, and I wish it were a bit smoother, but it's still well within the style wheelhouse.
The feel here is pretty light bodied for a mid 5% dark beer, with a solid carbonation and a dry-ish finish. No real ethanol note to speak of, of course, and the flavors coalesce nicely. This is a really well-made porter. I don't think it's quite as good as some of my regional favorites, but it's worth checking out for sure. If I had known this was on the roastier/drier end of porters, I probably would've bought more Best Brown, though, to be honest.
2,584 characters
4.29/5 rDev +11.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Bell's got so much right with this beer, and I typically don't even go for porters. Nearly jet black, with a tan bubbly head, the beer is nothing if not striking. With a smell of strong black coffee, every sense becomes geared for pleasure. As I said, porters are never a go-to for me, so the fact that the old coffee, caramel toffee, burnt-toasty notes here actually meld into something delicious was a truly pleasant surprise for me. It even has a solid body, something I've come to dislike about other porters I've encountered. Well done, Bell's. This brewery has become an all-around favorite.
597 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Bell's got so much right with this beer, and I typically don't even go for porters. Nearly jet black, with a tan bubbly head, the beer is nothing if not striking. With a smell of strong black coffee, every sense becomes geared for pleasure. As I said, porters are never a go-to for me, so the fact that the old coffee, caramel toffee, burnt-toasty notes here actually meld into something delicious was a truly pleasant surprise for me. It even has a solid body, something I've come to dislike about other porters I've encountered. Well done, Bell's. This brewery has become an all-around favorite.
597 characters
4.25/5 rDev +10.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Look - very dark/black... with a nice khaki tan foam
Smell - coffee, chocolate, charred wood, some spice and hops
Taste - hop bite first, then rich malt - starts a bit sweet. Powerful charred grains comes in as the hop flavor builds. Starts to dry out. Some caramel, coffee, toffee, tobacco, slight chocolate. Pretty flavorful
Feel - slightly thinner than I expected. I was hoping for a bit more mouthfeel - this was the lower end of a medium body
Overall - this was a very good beer - good flavor but could have been a little heavier and a touch more chocolate/toffee - and a bit more flavor/power. Not afraid to buy this one again though. Another great one from Bell's
687 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Look - very dark/black... with a nice khaki tan foam
Smell - coffee, chocolate, charred wood, some spice and hops
Taste - hop bite first, then rich malt - starts a bit sweet. Powerful charred grains comes in as the hop flavor builds. Starts to dry out. Some caramel, coffee, toffee, tobacco, slight chocolate. Pretty flavorful
Feel - slightly thinner than I expected. I was hoping for a bit more mouthfeel - this was the lower end of a medium body
Overall - this was a very good beer - good flavor but could have been a little heavier and a touch more chocolate/toffee - and a bit more flavor/power. Not afraid to buy this one again though. Another great one from Bell's
687 characters
3.76/5 rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Pours out deep brown in color. The head is tan with moderate retention. No lacing.
The nose is sweet and of lightly toasted malts. Getting some vanilla and raisins. Fairly aromatic.
More vanilla in the taste. Some bittersweet chocolate and toasted wheat bread.
Medium bodied mouthfeel. Its very smooth. The carbonation is light fresh.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Pours out deep brown in color. The head is tan with moderate retention. No lacing.
The nose is sweet and of lightly toasted malts. Getting some vanilla and raisins. Fairly aromatic.
More vanilla in the taste. Some bittersweet chocolate and toasted wheat bread.
Medium bodied mouthfeel. Its very smooth. The carbonation is light fresh.
338 characters
3.84/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
L - Deep brown with 2 finger coffee/mocha head which retained very well. No lacing.
S - Coffee grounds and roast mix. Pretty good.
T - Pretty good roast malt flavor.
F - Slippery smooth. Medium body with fairly dry finish.
O - A good beer for sure.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
L - Deep brown with 2 finger coffee/mocha head which retained very well. No lacing.
S - Coffee grounds and roast mix. Pretty good.
T - Pretty good roast malt flavor.
F - Slippery smooth. Medium body with fairly dry finish.
O - A good beer for sure.
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4.25/5 rDev +10.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.67/5 rDev -4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Poured from 12oz bottle into glass. Label has bottling date as '02/13/2018', with a suggest shelf life of six months.
Ruby brown colored body, with mahogany and ruby highlights throughout. Thin khaki tan head. Leaves behind scattered spots of lacing.
Roasted malts in the aroma, with light coffee and chocolate.
Slightly sweet taste of roasted malts, with mild flavors of chocolate and coffee. Mild hop bitterness at the end.
Thinner mouth feel. Good carbonation.
More of a session porter with rather mild aromas and flavors. Good, solid down the middle darker beer
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look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Poured from 12oz bottle into glass. Label has bottling date as '02/13/2018', with a suggest shelf life of six months.
Ruby brown colored body, with mahogany and ruby highlights throughout. Thin khaki tan head. Leaves behind scattered spots of lacing.
Roasted malts in the aroma, with light coffee and chocolate.
Slightly sweet taste of roasted malts, with mild flavors of chocolate and coffee. Mild hop bitterness at the end.
Thinner mouth feel. Good carbonation.
More of a session porter with rather mild aromas and flavors. Good, solid down the middle darker beer
565 characters
3.95/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.96/5 rDev +2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Poured from a bottle into a tulip glass.
Dark brown color with a decent head and lacing. Nice toasted malt smell. Pleasant dark toast taste, a bit of coffee and chocolate. Bit of a light feel. Overall pretty good.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Poured from a bottle into a tulip glass.
Dark brown color with a decent head and lacing. Nice toasted malt smell. Pleasant dark toast taste, a bit of coffee and chocolate. Bit of a light feel. Overall pretty good.
215 characters
3.45/5 rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
4.03/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
12oz bottle into Nonic Pint
Bottled on 5/9/2018 with a best by 6 months
Pours a thick dark black with some brown highlights, with a huge tan head that just sits on the glass
Huge coffee and cream aroma
Light cream, chocolate, sweet cream, with a black coffe finish
Medium bodied with low carbonation and a creamy feel
Overall this is great! Easy drinking and on the lighter side with a ton of flavor especially that dark roast coffee finish
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
12oz bottle into Nonic Pint
Bottled on 5/9/2018 with a best by 6 months
Pours a thick dark black with some brown highlights, with a huge tan head that just sits on the glass
Huge coffee and cream aroma
Light cream, chocolate, sweet cream, with a black coffe finish
Medium bodied with low carbonation and a creamy feel
Overall this is great! Easy drinking and on the lighter side with a ton of flavor especially that dark roast coffee finish
442 characters
3.88/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Porter from Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
Beer rating:
3.86 out of
5 with
3,034 ratings
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