Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store (2024)

The General Store usually has 7 or 8 beers on tap. They were all full of barrel aged beers today. I got there at open today and got two small crowlers of Cafe Vanilla Black Note and one small crowler of BBA Imperial Stout. Some of the others on tap were BBA Coffee Expedition, BBA Expedition, Port BA Expedition, 2023 Black Note and I can't remember the last one.

I only had three tasters in the Cafe due to my drive home. I asked the girl at the bar if she could fill a few crowlers. They usually do but she explained that they would not fill crowlers today. I had the Brandy BA Imperial Red, BA Imperial Rye and BBA Coffee Ex. I really liked the BA Imperial Red.

Another girl (Valerie) from Bells stopped by my table and asked me how my visit was. I told her I made the 1.5 hour drive to visit and pick up some supplies. I shared that I have made special trips to Bells before when they had the Imperial Red on tap. I also mentioned that I should have tried the Malort aged sour that they had on tap but I had a long drive home. She told me to sit tight and she would be right back. And she was - with a crowler of the BA Imperial Red and a crowler of the Malort aged sour. Wow! What an incredibly nice thing for her to do for me!

 

The Eccentric staff are all incredible!

Let us know what you think of the Malort-aged sour. That’s not necessarily a combination I’d reach for, but I bet it’s interesting.

 

It may be a while before I open that one. That's a shareable can if I ever saw one.

 

BBA Expedition Cinnamon and BBA Expedition Orange Vanilla available at the General Store as of now.

 

Does Bells have any more of the orange BA expo? Anyone happen to know? Thanks

 

Will the store not answer that question when you call? (Legitimate question, as some places will not comment on stock, other than "Yes it is here" or "All gone".)

 

I honestly forgot about calling them. Last time I did that was 2014 when black note came out haha. Thanks

 

I picked some up middle of last week. Also still had cinnamon there as well.

 

This question may have been asked before (maybe even by me), but does anyone have insight on the malt bill for Lager For The Lakes?

The website only lists water, malt, hops. Pretty vague.

I am curious only because I have a bad reaction to rice in beer and don't want any surprises if I try this brew.

 

I’d think if you called they would definitely grab a brewer for that. Have you tried by chance? If they aren’t willing to help, kind of changes my opinion, to be honest.

 

Anyone else catch the new Bell's/Binny's collab

https://www.binnys.com/154185?utm_c...er-buzz-5-3-2024-CHICAGOLAND&utm_medium=email

 

I saw that on the board at the Eccentric Cafe. (Via the webcam, as I check it from time to time.) Had no idea it was a collaboration brew.

 

Like many people in the Midwest Oberon was my gateway beer into craft many, many years ago but my palate has changed & I mostly don't love wheat beers anymore. Oberon being so iconic & important in my life I still get a mini keg of it every year & that is my yearly Oberon consumption.
I stopped into the General Store yesterday to grab a mixed 6 pack and asked when the mini kegs would be out & was told that there will be no mini kegs this year because there were some QC issues with them last year.
It's a bummer for me since I have every Oberon mini keg other than the very first one

TLR - no Oberon mini kegs this year

 

@core42 -- I got my "obligatory" six-pack of Oberon this year (I often opt for more, but at least one) and enjoyed it okay.

I just don't know if I can tell how different it is from that first delicious glass at the Map Room in Chicago back in early June of 2002. What an epiphany when an American Wheat Ale surprised me so much.

 

I grew up in Portage and have been drinking Oberon from the Solsun days. I haven’t bought as much the last few years, but I thought that fresh six pack (bottles) was really good. Found myself thinking that I needed to get it more often. I remember why I liked it so much in the past. I’m chalking at least some of this to the fact I’ve cut way back on overly hopped beers and have been mostly focusing on pale ales/lagers.

 

I was familiar with Bell's back in '92 when Solsun was first brewed, but for some reason I missed out on the beer for 10 years (maybe the American Pale Wheat Ale stigma kept me away).

I was on a pub crawl for a friend's pseudo bachelor party and he was the one who actually said, "You need to try the Oberon." Great to have a benchmark on such classic beers, wish I did with so many others I still enjoy.

 

Not true. I have it on good authority that they'll be out around Memorial Day. Cheers!