Bellaire Brown Ale
Short's Brewing Company

Bellaire Brown AleBellaire Brown Ale
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Short's Brewing Company
 
Michigan, United States
Style:
American Brown Ale
Ranked #169
ABV:
7%
Score:
85
Ranked #20,444
Avg:
3.79 | pDev: 11.61%
Reviews:
297
Ratings:
832
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 10, 2024
Added:
Mar 01, 2005
Wants:
  36
Gots:
  141
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
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by TCJosh:
Photo of TCJosh
Rated by TCJosh from Michigan

4/5  rDev +5.5%

Jan 31, 2012
More User Ratings:
Photo of Train816
Rated by Train816 from Michigan

4.01/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
My wife loves it. Great cold. Easy to drink.
Jan 10, 2024
Photo of Valdez_Mescalito
Reviewed by Valdez_Mescalito from Michigan

4.12/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Always Available Release - 6 pack
12 oz. can dated 082523 (8/25/23) - 7.0% ABV / 19 IBU
Brewed and canned in Elk Rapids, MI
Poured into a Bell's branded nonic pint glass

Look - Pours a soapy and fizzy off-white head that dies down quick, but leaves lacing. Slightly clear, reddish-brown appearance.
Smell - The scent is toasted malt, caramel, and a faint amount of chocolate.
Taste - Toasted malt is really the only flavor in the taste. The caramel and chocolate seem to disappear. Zero bitterness in the aftertaste.
Feel - Thin-medium bodied with a semi-crisp mouthfeel and finishes with minimal dryness.
Overall - Somewhat muted on flavor, but the flavor that's there is good, and it's easy drinking.
Oct 30, 2023
Photo of Blogjackets
Reviewed by Blogjackets from Ohio

3.94/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from tap the beer has a dark brown body it's fluffy white head. Light lacing.

Smooth malty standard brown ale. Not too sweet, which is good in my book. No sign of hops.

Creamy mouthfeel and solid carbonation.
Sep 05, 2023
 
Rated: 4.75 by Beergod420 from Michigan

Aug 14, 2023
Photo of mvanaskie13
Reviewed by mvanaskie13 from Pennsylvania

3.99/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured into shaped, wide mouth glass: color is light brown, amber edges, light tan head presents less than one finger thick, ring of head lingers.

Smell is subdued but notes of chocolate malt, toast, roast, hint of coffee.

Taste is more pronounced - more chocolate, toast, and roast, slightly sweet, abv is hidden well (drinks lighter than 7%); moderate hop with hint of grass.

Mouthfeel is low/moderate carbonation, moderate sweetness, low bitterness.

Overall a pleasant and very drinkable brown ale, sweeter/chocolatier flavors with lighter roast, abv is hidden amongst the taste attributes.
Jun 11, 2023
 
Rated: 3.77 by QuintusHorace from California

Mar 01, 2023
Photo of Raislak
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
Had on tap at Gravity Taproom
Jan 16, 2023
 
Rated: 3.95 by RalphStanley34 from French Polynesia

Oct 28, 2022
 
Rated: 3.93 by Sparty1965 from Michigan

Oct 23, 2022
 
Rated: 4.02 by 4DAloveofSTOUT from Illinois

Jul 16, 2022
Photo of Brook82
Reviewed by Brook82 from Ohio

3.81/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | 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, 2022
 
Rated: 3.52 by TP2MSU from Michigan

Jun 12, 2022
Photo of chitoryu12
Reviewed 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
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, 2022
 
Rated: 3.38 by Eddyfunt from Michigan

Dec 27, 2021
 
Rated: 3.92 by Meddwol from Michigan

Nov 17, 2021
Photo of BigIronH
Reviewed by BigIronH from Michigan

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, 2021
Photo of Manta200
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
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, 2021
Photo of magikbagel
Reviewed by magikbagel from Wisconsin

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, 2021
 
Rated: 3.77 by MillyLite from Michigan

Sep 04, 2021
Bellaire Brown Ale from Short's Brewing Company
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 832 ratings