A Flowery Song

Background: What’s nicer on a cold wet winter’s night than a nice malty Scotch Ale? Not much, to be sure, though there are things like Quelque Chose that will give it a run for its money. Bell’s is eager to cater to your every need, so here’s a seasonal release of, well, a Scotch Ale.

Nose: Malty caramel with earthy undertones.

Taste: Dextrinous and creamy, with a solid caramel malt presence and hints of appley esters.

Overall: Well, hmm. *scuff scuff*. After the build-up in the introduction, I almost hate to write my reaction. It’s decent-tasting and drinkable, but well on the light side for a Scotch Ale, while being heavier than a normal Scottish Ale. Neither fish nor fowl, it’s not quite what I was looking for to warm the cockles of my heart (or my toes). Still, it’s tasty, and as long as you aren’t looking for a strong ale you shouldn’t suffer any disappointment.

Background: Stout. Rye. Draw your own conclusions.

Nose: Black coffee, chicory, and toasted bread.

Taste: Mmm, spicy. Nice mix of rye and roasted malt character. A bit of chocolate.

Overall: A bit thin, but other than that quite nice indeed.

Background: Limited availability, brewed in a small batch, and according to the internet evidently very hard to find. None of which I knew when I bought a couple of bottles, since I rarely go out shopping for specific beers. Fortune favours the me. Anyway, it’s a Double IPA and I can’t currently convince Bell’s website to cough up information instead of PHP errors.

Nose: Candied orange peel. Other than lots of hops, the alcohol is very evident.

Taste: Piny resinous hop flavour, pithy grapefruit hop flavour, herbal leafy hop flavour, high hop bitterness, dry hoppy finish. Oh, and there’s probably some malt in there somewhere. The hoppiness does a great job masking the alcohol, as I can’t taste any of the 10+% ABV that was so evident on the nose.

Overall: This beer has never heard of the concept of ‘balance’. It’s interesting to drink in despite of that, but not something that I personally would class as great. If you love hops and don’t mind a beer that’s just hops, you should definitely grab this one if you run across it.

Hops.

Background: This IPA from Bell’s runs 7% ABV and has a fish on the bottle.

Nose: Floral hoppy goodness. Bright notes of grapefruit and pine resin, biscuity malt low notes.

Taste: Peach fruit, biscuit malt, light caramel influence. Medium to high hop bitterness, lots of grapefruit and piny hop flavour. Finish is slightly astringent, long and resinous.

Overall: Beautifully balanced and eminently drinkable.

Background: Brewed by the (semi) local Bell's Brewery, BeerAdvocate list this as a Belgian Strong Dark Ale.

Appearance: Pours a murky black with coppery brown edges and head. The minimal head quickly dissipates, leaving a ring of fine, dense bubbles around the edge of the glass. A bit of yeast sediment.

Nose: Dark, roasted malts with just a hint of spiciness.

Taste: Drying roast character in the finish to offset the initial rich, chocolaty rush. Complex interplaying flavours include figs, raisins, smoky/spicy phenols, walnuts, and caramel.

Overall: Very nice. Strikes me as a cross between a strong porter and a dubbel more than an actual Belgian style, but no matter which cubbyhole you place this beer in it's still flavourful, well-balanced, and extremely drinkable.

Background: The brewery's flagship ale, an American Amber crafted from “mainly” pale malts.

Appearance: Pours a beautiful amber with a dense off-white head. Very pretty.

Nose: Sweet, toasty malt. Any hop aroma is masked by the malt and a slight amount of esters.

Taste: Medium malt sweetness, some citrusy hops and floral notes. Malt has light toasted accents and a bit of caramel character. Medium hop bitterness to balance the malt.

Mouthfeel: Moderate body, high carbonation. Finish is oily, and the hops stick around.

Overall: Solid, middle-of-the-road example of the style. I don't particularly care for it, but then again it's not a style I particularly care for.

Appearance: Clear chestnut, fluffy tan head.

Nose: Caramel maltiness, light fruity esters.

Taste: Moderate malt sweetness expressed as caramel, light toffee, and toastiness on the high notes. Medium bitterness continues into the dry finish; mild hop character.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, light carbonation.

Overall: Nice. Easy-drinking brown ale.

Appearance: Hazy straw colour.

Smell: Clean grain aroma, grassy hops with a citrus bite.

Taste: Coarse, sweet, grainy malt dominating. A fair amount of fruitiness, and some citrusy hop flavour to go with the medium hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Crisp, peppy carbonation. Medium body.

Drinkability: Good. Nice light-feeling beer, perfect for a crisp autumn day.

Appearance: Opaque black with a long-lasting light brown head.

Smell: Rich roasted malt, yeast, and cocoa.

Taste: Sweet roasted malt in the beginning, bitter chocolate and coffee notes in the middle, and some floral hops. Long finish shows some chicory characteristics.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and creamy medium body, medium carbonation, mild drying astringency in the finish.

Drinkability: Great; excellent example of the style.

Appearance: Opaque black. Not much head.

Smell: Smells like day-old coffee, with a bit of dusty cocoa thrown in.

Taste: Huge coffee flavour, some acrid bitterness and (finally, some indication that it's beer!) a nice roasted malt backbone.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, high carbonation.

Drinkability: Fairly good integration of flavours, but the coffee comes off as a bit stale. It's okay, but not spectacular.