Bell's Best Brown Ale
A smooth, toasty brown ale, Best Brown is a mainstay in our fall lineup. With hints of caramel and cocoa, the malt body has the depth to stand up to cool weather, but does not come across as heavy. This balancing act is aided by the generous use of American hops.
3.5
1380 reviews
Comstock, United States
Community reviews
6pack of cans, packaged August 20th 2019.
Pours a hazy reddish brown with an inch of off white foam. Lacing is good.
Nose is of toasted malt, light hoppy bitterness, light caramel malt sweetness. Definitely American style as the hops and toasted malt exceed any sweetness.
Toasted malt, toffee, light hop bitterness, a smidgen of sweet notes, for an American style Brown Ale, it has a nice near balance.
Great mouthfeel.
Great Brown Ale!
Could be better with a name like “Best Brown”. Mild bitter taste. Aroma of faint caramel and malt.
Average brown ale for me. Some toasted malt notes. Detected chocolate. Smooth body.
Ar: Bread crusts and earthy wood; some sweet caramel; moss and black pepper. Ap: Amber brown and clear; very large light tan head with very good retention, slowly collapsing as a merengue-like foamy mass, leaving beautiful swaths of lacing along the glass sides. T: Caramel and toast, bread crust; medium sweetness; low bitterness, with a mossy and anise-like hop flavor; light chocolate; finish is more bread crust and a lingering caramel. P: Medium body with medium-high carbonation; very smooth, with a fulness to the palate; finish is medium-dry. O: A rich brown ale that remains quaffable; full of flavor and very satisfying.
12oz bottle. Pours brown with a moderate beige head. Aroma is toast, caramel, nuts, and a little bit of fruit. Taste is toast, nuts, caramel, a little dried fruit, slight wood, and some cocoa. Dry finish. Body is on the lighter side of light-medium. Medium, fine carbonation. Crisp mouthfeel. Easy drinking.
12 oz bottle served in a shaker- poured a murky brown color with a slight light maroon tint when held to a light source (imagine a heavy oxidized Apple cider, that’s what it looks like). Aroma of toffee, cedar, and molasses- interesting. Hits the mouth with a very wide body, malt actually could use just a fart worth more sugar, but it’s still really good with a light toast to it, middle has a sweet/hardwood connotation to it, finish holds up well but a little nondescript. Fantastic beer for the “cold” weather of Texas- yep, it’s 70.
On tap. Pours brown with tall, long lasting, fluffy, white head and nice lacing. Aroma is of toasted malt, coffee, dark fruit and hint of hops. Body is medium and crisp. Taste is similar to aroma. Finish is long and dry. Very nice brew.
Pours up a medium brown with a really decent head that hangs on. Smells and tastes are toasty with some hints of caramel and a woodsy character to it. Really going nice with this 40 something degree day we are finally getting. This is maybe my new goto brown ale since my all time favorite brown ale can only be found in samplers and this can at least be found in six packs.
From the 16 oz. can dated 08-21-18. Attractive mahogany amber pour underneath a tremendous, long lasting foamy mocha head. Some lacing. The aroma is mostly sweet and malty but I also get this vague vanilla character. The body is smooth and medium. The taste is sweet and nutty with a mild dry bitter end. A nice brown ale.
Toasty bread aroma with a root beer flavored malt and a bit of caramel with a peppery finish
A bit boring, honestly. Was expecting a lot more. Tastes of spices. It is entirely too thin.
Descent beer. Smooth, toasty aftertaste with hint of caramel
Pours clear mahogany with a full, light tan head. Aroma is light roast and light hops. Taste is light chocolate, moving to roast and coffee notes. Finish is roast. A good brown ale.
I like this time of the year with the autumn and winter seasonals. Tried a few new browns this year, and am liking the style more with each good sample. May not be the "Best" brown ale that I tried, but is very drinkable, tasty, and quality. Appearance is medium cloudy brown. I would say the body is something in between Sierra's Tumbler and Cigar City's Maduro Oatmeal Brown (which may be my favorite in this style). Tastes like there may be a little oatmeal in this too, but just a trace if so. Caramel malts and noticable hop finish balanced nicely here. Definitely recommended.
Rating was actually from ~2007. Found in backpack Mar. 2018.
Pours murky brown/orange. off white little lacing head. Roasty nose of barley, molasses, hints of milk chocolate, and a little bit of berries. Flavour is very nice; Slightly sweet with a good dose of thick round malt. All of the notes from the nose transition to the palate very well, with additional berry tart, hints of vanilla, and a minerally toasted finish. Not as bitter as expected.
A-. Pours a dark brown color with khaki head. Toasty and smooth, not too heavy.
Pours amber-brown and translucent with a white head. Tastes of semi-sweet malt with a mild hop finish. It’s medium to light bodied with somewhat lively carbonation. On Style. Like the malt and the amber pour.
Bottle, 355 ml from local deli in Brooklyn. Pours brown with small off-white head. Caramel, malty, some dried fruit, light nuts. Some toffee. Sweetish. Soft carbonation. Light+ bodied. Bit bland.
Btl pours a hazy light brown color with a big tan head that lingers leaving lots of lace on glass. Smells of caramel, bread, herbs and earth. Tastes of toffee, toast, malt and a bit of chocolate. Light to medium body, nice carbonation, smooth mouthfeel and sweet mouth coating finish. This is a very well balanced, smooth, easy to drink beer. Excellent!!
Can. Dark brown color, tanned head. Aroma has caramel malts, raisins, some coffee. Balanced taste, caramel notes, raisins, smooth end.
Shared 12 oz. bottle. Pours hazy brown with a light beige head. Aroma of caramel, dark bread, nuts. Taste follows nose, but has some citrus and pine characteristics. Good.
Aroma: malty with some apple juice; Appearance: murky dark brown with creamy white head that lingers; Taste: follows nose; definitely malty with some slight bitterness/roastiness that saves it from being too sweet; Palate: medium body with long, malty/bitter finish; Overall: pretty good for a brown ale.
Nice nose of caramel and roasted malts. Slight bitter taste that finishes smooth. Not a big brown fan but this was nicely blended and easy drinking.
5.8%ABV. brown ale.
Tapped out dark brown. 28ºSRM.
Nose has some sweet roasted nut aroma. Caramel pecans.
Mouthfeel is beery. Palate has dark wheat toast, roasted nuttiness, deeply browned barley bread, bread crusts. Hops are woody, piney, hint of citrus.
Finish is medium with a citrus peel, piney flavor.
Overall a hop-forward brown ale with not much of the usual characteristics of a brown ale, old leather, raw nuts and toast. More like a brown IPA or a hoppy ESB.
even though it may be cookie time and the JCVD movie we are watching has Vincent Schiavelli doing an Indian accent, we still must rate the beer and catch up for the month. It is a nice example of an often mediocre style. It has a pleasant roasty malty smell with a lovely brown body suspended in a yellow horizon with a thin head. The taste is mild, subtle nuttiness and light chocolate maltiness. It is easy drinking and a great brown ale with a cool owl bottle cap. Good for an increasingly bizarre JCVD movie (now with mutual nudity and pervy grandmas!) and waiting for them cookies.
The nose is sweet and breadth and a little heavy. The first taste is bubbly and plays with the roof of my mouth. The taste doesn’t last long it has a soft finish. It is simple and it has a slight bitterness at the end. It’s an easy drinking Ale and I would probably buy it again.
Had at Big Daddy's in Helen. Okay, not really in to Americanizing a brown ale.
Can ordered at Sheridan Room with commonshawn. Standard brown cola color. Minimal head. Aroma is muted malt and cereal. Taste has light hints of toffee and caramel letting the malts run the show like you would expect. Light, thin body. Toasted grains playing a role especially at the end. Very unexciting beer in general. Fits the style. Bell's best brown is still just a brown ale.
Clear light brown, thin tan head. Nose is malt and mild coco. Middle is baking chocolate, roasted grain, hint of cherry, warm well kilned malt. Finish shows a woody bitterness that really wraps it up nicely.
The aroma is chocolate, bready malt, with a smidge of coffee. This one pours a red, dark brown with a tan head. Warm malty taste with light sweetness. Light to medium body. Creamy texture with soft carbonation and a soft, crisp and dry finish.