Lager of The Lakes | Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
Brewed by:
Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
Michigan, United States
bellsbeer.com
Style: Bohemian Pilsener
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.00%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
Following in the tradition of Czech Pilsners by offering a combination of firm malt and herbal hop bitterness, Bell’s Lager of the Lakes is as refreshing and crisp as a swim in the Great Lakes.
Added by proc on 10-16-2006
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 1,185 | Reviews: 439
3.37/5 rDev -7.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.57/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
3.94/5 rDev +8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
12oz can in the Gray Lot at UM-SMI game.
Pour: drank from the can...
Nose: drank from the can. Maybe a slight aroma
Taste: Crisp malts with slight earthiness, slightly bitter hops. Really clean and refreshing.
Mouthfeel: Medium carbonation, crisp feel in the mouth but still some body.
Overall: a solid pilsner that works in nearly any situation or food choice. Well done.
379 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
12oz can in the Gray Lot at UM-SMI game.
Pour: drank from the can...
Nose: drank from the can. Maybe a slight aroma
Taste: Crisp malts with slight earthiness, slightly bitter hops. Really clean and refreshing.
Mouthfeel: Medium carbonation, crisp feel in the mouth but still some body.
Overall: a solid pilsner that works in nearly any situation or food choice. Well done.
379 characters
3.49/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.94/5 rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap.
A - Pale gold colored pour with nice carbonation and creamy head retention.
S - Light citrus and earthy cereal grain.
T - Crisp cracker cereal grain from start to finish, light citrus, a hint of herbal earthiness, and a small amount of honey. Ends with a pleasant balanced bitterness.
M - Medium body with just the right amount of pricklies on the tongue.
O - Crisp, refreshing, and deserving of a higher score than the current 3.64 rating.
454 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap.
A - Pale gold colored pour with nice carbonation and creamy head retention.
S - Light citrus and earthy cereal grain.
T - Crisp cracker cereal grain from start to finish, light citrus, a hint of herbal earthiness, and a small amount of honey. Ends with a pleasant balanced bitterness.
M - Medium body with just the right amount of pricklies on the tongue.
O - Crisp, refreshing, and deserving of a higher score than the current 3.64 rating.
454 characters
4.08/5 rDev +12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
12 oz. can. Clear yellow body. Smells of doughy malts, floral hops, and a bit of honey. Tastes of doughy and bready malts. Stronger spicy hop flavor throughout. Perfectly clean finish. Light body. Not a beer that bursts with flavor, but that's not what I'm looking for here. It's a very well crafted beer.
305 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
12 oz. can. Clear yellow body. Smells of doughy malts, floral hops, and a bit of honey. Tastes of doughy and bready malts. Stronger spicy hop flavor throughout. Perfectly clean finish. Light body. Not a beer that bursts with flavor, but that's not what I'm looking for here. It's a very well crafted beer.
305 characters
4.52/5 rDev +24.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
3.98/5 rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I have been drawn back to traditional Pilsner beers. I became Tired of IPAs, Imperial Stouts, double IPAs, Belgian, etc. , you get the point. Not that I don't enjoy them, but the pleasure was losing it's luster. Turning to The Pilsner has helped . Lager of the Lakes is fantastic. Nice crisp flavor, easy to drink. Just what you want in a Pilsner. Bells delivers again
368 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I have been drawn back to traditional Pilsner beers. I became Tired of IPAs, Imperial Stouts, double IPAs, Belgian, etc. , you get the point. Not that I don't enjoy them, but the pleasure was losing it's luster. Turning to The Pilsner has helped . Lager of the Lakes is fantastic. Nice crisp flavor, easy to drink. Just what you want in a Pilsner. Bells delivers again
368 characters
3.25/5 rDev -10.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.36/5 rDev -7.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
3.68/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
1.64/5 rDev -54.9%
look: 2 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 2
I don't taste anything. Smells like chicken gravy?
50 characters
look: 2 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 2
I don't taste anything. Smells like chicken gravy?
50 characters
3.72/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
12 oz can.
Pours deep gold with decent clarity and a small white head. Aromas of spicy, herbal hops backed by biscuity malt. Very mild. More of that bitter, herbal spice in the flavor. Decent balance. Clean finish, medium-light bodied.
Hard to find any technical faults with this beer, as it's a pretty straightforward textbook Czech-style Pils. However, the sum of the parts is rather dull and unexciting. A solid lager but not something I'd be in a rush to revisit.
470 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
12 oz can.
Pours deep gold with decent clarity and a small white head. Aromas of spicy, herbal hops backed by biscuity malt. Very mild. More of that bitter, herbal spice in the flavor. Decent balance. Clean finish, medium-light bodied.
Hard to find any technical faults with this beer, as it's a pretty straightforward textbook Czech-style Pils. However, the sum of the parts is rather dull and unexciting. A solid lager but not something I'd be in a rush to revisit.
470 characters
3.75/5 rDev +3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.85/5 rDev +5.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.58/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Transparent golden in body with white frothy head. Aroma of grains, lemonskin, light honey, grass. Tastes of honey grain cereal, vague lemon, light floral notes. Light bodied with light carbonation.
198 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Transparent golden in body with white frothy head. Aroma of grains, lemonskin, light honey, grass. Tastes of honey grain cereal, vague lemon, light floral notes. Light bodied with light carbonation.
198 characters
3.67/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.5/5 rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
4.04/5 rDev +11%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
The pour is the a vivid maize, just the slightest bit of haze, and a substantial white head that follows the beer down the glass.
The nose is full of enticing aromas - cracker, lemongrass, bread, earthy grass. The definition of a Czech Pilsner, IMHO.
The lemongrass is prominent on the taste, but the bread and cracker notes are also present, and the earthy notes lend this a substantial character that is present in the best beers of this style.
Just a pleasure to drink, especially on a hot summer evening.
512 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
The pour is the a vivid maize, just the slightest bit of haze, and a substantial white head that follows the beer down the glass.
The nose is full of enticing aromas - cracker, lemongrass, bread, earthy grass. The definition of a Czech Pilsner, IMHO.
The lemongrass is prominent on the taste, but the bread and cracker notes are also present, and the earthy notes lend this a substantial character that is present in the best beers of this style.
Just a pleasure to drink, especially on a hot summer evening.
512 characters
4.15/5 rDev +14%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Look: Pours a light yellow that is slightly hazy, but with a hearty clean white head that leaves droopy lace and settles to a minimum of a ringed film.
Smell: Mild cracked grain and faint yeast beckon you to take a sip...
Taste: This is delicious! It is amazing, with a clean minerally quality and underlying biscuit malt that finishes with a flash of grassy and herbal hops on the back of the tongue.
Feel: The cleanliness is supported by the lightness of the body which is aided by the carbonation and backed by the brilliant hopping.
Overall: My favorite thing about this beer is the minerally, clean overall flavor. The balance is excellent, the malt is biscuit and cracker while the hops are grassy and herbal so it's drinkable and satisfying. It is even cutting through the flavor of the sharp white cheddar and grain crackers I happen to be enjoying alongside the beer.
882 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Look: Pours a light yellow that is slightly hazy, but with a hearty clean white head that leaves droopy lace and settles to a minimum of a ringed film.
Smell: Mild cracked grain and faint yeast beckon you to take a sip...
Taste: This is delicious! It is amazing, with a clean minerally quality and underlying biscuit malt that finishes with a flash of grassy and herbal hops on the back of the tongue.
Feel: The cleanliness is supported by the lightness of the body which is aided by the carbonation and backed by the brilliant hopping.
Overall: My favorite thing about this beer is the minerally, clean overall flavor. The balance is excellent, the malt is biscuit and cracker while the hops are grassy and herbal so it's drinkable and satisfying. It is even cutting through the flavor of the sharp white cheddar and grain crackers I happen to be enjoying alongside the beer.
882 characters
4.11/5 rDev +12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Pours a clear, bright golden yellow with a nice head (which dissipates quickly). Aroma is just slightly grassy / herbal hops with classic pilsener malt. Taste is pretty much the same. It is a no frills beer but very well done for the style. Body could be a tad lighter & have more of a crispness but otherwise really good.
322 characters
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Pours a clear, bright golden yellow with a nice head (which dissipates quickly). Aroma is just slightly grassy / herbal hops with classic pilsener malt. Taste is pretty much the same. It is a no frills beer but very well done for the style. Body could be a tad lighter & have more of a crispness but otherwise really good.
322 characters
3.35/5 rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Poured a hazy gold from a can. Huge head gives it a great look in a pint glass. Taste is unremarkable with a hint of citrus and malt. A little too much fizz hurts the feel for me. Not bad not great
198 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Poured a hazy gold from a can. Huge head gives it a great look in a pint glass. Taste is unremarkable with a hint of citrus and malt. A little too much fizz hurts the feel for me. Not bad not great
198 characters
3.68/5 rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Lager of The Lakes from Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
Beer rating:
3.64 out of
5 with
1,185 ratings
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