Bell's Best Brown Ale

Bell's Best Brown Ale. American Brown Ale. Brewed and bottled by Bell's Brewery, Comstock, MI. 5.8% ABV.

In this blog, I try to cover all of the bases when it comes to my favorite breweries, and Bell's is one of of those. So, it comes as a surprise when I discover that the Best Brown Ale has never been here in the Nib. Not once in the nearly seven years I've been doing this. But, surely I've reviewed it before, in the eight years prior, when I wrote reviews on BeerAdvocate.com? Well, surely I have, but I've never been happy with those notes.

So. I'll write new ones, and share the old. Here we go:

Thoroughly hazed, dark reddish-brown coloring, slim brownish head.

In the nose: Malty, slightly sweet, a little touch of nuts and fruit, Moderate hop bitterness, good balance.

In the mouth: Full-bodied, strong and malty. Solid ale, solid as can be, for a liquid that we can drink. Starts sweet, ends dry. An altogether excellent beverage. I can pick it up again and again and be happy every time. Pretty, pretty good.

Hey, let's look at what they say: Bell's Best Brown ale is a smooth, toasty fall seasonal beer that offers hints of cocoa and caramel. With the help of American hops, the malt body has the depth to stand up to cooler weather  without being heavy. A perfect pairing for the changing of the seasons. 

Yeah, I'd buy that. And here's what I said way back in January of 2003:
Deep, dark brown to near violet with a fine, simmering tan head.
Aroma is unique and slightly unfathomable! I'm getting dates, plums, roasted nuts, caramel, sweetness, but on the dark side.
Chewy mouthfeel, medium body, great texture. A very substantial brown ale that stands on the opposite end of the ubiquitous Newcastle. Sits proudly on the palate, and lingers on the tastebuds. Low carbonation.
Altogether excellent! Bell's does their brewing business with a certain je ne sais quoi, y'knowwhatImean? There's a lift, a beautiful bouyancy that I often associate with the best products of Belgium in almost everything they do at Kalamazoo.

Okay. How did I come up with the same phrase each time? This time, though, I skipped the exclamation point. Back then, I just loved exclamation points.