Bell's Smitten

 Bell's Brewery   Kalamazoo, MI

Notes:

American Pale Ale

12oz Bottle

6.0% ABV

Appearance:  Pours a lovely deep golden orange…80% opacity, there’s tons of sediment floating about…just off white head formed nice, thick and settled to a thin layer…livens up a bit when I swirl it around…(4/5)

Smell:  I could smell the floral hops as soon as I began to pour…from the glass, I’m getting rye malt, perfume, floral hops…very flowery, almost like daisy petals up close…all that with a hint of bitterness and maybe a dash of yeast…I wouldn’t call it strong, but it’s aromatic…pleasant, inviting, fresh, light…(4/5)

Taste:  Hmm, this is no ordinary beer…it’s bitter, sour, floral…there’s some lemon/orange peel…there’s some pale malts, some earthy bitterness…there’s a nice bit of peppery/rye bite that I’ve been digging lately…tons of flavor…it’s light, it’s zesty, it’s interesting...(4.5/5)

Mouthfeel:  Light to medium body…there’s a good amount of life and carbonation to this brew…it fluffs up creating a cloud of citrus/floral bitterness that is more refreshing than off putting…refreshing and crisp…finishes noticeably dry…fantastic! (4.5/5)

Overall:  This is a superior brew…the flavor is unique and distinct…Bell’s took the “APA” concept on a journey, got a bit guidance from a magical liopleurodon and ultimately found candy mountain with this one…it’s super good, zesty, lively, refreshing, but there’s a touch of sour that I actually like…the peppery/rye flavored brews have taken over for me as the choice seasonal, I’m gonna be on the look out for more of these in the future…I could drink this flavor all night and now am curious how this is out of a tap, I really need to make a trip to Kalamazoo…total score, I’m definitely picking up another sixer for later…(4.5/5)

Score:

(4.33/5)