Leaves Of Grass Series VII: Spontaneous Me
Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store

 

Appearance is on the darker side with a finger of fizzy white head receding to a thin cap & ring. Aroma is all kinds of earthy funk mixed with Clorox kitchen cleaner. Taste is muddled citrus funk and seems slightly off. Maybe I'm just not in the mood for this today? Tastes off to me.

My first from the Leaves of Grass series. How'd I miss this? Am I just that disconnected from the contemporary beer scene? Does Bell's not get any hype any more? Or do midwest beers not enter my purview as easily now that I live out east?

Anyhow, I like the minimalist lable. The pour is exquisite. A dark, yet somehow also bright, hazy orange with wonderful effervescence and a retentive, soapy head.

Aroma is a straightforward and a bit muted. I'm not the sort who expects wild ales to burn my nostrils, but this is still much tamer than I was expecting. Straightforward grain and some light wisps of sharp, fruity yeast.

Tastes anything but muted. Goodness! Melon and light citrus start things off, moving into a middle that is equal parts grassy and floral with nodes of tart cherries, finishing with a remarkable, rounded smoothness reminiscent of the best fruit beers from Belgium and New Glarus.

Never intense, but engaging and variegated throughout. A wonderfully crafted beer.

Poured into a nonic glass. Golden straw body topped by a quickly disappearing fluffy head. Smell was bready and grassy with some citrus notes. Taste accentuated the lemony tartness. Mouthfeel was very suited to the style but I agree with the reviewers comparing this to a Gose. Complimented bratwurst and sauerkraut very nicely.

Sorry to have this series come to an end. Done in the manner I've come to expect from Bell's.

 

 

Dude!
How can the makers of of such beers as Coconut Flamingo Fruit Fight Ale and Two Hearted come up with this lemon turd?
Seriously, I won't even go into the fact that before I tried this sour sewer trash, I was drinking Griffin Claw Flying Buffalo Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout and that possibly affected the flavor.
One sip of this sour monstrosity and I was like "oh hell naw!" shaken my head and talking all kinds of shit!
Gross!
If you want to try it... Let me know. because I won't even feed my garbage can these sons of beeyotches!

 

 

 

Poured out of a 12 oz. glass into my tulip glass, this beer pours a cloudy/hazy light to medium golden color with a white head that's over an inch when first poured. Head settles eventually to a nice thick ring lining the inside of the glass and excellent lacing. Aromas of bready malts, slightly zesty wheat, dank yeasty funk, and tart fruit. Has a big bready malt flavor upfront with the aforementioned zesty wheat notes, barnyard funk rounded out with some tart fruit notes that have a nice sourness. A well balanced flavor profile. No discernible hop notes here. Has a crisp, yet also smooth, slightly chewy, medium bodied mouthfeel with moderate to heavy carbonation. Easy to drink in a very refreshing way.

Eric

 

 

 

Pale gold appearance with a small white head and sparse lacing. Yeasty, funky (but not to the barnyard extreme) aroma along with some orchard fruit. Taste starts out a bit spicy and a bit yeasty before going off on its tart tangent. Decently carbonated, medium bodied mouthfeel with a lingering aftertaste.

 

Pours a golden color with a minimal head that disappears quickly. Aroma is tart fruit. Taste is crisp and dry, slightly salty and slightly sour. A good summer brew.

 

So Bells really needs to rebrand this beer. It’s really a great Gose if that is fair. It has some wild ale funk in the aroma. Tastes however are focused on grain and salt and a clean finish. Very sessionable. Not sour at all. This beer should be canned and sold as a summer 12 pack.