Bells Brewery

Agree that the Midwestern Pale is a huge letdown from an otherwise stellar brewery. Oberon is not bad, but I wouldn't try to make it something it's not. For me, it'd be a great beer if I'm going to be outside in the heat and throwing back several, but as a solo, I'd rather have something else from them.

Oracle, Hopslam, Black Note, Two Hearted, This One Goes to 11, most of their stouts, and several one-offs are all excellent beers though IMO, and that's what keeps me coming back to them as a brewery.

 

Ever have Bell's Lager of the Lakes? ByFAR their worst beer. Bleh.

Tastes and smells of rubberbands.

 

I haven't had Oberon in a couple years, but I've had it a bunch of times. Fresh air is how I always described the beer.

 

He also didn’t like the Pale Ale: “ …has anyone had their standard Pale ale? very disappointing....”

Cheers!

 

Two Hearted is one of my standard go-to's...Could care less if they have other beers that aren't that good...and obvi Hopslam is GOAT

 

Yes, and I wasn't a fan of it either. But I'd be the first to admit, I don't appreciate many lagers nearly as much as I should, so I never know if it's just a personal preference.

 

I don't have anything against lagers ... I've had some good ones. That one's very poor, and the Midwestern Pale Ale isn't great either. Can't win them all though.

If you don't like lagers, try IPL by Sam Adams. Fantastic.

 

I like almost all of bells beers. Midwest pale ale sucks and the brown ale is lame as well. The rest of their lineup is pretty solid. I love the shit out of their porter. I think oarsman is a good belinerweisse better then some of the German ones I've had. Kalamazoo stoute is awesome. They are one of my top 5 breweries

 

I'll definitely give it a shot, thanks for the rec.

 

I'm really starting to think there's more of a difference to water supplies in different parts of the country than most people acknowledge, and this is having some effect on the beer. I was visiting family in Missouri recently and their water had a really strong chlorine smell/taste that I just don't get here (because I believe our drinking water comes straight from the Cascades with minimal treatment). And I'm sure there are aspects of water in my area that other people would notice, that I'm just blind to. It comes down to what you're used to, and drinking beer from other regions is the closest many of us often come to drinking their tap water—even if breweries do some level of conditioning. Dogfish Head is another brewery like this; many of their beers have this musty wet basement aroma/taste that I find objectionable. Could also be a combination of the water and yeast, I don't know.

 

Can you get back to me on what these beers are like when it is 90 degrees and you just got inside after working in the yard or playing ball for an hour or so? I really wouldn't want a Hopslam in that situation to quench my thirst.

 

An even better example would be Black Note.

 

I know it was on tap in southern WI in October of last year. That doesn't really answer the question though.

 

Bell's make a high quality beer. Not all of them are to my taste and that doesn't make them sub-standard. There is nothing wrong with the quality of Oberon just because it doesn't appeal to your particular taste.

 

That, sir, is incorrect. I had Black Note last fall and it came out the same time all of the "fresh hop" fall seasonals were out like Founders Harvest, Northern Hemispehere, and Broo Doo.

 

Worthy of what? Your taste buds?

 

I can say with 100% certainty that I bought Black Note from my local liquor store the same day I bought Hopslam. Also, my buddy visited the brewery a week or two after that and bought a couple 4 packs there at that time.

 

How can you comment on what Bells' worst beer is when you've barely had more than 10 of their beers?

 

Bell's Amber Ale is rather stalwart, as well. I have trouble sometimes finding a decent amber, and this one is almost always available, and on point for the style.

 

That's a whole other debate..