Bell's Smitten Golden Rye Ale

Bell's Smitten Golden Rye Ale. Hey, at last a new Bell's seasonal offering that I can actually find on the shelves and won't cost me $16 for a six-pack. I had a pint of this on tap at a bar a few weeks ago, and like it, then. Looking forward to sitting down and tackling it in the quitted of home, with a mind undistracted.

First off, what about the name? Cute, dear, darling. The dandelion with the petals pulled? Are they shooting for a female market? Perhaps the colors, images and name are looking for ladies who want to be pulled towards something approachable, but substantial, not the same old honey wheats and wits they're used to being marketed to? Just some thoughts. Now let's get to the beer…

Highly hazed, with plenty of particles, but a beautiful golden color despite that, under a slim, sure white dotted head, leaving a little film behind.

Aroma: Bright, fresh hops lead the way, citrus-y, spicy, but not too bitter. Floral hops meets spicy, bread-y rye malt. A nice combination.

Taste: That one-two combo jumps right on to the palate, when the liquid lands on the tongue and floods the mouth. A very vivacious flavor in the mouth, a fantastic combination of slightly bitter hop profile and sweet and spicy malt mouthfeel. Light to medium body, smooth to somewhat tickle texture.

 I'm really getting it now. I'm suspicions about the name, branding and imaging are proven true. The flavor is a step up from Oberon, for the craft beer fan needing a little something more, …not so much from hops, but enough. Not too much from malt, but the right amount to keep things tasty, light and easy to drink.

I like this. Might not choose it myself too often. But I recommend it. Refreshing and delightful. Maybe I'm smitten?

Here's the typically terse but clever label verbiage from the bottle: "With wonderfully bitter citus notes, resinous hop flavors and earthy overtones, this interesting take on the American Pale Ale doesn't leave a lot of room to wonder if you'll love it." Well done, but I'd skip the superlatives. "wonderful" and "interesting" should be left to the consumer to decide. True enough, it's a very likable brew.