Bell's Best Brown Ale

So, we covered Flying Dog in our last post... this one must be for Jennie, as Bell's is her favorite brewery. Best Brown Ale is one of their flagship beers, as well, so let's see why.

This pours a clear deep amber color, almost garnet, with a light khaki-colored head that sticks around. In the nose I pick up some bready tones and some noble hops. Then you taste it, and wow... my mouth is happy. There are some lovely roasted tones that come through immediately, and that fades into sweetness and then into bitterness from the very mild hops. It has a little coffee flavor to it, but it's not overwhelming. It's a really solid brew, and exemplary of the style. It's perfectly carbonated, and it has a velvety mouthfeel.

This is a great go-to brew, one to keep in the refrigerator. I'm not a huge fan of brown ales, as I find many to just not pique my interest enough. But this... this is really good.

4.3/5 caps

-Jennie

It would help to review this beer if I had it in front of me. Instead, like a dumb ass, I left it on the living room table. Let's find a happy solution to this.

I decided, after contemplating whether to holler at Jennie, or get it myself. I decided to not disturb her during her Scramble addiction session, so I decided to get said brew.

This is a brown ale. Best brown, though? We'll decide here shortly.

Deep amber pour, light khaki head. Definite bread tones in the aroma, I also pick up some faint caramel tones. The taste is roasty. Like a light roasted coffee. It dissipates to sweetness, as Jennie said, but I don't get so much bitterness on the back. To me it's a combination of roast and bitter tones. Smooth mouthfeel, the carbonation isn't prevalent, some slight stickiness at the very end.

Good brown, yes. Best brown, eh, still out for judgement. I'm not sure if the name Best Brown was because this was Larry Bell's best batch of brown, so they stuck with the recipe, or if it's a marketing thing to make people purchase it. Just sheer speculation on both, I have no facts to back up either and I can't find anything on the history of this particular brew after Google searching. Regardless, as not a brown ale fan, you should purchase it.

4.3/5 caps

-Nathan-