Kalamazoo Brewing Company is one of my favorite craft- brewers in the United States. I have already sampled most of Larry Bell’s (the founder) brews, but there are still a few that I have not yet tasted. When I get the opportunity to try a new Bell’s brew, I jump at the chance. Such is the case with this beer, Bell’s Amber Ale. I saw this beer on the shelf of my favorite beverage store and grabbed it right away, knowing that another treat from Bell’s was just minutes away from my house.
Basic Characteristics of This Beer:
Bell’s Amber Ale is a little different from what I expected. When I poured the beer into a glass, I was expecting it to be amber- red in color. It wasn’t. Instead, it had an orange/tan hue. The body of the beer was cloudy, like all Bell’s products (they are unfiltered) and there was a moderate amount of dense white foam. The aroma was full of fruitiness and hops.
Tasting this beer didn’t produce any surprises. It has a pronounced flavor of hops, with just a dab of malt and yeast flavor to keep it interesting. The hops give the beer a citrus taste that’s also a little on the peppery side. In many respects, it tasted more like an American pale ale than amber ale. The aftertaste is fruity, hoppy, and pleasant.
This beer is brewed using pale, Munich, and caramel malt. The use of caramel malt must be minimal, because I didn’t think it had much of a caramel taste at all. The alcohol level is 5.5 percent by volume.
Food Compatibility:
This beer would be best paired with spicy dishes, like oriental foods, and with most meats. It would also go well with salty foods, but it would not match very well with sweet foods. It’s a good beer to drink solo, too, but not a beer for chugging. You wouldn’t want to waste all that great taste by gulping it down too quickly!
Final Thoughts:
I’m one of Kalamazoo Brewing Company’s biggest fans. I have been very impressed by every beer that I have tasted from this brewery. Some are greater standouts than others, but they are all well above the average. Bell’s Amber Ale fits into the latter category. It’s not outstanding, but it’s still very good.
I was a little surprised when I poured this product and tasted it, because I was expected something very different. Like I stated above, I was looking for a more malty- sweet beer with a reddish- brown tint, like the majority of amber beers. But this beer was different. Of course, amber ale is a very broad category for beer with a wide range of flavors and characteristics, so I guess I shouldn’t have been too surprised. Still, it’s a testament to Bell’s that I was satisfied nonetheless by this product. With other beer, I would have been a little disgusted that the product wasn’t what I wanted. But with Bell’s, the products are always so good I really don’t mind if things don’t turn out the way I expected.
I don’t think that this product would be a good choice for those who are less familiar with craft beer, due to the peppery spiciness of the hops. It might prove to be too much flavor for some drinkers. But it will easily satisfy lovers of fine craft beer, just like any Bell’s product.
So, my final verdict is that Bell’s Amber Ale is not quite good enough to be a classic. It’s not quite at the level of excellence as many other Bell’s products (which is asking a lot!). But it’s still a very good ale, worthy of buying and sampling.
Beer for sale from Gary's Wine & Marketplace. Size: 750 mL standard. region: Belgium, winetype: Belgian Pale Ale, winetype2: beer, winetype3: Craft Be...More at GarysWine.com
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