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Bellaire Brown Ale
Short's Brewing Company


Beer Geek Stats
| Print Shelf Talker
- From:
- Short's Brewing Company
- Michigan, United States
- Style:
- American Brown Ale
Ranked #194 - ABV:
- 7%
- Score:
- 85
Ranked #21,420 - Avg:
- 3.79 | pDev: 11.61%
- Reviews:
- 294
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Mar 01, 2023
- Added:
- Mar 01, 2005
- Wants:
- 36
- Gots:
- 140
SCORE
85
Very Good
85
Very Good


Notes:
Bellaire Brown is our flagship Brown Ale. Full-flavored with notes of sweet caramel, chocolate, and toasted malt, Bellaire Brown is balanced with a mild and earthy hop quality. This ale is dark and rich with a medium body. It’s hardly classifiable as a brown, but is certainly considered a delicious masterpiece.
Bellaire Brown was originally created to appeal to people who enjoyed drinking coffee, and to beer drinkers who are not interested in hoppy options. When Joe Short was creating the Bellaire Brown recipe, he desired a beer that was meatier and burlier than most browns. Bellaire Brown is a great gate-way beer for drinkers to be introduced to darker beer varieties.
19 IBU
Bellaire Brown was originally created to appeal to people who enjoyed drinking coffee, and to beer drinkers who are not interested in hoppy options. When Joe Short was creating the Bellaire Brown recipe, he desired a beer that was meatier and burlier than most browns. Bellaire Brown is a great gate-way beer for drinkers to be introduced to darker beer varieties.
19 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Rated by Raislak from Michigan
4.37/5 rDev +15.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.37/5 rDev +15.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Had on tap at Gravity Taproom
Jan 16, 2023Reviewed by Brook82 from Ohio
3.71/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.71/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Medium brownish tint with off white head. Light lacing. Pleasant aroma with malt and coffee. Taste was well rounded and easy drinking. Good to drink with a meal. Would purchase again.
Jun 14, 2022Reviewed by chitoryu12 from Florida
3.42/5 rDev -9.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.42/5 rDev -9.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Look: Hazy nut brown. One finger of fizzy off-white head with good retention.
Smell: Mild caramel with toasted dark malt.
Taste: Mostly a hop bitterness that lingers at the back of the throat. Light malt sweetness underneath.
Mouthfeel: Average in every way.
Overall: Nothing spectacular.
Feb 02, 2022Smell: Mild caramel with toasted dark malt.
Taste: Mostly a hop bitterness that lingers at the back of the throat. Light malt sweetness underneath.
Mouthfeel: Average in every way.
Overall: Nothing spectacular.
Reviewed by BigIronH from Michigan
4/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a ruby tinged brown with a finger of off white foam reducing to a full ring and spotty lacing.
aroma: roasted malts, mild bitterness, dark chocolate, raisin and brown sugar.
Taste really follows suit in a big way. Initially I get bitter dark chocolate with a sweet mid section reminiscent of burnt brown sugar. The finish in a toasted malt profile with undertones of chocolate.
Feel is full and velvety but with a decent carbonation crisp. I loved it. 4/5
Nov 13, 2021aroma: roasted malts, mild bitterness, dark chocolate, raisin and brown sugar.
Taste really follows suit in a big way. Initially I get bitter dark chocolate with a sweet mid section reminiscent of burnt brown sugar. The finish in a toasted malt profile with undertones of chocolate.
Feel is full and velvety but with a decent carbonation crisp. I loved it. 4/5
Reviewed by Manta200 from Kentucky
3.81/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.81/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Single can shipped from @BigIronH
Dark brown color with a finger thick off-white head, good retention.
Aroma of caramel malts and brown sugar.
Taste follows the nose with bready notes and subtle sweetness.
I like this one, especially the aroma.
Sep 30, 2021Dark brown color with a finger thick off-white head, good retention.
Aroma of caramel malts and brown sugar.
Taste follows the nose with bready notes and subtle sweetness.
I like this one, especially the aroma.
Reviewed by magikbagel from Wisconsin
3.41/5 rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.41/5 rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Dark brown color, thick fluffy head. Subtle scents of malts and even citrus. It has a very earthy flavor and somewhat dry mouthfeel. It’s not a very sweet brown ale like other’s i’ve tried, its definitely on the bitter side which I can enjoy. I get more of that toasty malt flavor on the finish.
Sep 12, 2021Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway
2.92/5 rDev -23%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
2.92/5 rDev -23%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
355 ml bottle, shared with OleR at Olympen, Oslo. Mahogany colour, moderate beige head. Strong aroma of dark münchener and caramel malts. Sourish notes of rye bread and over-ripe fruits / berries. Sourish flavour of bread dough and rye bread with caramel. Low bitterness. Not really my cup of tea.
Apr 30, 2021Reviewed by jeffdr123 from Florida
3.81/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.81/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
From a bottle, from David, from Michigan. Lots of different brown tastes including chocolate and caramel but also some roasted nuts which nudge it toward the porter side of the menu.
Nov 11, 2020Reviewed by Franziskaner from Missouri
3.92/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.92/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Deep brown colored with a half inch of creamy brown on top. Moderate lacing. The aroma is of cocoa and caramel. I’m tasting caramel and a light nutty taste. The mouth is light and refreshing.
Aug 21, 2020Reviewed by Creevo from Michigan
4.48/5 rDev +18.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.48/5 rDev +18.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Had on draft at Shanty Creek ski bar on 5-24-20. Great brown ale, very tempered versus other brown with low alcohol aftertaste which is good for the 7%. Good sippin. Would have again.
May 24, 2020Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina
3.71/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.71/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12 oz can with an August 2019 canning date stamp on the bottom.
Pours with a clear, dark orange-brown body with a good beige head.
A mix of hops and malts in the nose with more obvious hops. The flavor follows, leaning slightly towards bold for style. The hops are mainly earthy and a bit herbal. Improved with warming.
Jan 31, 2020Pours with a clear, dark orange-brown body with a good beige head.
A mix of hops and malts in the nose with more obvious hops. The flavor follows, leaning slightly towards bold for style. The hops are mainly earthy and a bit herbal. Improved with warming.
Reviewed by EvershineDan from Michigan
4.34/5 rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25
4.34/5 rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25
Nutty sweet, sorta lite to medium-oatmeal stoutish. So close to being a porter.
Excellent brown ale. In my top 25 all-time favorite brews. On a side note, it's one the best smelling beers there is.
Dec 01, 2019Excellent brown ale. In my top 25 all-time favorite brews. On a side note, it's one the best smelling beers there is.
Reviewed by Nass from Florida
3.88/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.88/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
The pour is dark brown. The taste is roasted malts, caramel, toffee & brown sugar. There is no date on the can but this is still a smooth drinking beer. Cheers! B
Nov 17, 2019Reviewed by dd53grif from Michigan
3.75/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours a reddish brown color with two a foamy off white head that lasts quite a while. Aroma of brown sugar, nuts, a hint of cinnamon, and some chocolate. Tastes of brown sugar, and chocolate. Nice full and balanced flavor, a quality Brown Ale.
Sep 16, 2019Reviewed by spcrain from Kentucky
3.72/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.72/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Beautiful brown color, fine cell foam, musty as opposed to “beer” smell. sweet caramel notes, fizzy on the tongue. A chocolate after taste. Pleasant - worth getting a case.
Aug 16, 2019Rated by d_hondo from Michigan
3.85/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.85/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Great standby; definitely on the sweet side.
May 31, 2019
Bellaire Brown Ale from Short's Brewing Company
Beer rating:
85 out of
100 with
827 ratings
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