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Leaves Of Grass Series III: O Captain! My Captain!
Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
- From:
- Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
- Michigan, United States
- Style:
- India Pale Lager (IPL)
- ABV:
- 5.5%
- Score:
- 87
- Avg:
- 3.85 | pDev: 9.35%
- Reviews:
- 49
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Apr 29, 2020
- Added:
- Sep 10, 2019
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 4
The third of 7 beers celebrating a literary classic, and one of our favorites, Leaves of Grass, by Walt Whitman. Brewed with Michigan-grown hops, this Black IPL may look like a Stout, but doesn’t drink like one. Floral, fruity and citrus notes are matched with the clean, crisp finish of a Lager.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Peach63:
Reviewed by Peach63 from New York
3.48/5 rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
3.48/5 rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Pours dark copper with a 1/4 tan head. Moderate lacing.
Aroma of coffee, roasted malts. Earthy, slightly woody. Smokey.
Tastes of roasted and black malts, strong black coffee. Moderate bitterness.
Thin to medium bodied. Lively carbonation. Dry finish.
Decent, but not the best black IPL I've had.
Nov 25, 2019Aroma of coffee, roasted malts. Earthy, slightly woody. Smokey.
Tastes of roasted and black malts, strong black coffee. Moderate bitterness.
Thin to medium bodied. Lively carbonation. Dry finish.
Decent, but not the best black IPL I've had.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Gajo74 from New York
4.15/5 rDev +7.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.15/5 rDev +7.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
From the bottle it pours a clear brown color. A thumb length foam tan head displays good retention with lots of swirly lacing.
The nose opens with appealing notes of sweet caramel and toasted brown bread. The aroma continues with notes of dark fruit, biscuity amber malts, a touch of chocolate, and fruity and floral hops.
The taste opens relatively simple and subdued with clean toasted amber malt flavors and a touch of slightly roasty black malt. A developing sweetness brings out the caramel flavors and is well balanced by earthy, fruity and floral hops flavors that provide a modest bitterness.
Medium bodied with a moderate carbonation. The mouthfeel is semi crisp, yet smooth overall. The finish is clean and dry with a slight lingering earthy bitterness.
A lovely beer with sublime flavors that really open up throughout. I really like this style and I think they did a great job with it.
Apr 13, 2020The nose opens with appealing notes of sweet caramel and toasted brown bread. The aroma continues with notes of dark fruit, biscuity amber malts, a touch of chocolate, and fruity and floral hops.
The taste opens relatively simple and subdued with clean toasted amber malt flavors and a touch of slightly roasty black malt. A developing sweetness brings out the caramel flavors and is well balanced by earthy, fruity and floral hops flavors that provide a modest bitterness.
Medium bodied with a moderate carbonation. The mouthfeel is semi crisp, yet smooth overall. The finish is clean and dry with a slight lingering earthy bitterness.
A lovely beer with sublime flavors that really open up throughout. I really like this style and I think they did a great job with it.
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina
4.02/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.02/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 oz bottle with a September 2019 production date served in a lager glass.
This is a black IPL and is true to this style n hence, it is much more like a light black IPA than a schwarzbier. It Pours with a clear reddish-brown body that is topped by a durable, well sized, beige head. The aroma is surprisingly nutty, reflecting roasted nut notes from the dark malts more than hops. The flavor reverses the balance, with spicy hops more obvious than the grains.
Overall: this excellent lager convinced me that Black IPL is a worthy style, unlike some other new style mix-ups.
Mar 13, 2020This is a black IPL and is true to this style n hence, it is much more like a light black IPA than a schwarzbier. It Pours with a clear reddish-brown body that is topped by a durable, well sized, beige head. The aroma is surprisingly nutty, reflecting roasted nut notes from the dark malts more than hops. The flavor reverses the balance, with spicy hops more obvious than the grains.
Overall: this excellent lager convinced me that Black IPL is a worthy style, unlike some other new style mix-ups.
Reviewed by secondtooth from Indiana
3.78/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.78/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Appearance: Opaque black with ruby highlights. A nice head of khaki foam. Extravagant clouds of lace.
Aroma: Caramel and fruity, malty with a touch of citrus hops. Nice.
Taste: Hoppy, with roasty malts in the finish. A well-balanced and very drinkable ale here. Solid!
Feb 19, 2020Aroma: Caramel and fruity, malty with a touch of citrus hops. Nice.
Taste: Hoppy, with roasty malts in the finish. A well-balanced and very drinkable ale here. Solid!
Reviewed by Mindcrime1000 from South Dakota
3.75/5 rDev -2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev -2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a bottle into a tulip.
The brew delivers solid Black IPL aromas and flavors, with some interesting citrus notes in both respects. Essentially a hoppy Schwarztbier. But overall, it is a bit restrained and lacking in the depth of the best. Still worthy of a try for sure.
Jan 25, 2020The brew delivers solid Black IPL aromas and flavors, with some interesting citrus notes in both respects. Essentially a hoppy Schwarztbier. But overall, it is a bit restrained and lacking in the depth of the best. Still worthy of a try for sure.
Reviewed by RyanK252 from California
3.98/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
3.98/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Bottle poured into a Bell's Brewery snifter
A: Pours dark brown with a frothy tan head that settles to a firm layer and leaves some thick lacing.
S: Roasty, coffee, a little char, dark bittersweet chocolate, and a touch of smoke, spicy pine, citrus, earthy, slightly herbal, and some faint fruity notes.
T: Roasty, coffee, dark bittersweet chocolate, and a touch of char and smoke, cut with citrus, mostly lemon, some spicy pine, floral and slightly herbal earthy notes, rounded out with underlying fruitiness like apricot and passion fruit. Fairly dry finish.
M: Medium body, moderate carbonation, slightly creamy.
O: Really easy drinking, well balanced, and very flavorful black IPL.
Jan 17, 2020A: Pours dark brown with a frothy tan head that settles to a firm layer and leaves some thick lacing.
S: Roasty, coffee, a little char, dark bittersweet chocolate, and a touch of smoke, spicy pine, citrus, earthy, slightly herbal, and some faint fruity notes.
T: Roasty, coffee, dark bittersweet chocolate, and a touch of char and smoke, cut with citrus, mostly lemon, some spicy pine, floral and slightly herbal earthy notes, rounded out with underlying fruitiness like apricot and passion fruit. Fairly dry finish.
M: Medium body, moderate carbonation, slightly creamy.
O: Really easy drinking, well balanced, and very flavorful black IPL.
Reviewed by Franziskaner from Missouri
3.94/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.94/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Black in color with moderate light penetration. There’s a fingernail to a quarter inch of inch beige on top. I smell dark malt with a touch of pine and smoke. I’m tasting dark bread along with faint pine and smoke. As it warms I’m getting some chestnut flavor. The mouth is fairly smooth and refreshing.
Jan 12, 2020
Leaves Of Grass Series III: O Captain! My Captain! from Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
Beer rating:
87 out of
100 with
117 ratings
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