Our next review is a brown ale. What’s that? You already know that ales are brewed using a top-fermenting yeast under warm conditions from our previous posts? A+ for paying attention! Brown ales distinguish themselves by being, you guessed it, reddish brown to dark brown in color. They tend to be maltier and sweeter on the palate, sometimes with a nutty flavor and are lightly hopped. Two Guys would like to take a little time now to help dispel a beer myth. It is believed by many that once beer is cold, if it is allowed to warm back up it will be ruined or possibly become skunked. Guess what? As long as it’s not extreme, temperature changes will have little to no effect on your beer. Light and only light is the reason your beer went skunky, hence the industry term “lightstruck”. Clear and green bottles are the real culprits here, not temperature change. Two Guys promise to do their beer-nerdulent duty to help dispel more beer myths, misinformation and half-truths in future posts. Now onto the beer!Joe:
For this sampling we tried a Bell's Best Brown Ale brewed in the state that looks rather like a mitten desperately reaching for a spike—Michigan. One can only guess what the mitten is going to do with that spike once it reaches it but I have a feeling Ohio better watch the heck out. The ale has a mahogany brown color with a 5.8 ABV. It's odor—remember drink from a glass—is a mild toasted malt. The taste starts with a caramel malty taste with a hint of roasted chocolate coffee. It ends with a vaguely tannin hops taste which nicely counterbalances the malt. It is not overly bitter and is a perfect beer to have on a cool night. I give this beer 4 stars. |
| Much Better than lesser known Bell's Mediocre Brown Ale. |
This style of beer isn't my favorite but I found Bell’s Best Brown Ale to be quite enjoyable. It doesn't overpower in any area. There is a moderately sweet taste of caramel and cocoa malt flavors with just a bit of hop bitterness. The beer is full bodied with average carbonation and is perfectly suited for the fall season. Three stars!