Bell's Brewery
Microbrewery
in
Galesburg,
Michigan,
United States 🇺🇸
Owned by
Lion Breweries - NZ
Associated Venue: Bell's Eccentric Cafe
Established in 1985
Contact
Subsidiaries
Description
Our journey began with a 15-gallon soup kettle, a quest for better beer and countless batches of homebrew. The passion and personality that began Bell’s continues today through our breweries and Eccentric Café. We continue to grow and evolve, dedicated to our mission; to be fiercely independent, 100% family owned, deeply rooted to our community, committed to the environment and brewers of inspired beer.
Sold to Lion Co. - Kirin Holdings in 2021
Sold to Lion Co. - Kirin Holdings in 2021
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Replacing an earlier rating. Deep brown body with reddish highlights, thin off-white head. Rich roasted malt aroma. Flavor of strong roasted malts with dark chocolate, finishing quite bitter. Lacks any sense of sweetness to balance out the bitterness, and is a bit thin, but still quite good.
Tried
on 14 Mar 2003
at 12:25
8.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
This barleywine starts with a rich, bready aroma and a thin, off-white head. The body is amber-colored and rich, with a clear and sharp hops presence. I like this one because it balances the hops well with bready, fruity malts that begin to dominate the palate as the ale warms. Compare this to Sierra Nevada Bigfoot (very hoppy) and Dogfish Head Immort Ale (sweet and malty). Third Coast Old Ale is sort of a "tweener" between the Sierra Nevada and Dogfish Head versions of barleywine. Pick this one up if you can find it!
Tried
from Can
on 01 Mar 2003
at 23:52
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Time to update an older rating. Deep translucent orange-brown body, no head (but well-carbonated). Light nose of brown sugar, burnt caramel, and toffee. Rich, toasty body, with burnt caramels, brown sugar, a hint of circus peanuts, and dark fruits. Finishes sweet with warming hints of alcohol. A robust doppelbock, either the beer or my perception of the beer being more "true to style" this year than in recent years.
Original rating: How does a doppelbock by one of America’s finest brewers (Bells) stack up to Ayinger Celebrator? Surprisingly well! This beer starts out with an off-white head complementing an amber body (lighter color than Celebrator). Aroma is somewhat weak. Flavor is rich, almost overpowering, dominated by malty, sugary overtones. Aftertaste is somewhat sour. Overall, this one is not quite as smooth and silky as Celebrator, but I am again impressed by a Bells brew! 6-3-8-3-15 (3.5).
Original rating: How does a doppelbock by one of America’s finest brewers (Bells) stack up to Ayinger Celebrator? Surprisingly well! This beer starts out with an off-white head complementing an amber body (lighter color than Celebrator). Aroma is somewhat weak. Flavor is rich, almost overpowering, dominated by malty, sugary overtones. Aftertaste is somewhat sour. Overall, this one is not quite as smooth and silky as Celebrator, but I am again impressed by a Bells brew! 6-3-8-3-15 (3.5).
Tried
on 01 Mar 2003
at 20:27
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
A nice, smooth stout. The roasted flavors aren't as distinct in this one as they are in the other Bells stouts. This one does have a nice smooth, creamy feel, however. I would still suggest one of Bells regular stouts (Kalamazoo Stout or Double Cream Stout) over any of the November stouts.
Tried
on 21 Feb 2003
at 21:14
8/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8
This exceptionally dry Stout pours a dark mahogany color with a thin but dense beige head and thin lacing. Aroma of chocolate, coffee and roasted nuts. Flavors of coffee, dark chocolate, roasted grain/nuts and a little malt. The finish is a little thin, especially for a Bell's Stout and is mostly coffee. Still another good Stout from Bell's.
Tried
on 19 Feb 2003
at 07:56
8.3/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottled, thanks hopsrus!!
Just what I needed to wake me up after a long session with incredible beers. Very black. And... coffee. Loads of coffee. The aroma is all about coffee. The mouthfeel sweet and creamy and nicely rounded, and the tarry, bitter finish is like eating from the bottom of a cup of turkish coffee. I wouldn't say balanced, but I sure like it.
Just what I needed to wake me up after a long session with incredible beers. Very black. And... coffee. Loads of coffee. The aroma is all about coffee. The mouthfeel sweet and creamy and nicely rounded, and the tarry, bitter finish is like eating from the bottom of a cup of turkish coffee. I wouldn't say balanced, but I sure like it.
Tried
from Bottle
on 17 Feb 2003
at 03:00
8.1/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 9
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottled, thanks hopsrus!!
Very black with no head. Vinous nose with fruit and chocolate. A wall of malt hits me at first sip, then licorice, tar, salt and sensory overload... The finish is full of plums, raisin and hop bitterness. Yikes, this is bitter.
Very black with no head. Vinous nose with fruit and chocolate. A wall of malt hits me at first sip, then licorice, tar, salt and sensory overload... The finish is full of plums, raisin and hop bitterness. Yikes, this is bitter.
Tried
from Bottle
on 17 Feb 2003
at 02:54
7.6/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Definitely a "dessert" beer. The cherry flavor, although strong, is a nice complement to the classic, potent roasted flavors of Bells stouts. This one pours like motor oil and tastes like antifreeze (just kidding, but it is sweet!). Pick up a six-pack to enjoy at a leisurely pace. Typically pricey though.
Tried
on 14 Feb 2003
at 19:25
8.4/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
This is very close to Double Cream Stout in my book. Double Cream Stout is sweeter and creamier, while this one puts primary focus on the roasted flavors. Kalamazoo Stout is still surprisingly sweet, unless you drink one after drinking a Mackeson XXX or Double Cream Stout. Thick, dark, and rich, this is a bargain stout. Drink this one side-by-side with a Goose Island Oatmeal Stout, and you will realize how good Bells beer is!
Tried
on 13 Feb 2003
at 19:46
8.2/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Time to dump an old review. After 600+ ratings, this is still my favorite IPA (not counting I2PAs). Pours with a hazy golden body topped by a medium off-white head. The hops aroma and flavor really shines- some notes of pine and citrus (grapefruit, lemon) are present but the intense floral characteristics combine with sweet, tangy malt to create an awesome, creamy palate. Now that this is available year-round, it makes a nice "stock" beer to keep in the fridge as it is highly drinkable.
Tried
on 06 Feb 2003
at 18:31