Bell's

Celebrating 25 years of brewing, this strong amber ale carries on our tradition of flavorful, balanced beers. Brewed with 100% Michigan-grown barley, 25th Anniversary Ale starts with caramel & light toffee flavors. These are paired with generous kettle & dry-hop additions, yielding a crisp, assertive bitterness and hop flavors ranging from citrus, floral, and piney notes.

Flavors of dark chocolate and fruit meld to create a full-bodied, roasty stout. A fair amount of Polaris hops lend a brightness and a nice character that will help carry the beer in its early stages making it incredibly drinkable and interesting. Malt characteristics will continue to develop over time, so that beer drinkers who choose to cellar it can enjoy the beer for years to come. This big, strong celebratory beer (11% ABV) will be released in September coinciding with our 30th anniversary celebration.

Amber Ale deftly balances a mixture of toasted grain & light caramel notes with a range of floral, citrus and herbal hop notes, capped by a clean bitterness. This balance of flavors makes Amber Ale quite versatile as a food pairing option, not to mention being rather tasty in its own right. Whether serving as a jumping point to other styles or as a familiar standby, Amber Ale is central to the Bell’s portfolio.

Batch 9,000 Ale offers up aromas ranging from the sweet caramel & molasses of dark rum to fruits such as raisins and plums. Brewed with the idea of pushing boundaries in mind, Batch 9,000 Ale is a unique, one-time-only recipe. Well suited for vintage aging, this limited release will continue to develop in flavor & complexity over the years.

Black & Raspberries, Berry Jam, Refreshing.

A smooth, toasty brown ale, Best Brown Ale is a mainstay in our fall & winter 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.

One of the most sought-after stouts in Bell's history, Black Note Stout blends the complex aromatics of Expedition Stout with the velvety smooth texture of Double Cream Stout and ages the combination in freshly retired oak bourbon barrels for months. The resulting harmony of flavors captures the finest features of all three components: malty notes of dark chocolate, espresso & dried fruits, all buoyed by the warmth and fragrance of the bourbon barrel. Aimed squarely at the stout and bourbon aficionados, Black Note makes a grand statement about the art of the dark.

Pungent, orange zest, apricot, creamy oatmeal session ale

This 12 month barrel-aged version of our award-winning Expedition Stout thirsts for travel, but is perfectly content to sit in your cellar, maturing, until you are ready. The tough part? Deciding if you want to enjoy it now or wait until later. You can't go wrong either way.

An alternative to dark and heavy winter warmers and stouts, Bright White (formerly Winter White) is a stylish and refreshing Wheat Ale. Fermented with a Belgian ale yeast, this blend of barley and wheat malts yields a mixture of clove and fruity aromas, all without the use of any spices

Tinted ruby-black, Cherry Stout gains its signature tartness from 100% Montmorency cherries grown in Michigan's Traverse City region. Rather than doubling up on sweetness, this tart cherry varietal serves as a counterpoint to the warm, dark chocolate notes from the malt bill. Lightly hopped for balance, this stout is one of the cornerstones of the Bell's stout portfolio.

The basic inspiration for Bell's Christmas Ale was to create a sessionable holiday beer, using locally grown malt, which would stand apart from the array of spiced winter warmers that are typically introduced this time of year. In contrast to many other seasonals, Christmas Ale doesn't contain any spices: all of the dry, toasted notes & subtle toffee flavors come from the 100% Michigan-grown barley, custom malted by Briess Malting, while a blend of hops from Michigan & the Pacific Northwest lend earthy, herbal aromas. At 5.5% ABV, it stands as a smooth, highly drinkable beer intended to complement holiday menus, not overshadow them.

Reddish brown in color with a mild hop profile, Consecrator Doppelbock is a well balanced, full bodied lager with hints of caramel and molasses in its smooth, malty finish. As with our other lager brands, Consecrator undergoes a lengthy lagering period. Unlike the 6 week profile of the other two brands, Consecrator experiences a full three months in the fermenting vessel, giving it an exceptionally smooth character.

Named after Eugene V. Debs, Debs’ Red Ale starts with a floral hop nose combined with light caramel notes. An even-handed blend of mild caramel flavors and a dry biscuit character follow from various specialty malts. Together, these offer a crisp, even-handed beer that suits any occasion or season.

Sweeter and smoother than Kalamazoo Stout. A beer for special winter occasions. Great with chocolate desserts. Available October-March.

One of the earliest examples of the Russian Imperial Stout in the United States, Expedition Stout offers immensely complex flavors crafted specifically with vintage aging in mind, as its profile will continue to mature and develop over the years. A huge malt body is matched to a heady blend of chocolate, dark fruits, and other aromas. Intensely bitter in its early months, the flavors will slowly meld and grow in depth as the beer ages.

This Fruit Fight started when two flamingos walked into a bar... it is brewed with passionfruit and lime zest, resulting in a tart blend of tropical, citrus flavors and aromas. It was first released under the name “Larry’s Latest” is a nod to the spirit of innovation and experimentation that Larry started in 1985 and continues within the brewery to this day.

One of our oldest recipes, Golden Rye Ale returned as part of a series of rye beers at the Eccentric Café. The combination of sharp citrus & resinous flavors from the hops with the earthy, rustic overtones of the rye malt contribution yield an interesting take on the American Pale Ale.

Rather than depending on the floral, herbal aspects of traditional hopping, Harry Magill's Spiced Stout explores an alternative to balancing the signature roasted character of a stout. The malt body is a robust mixture of wheat & various specialty malts, offering hints of molasses & maple syrup. Accented by subtle notes of ginger & nutmeg, the beer offers a unique set of aromas.

The ingredients of Harvest Ale directly reflect our interest in local agriculture and tradition. The malt comes from barley grown in Michigan specifically for Bell’s, much of it on our own farm near Shepherd MI, while the whole-cone hops were plucked from bines across Michigan. The home-grown malt has a distinctive candied apple character that pairs well with the mixture of grassy & fruity hop aroma, yielding a very drinkable celebration of the harvest.

Hazys come and hazys go, but none have this much heart. With tropical and fruity aromas, this hazy IPA finishes smooth. Hazy Hearted IPA. Finally.

Originally conceived along the lines of a Belgian Dubbel, Hell Hath No Fury... Ale morphed during development into something entirely different. Blending a pair of Belgian abbey-style yeasts into a recipe more akin to a roasty stout, Hell Hath No Fury... Ale offers up warm, roasted notes of coffee & dark chocolate together with the fruity & clove-like aromas.

Starting with six different hop varietals added to the brew kettle & culminating with a massive dry-hop addition of Simcoe hops, Bell's Hopslam Ale possesses the most complex hopping schedule in the Bell's repertoire. Selected specifically because of their aromatic qualities, these Pacific Northwest varieties contribute a pungent blend of grapefruit, stone fruit, and floral notes. A generous malt bill and a solid dollop of honey provide just enough body to keep the balance in check, resulting in a remarkably drinkable rendition of the Double India Pale Ale style.

Hopsoulution Ale falls roughly into the Double India Pale Ale category, incorporating several modern hop varietals from the Pacific Northwest with classic noble hops from Germany to present a blend of fruity, citrus, and resinous pine aromas. A mild caramel malt character and dry finish provide the counterpoint to these hop notes.

Huge tropical and stone fruit hop aroma, carmel malt

Java Stout uses a custom blend of coffee beans, roasted locally for us by Water Street Coffee Joint, to generate its intense flavor. Possessing an unmistakable aromatic punch, Java Stout has long been one of our most popular stouts.

The fourth release in our Planets Series shines the spotlight on specialty malts, while the hops take on more of a supporting role. Brewed with seven different varieties of malt and hopped for a balanced bitterness, this Imperial Brown Ale has bready, biscuity, toasty notes along with light chocolate and roast flavors. This beer is robust, warming and satisfying like the piece of music it was named after.

Combining malted & unmalted rye with a blend of kilned barley malts, Kal-Haven Ale brings a rich, earthy malt body to the glass. The use of Brettanomyces yeast in fermentation lends a degree of depth to the flavors, while pine & citrus notes from a blend of Pacific Northwest hops keep it from becoming heavy.

Kalamazoo Stout represents stouts in the Bell's year-round roster, offering a blend of dark chocolate and coffee flavors with just a hint of brewer's licorice. One of our oldest recipes, it balances a significant hop presence against the roast malt body. Commonly asked trivia: The brewer's licorice we use is gelatin-free, making it acceptable for vegetarians. The label comes from a series of portraits by a local artist.

Nicely balanced, Bell's Lager Beer focuses on the flavors developed in the brew house, matching a crisp bitterness & distinctive herbal hop aromas to a simple yet firm malt backbone. Following in the tradition of Bohemian-style pilsners, this beer spends a full six weeks maturing in the fermentation vessels. This extended conditioning period refines the overall flavor, highlighting the contributions of the malts & hops.

Nicely balanced, Bell’s Lager Beer focuses on the flavors developed in the brew house, matching a crisp bitterness & distinctive herbal hop aromas to a simple yet firm malt backbone. Following in the tradition of Bohemian-style pilsners, this beer spends a full six weeks maturing in the fermentation vessels. This extended conditioning period refines the overall flavor, highlighting the contributions of the malts & hops.

The first in a three-part series of interpretations on the French Biere de Garde style, Le Batteur leads with a distinctive yeast aromatic character mixed with light bready notes. Noticeably dry, the finish is crisp with a mild, refreshing acidity. The French term for a drummer, Le Batteur takes its name from a component of a classic jazz trio.

As the final & boldest in the series, Le Contrebassiste blends roasted & lightly smoked malts and is fermented with a special French ale yeast which lends its own distinctive aromatic notes. The beer’s namesake, The Double Bass is reflected in the deep, rich flavors that resonate in this unique offering.

The last entry in a three-part series of interpretations on the French Biere de Garde style, Le Contrebassiste blends roasted & lightly smoked malts and is fermented with a special French ale yeast which lends its own distinctive aromatic notes. The beer's namesake, the Double Bass, is reflected in the deep, rich flavors that resonate in this unique offering.

The second in a three-part series of jazz-inspired interpretations on the French Biere de Garde style, Le Pianiste starts as a malt forward beer, combining biscuity, breadcrust notes with a light caramel flavor. Noticeably dry, the finish is crisp with a lively, refreshing acidity.

Aged with mango and habanero peppers in second use Black Note barrels.

The first release in Bell’s Planet Series, Mars (The Bringer of War) is a double IPA with a complex hop character and a malty backbone. Notes of tropical fruit, citrus, pine, lemon, lime and pineapple are all present in both the aroma and flavor. Hopped at a ratio of about 3.4 pounds of hops per barrel, the recipe for Mars was developed from a trial batch called Larry’s Latest Double IPA brewed in our original brewery located adjacent to the Eccentric Café in downtown Kalamazoo.

Today you get your first look at one of a seven part series of beers inspired by Gustav Holst’s musical composition, “The Planets.” The series will follow the sequence of Holst’s piece from Mars to Neptune. Today we get to see Mercury, The Winged Messenger and it is a Belgian-Style Ale.

Brewed with barley from our farm in central Michigan, Midwestern Pale Ale stands apart from the model of completely hop-dominated pale ales, offering a noticeable degree of malt body to counter the hop bitterness. A blend of floral & herbal hop notes provide the aromatic & flavor highlights, alongside the distinctive contribution of our house ale yeast. A crisp bitterness finishes the experience without being harsh.

Stout brewed with coffee and lactose.

Brewed along the lines of a sweet stout, Milk Stout combines a wide range of specialty roasted malts and natural lactose sugar to create a wonderfully warm, rich, mocha-like flavor. With a high percentage of unfermentable sugars, Milk Stout leans more sweet than heavy, with only 5.5% abv.

mystical stout

Designed as a flavorful session beer, Oarsman Ale uses a classic German brewing technique to impart a light, refreshing tartness. Oarsman Ale grew out of a desire to explore the tradition of session beers, trading intensity for finesse while still creating a worthwhile experience for the taster. The grain bill includes a healthy portion of wheat, while citrusy hops lend bright notes to the aroma. Fermented with Bell’s house ale yeast, Oarsman comes in at 4.0% alcohol by volume. Rather than being the dominant flavor note, the tartness in Oarsman takes on more of a palate-cleansing role, making it perfect for pairing with food.

An old favorite at the Eccentric Café, Oatmeal Stout uses a hefty dose of flaked oats to lend a silky smooth texture, serving as a balance against the coffee-like roasted malt notes.

Aromatic. Approachable. Unique. Intriguing. Happy-go-lucky. Full-bodied. And we’re not just talking about the horse. This hop-forward, 100% all-malt session pale ale uses a blend of classic and modern Pacific Northwest hops, including Mosaic, Citra and Amarillo, for a pungent blend of stone fruit and tropical aromas. The signature ingredient - oats - are what makes Oatsmobile Ale stand apart, and gives it a body that you don’t see in most other session Pale Ales.

Bell's Oberon is a wheat ale fermented with Bell's signature house ale yeast, mixing a spicy hop character with mildly fruity aromas. The addition of wheat malt lends a smooth mouthfeel, making it a classic summer beer.

Crafted as a flavorful session beer, Bell's Octoberfest Beer is perfect for a week-long wedding celebration in Germany or the start of the Michigan autumn. As with Bell's Lager Beer, Octoberfest spends a full six weeks maturing in the fermentation vessels. Unlike its cousin, Octoberfest trades in the assertive hop presence for a focus on a light caramel malt note, lending body without too much sweetness.

Pale Ale stands apart from the model of completely hop-dominated pale ales, offering a noticeable degree of malt body to counter the hop bitterness. A blend of floral & herbal hop notes provide the aromatic & flavor highlights, alongside the distinctive contribution of our house ale yeast. A crisp bitterness finishes the experience without being harsh.

Pooltime Ale is a refreshing Belgian-inspired Wheat Ale with light clove notes. The truly distinguishing feature is the use of 100% Montmorency tart cherries grown in the Traverse City region of Michigan. These cherries add a subtle tartness and bright counterpoint to the other flavors, enhancing Pooltime’s fruity character and making it the perfect beer for all summer activities.

One of our many award-winning beers, Porter emphasizes the darker, roasted aspects of malt. Hints of dark chocolate and freshly roasted coffee provide the focus, while hops remain in the background. Not as full-bodied as a stout, Porter bridges the gap between malty brown ales and our more heavily roasted stouts.

Born in a dream, Quinannan Falls Special Lager Beer refers to a mythical place in the boreal north. While the waterfall may exist solely in Larry Bell's imagination, the beer he remembered drinking there is now quite real. Quinannan Falls possesses the crisp, dry bitterness you'd expect from a German pilsner, but the use of highly aromatic hops from the Pacific Northwest in both the kettle & dry-hop evokes the fragrant pine forests that inspired this beer.

The vivid red hue and tart finish of Raspberry Ale come from the use of massive amounts of Michigan-grown whole raspberries. We have sourced raspberries for this beer from the same local farm for over a decade. Intensely flavorful, Raspberry Ale focuses on the contribution of local agriculture and follows a Bell’s tradition of leaning towards using tart flavors to complement malty notes, rather than additional sweetness.

Distinctly hop-forward, Roundhouse IRA possesses substantial amounts of late-kettle hop additions & dry-hopping, yielding a heady blend of fruit-like aromas such as pineapple, peach, and the citrus family. These notes continue into a crisply bitter hop presence across the tongue, but the judicious use of toasted & caramel specialty malts prevents the hop intensity from overwhelming the palate. Rather, the malt body lends a slight caramel undertone to the beer, creating a smooth, dry finish that pulls everything together.

Rye Stout presents the earthy flavor of rye in a stout package. Roasted malts are definitely present, but the dark chocolate aspect is favored over coffee notes. Lighter than several in the Bell’s stout portfolio, Rye Stout remains a full-bodied beer with 6.5% ABV.

The fifth release in the Bell’s Planets Series is strong, robust and complex. Saturn is a bourbon barrel aged barleywine loaded with notes of toffee, caramel, oak and vanilla that finishes with a warming touch. The first beer brewed for this series, Saturn has been aging in casks since July 2014. True to its name, this beer is well suited for vintage aging.

Drawn from one of our oldest recipes, Smitten Ale began as part of a series of rye beers at our Eccentric Café. The combination of sharp citrus & resinous flavors from the hops with the earthy, rustic overtones of the rye malt contribution yield an interesting take on the American Pale Ale.

Smoked malts from Germany lend a mild smoky character to this stout, swirling around the chocolate, coffee, and roasted aromas of the other malts. This smoky aspect stops short of being the dominant flavor note, offering instead a subdued, complementary twist to the classic flavors of the genre.

A balanced addition of smoked malts results in a subtle, smoky aroma that defines our Smoked Vienna Lager. Vienna & Munich malts lend toasty notes, while the presence of a blend of European hops complement the whole with a crisp bitterness and slightly drying finish.

A blend of Sparkling Ale and Raspberry Ale.

Sweeter and smoother than Kalamazoo Stout. A beer for special winter occasions. Great with chocolate desserts. Available October-March.

Special Double Cream Stout derives its name from its smooth, creamy texture, not the ingredients. Completely dairy-free, this stout blends ten different specialty malts to yield a remarkable depth of flavor. With only a touch of burnt notes, Special Double Cream Stout focuses on the softer, cocoa & espresso-like aspects of roasted malt.

Our take on the West Coast-style Double India Pale Ale, The Oracle places hop intensity first & foremost, making only the slightest concession to malt & balance. The fireworks start with the aromatic punch of dry-hop sessions with hop varieties from the Pacific Northwest. Resinous, citrusy hop flavors mixed with aggressive bitterness from a massive kettle addition deliver on that aromatic promise.

Every batch of Wild One begins not as a single beer, but as dozens of distinct batches fermented in wooden barrels, each with its own unique combination of wild yeasts & other microorganisms. After several months, the brewers then sample each of the barrels and blend to taste, selecting the desired flavor attributes from this array. The result is a refreshing tartness, supporting a heady fragrance of fruit, toasted oak, & vanilla.

Assertively hopped, Third Coast Beer offers a crisp, dry bitterness with a mixture of floral & herbal aromas. Trivia: A series of 24 different front labels map all 3,288 miles of the Michigan coastline, touching four of the five Great Lakes.

Third Coast Old Ale focuses on malt, offering notes of burnt caramel & other earthy malt flavors. Designed with vintage aging in mind, the malt aspect is matched to a heavy complement of hops. Sharply bitter at first, this will fold into the malt character over time and balance out the maltiness.

This One Goes to 11 Ale opens with bright, juicy aromas such as tropical fruits & ripe cherries, largely derived from massive kettle & dry-hop additions of Southern Hemisphere hop varieties such as Galaxy, Motueka, and Summer. The citrus & resinous pine notes of the Pacific Northwest hop family are also well represented, making their presence known through Simcoe, Citra, and the newly released Mosaic varietal, just to name a few. A wide range of specialty malts anchor the hops in this Imperial Red Ale, contrasting the assertive bitterness & juicy aromatics with a robust, toasty depth of flavor. Fermented with Bell’s signature house ale yeast, This One Goes to 11 Ale finishes with a lingering warmth

Trumpeter's Stout relies on a generous measure of roasted barley for its signature tone. Assertive and dry, this stout follows the tradition of Irish-style stouts and doesn't seek to overwhelm or dazzle with complexity. Rather, the focus on a single specialty grain aims to showcase the purest form of roasted flavor in beer.

Bell's Two Hearted Ale is defined by its intense hop aroma and malt balance. Hopped exclusively with the Centennial hop varietal from the Pacific Northwest, massive additions in the kettle and again in the fermenter lend their characteristic grapefruit and pine resin aromas. A significant malt body balances this hop presence; together with the signature fruity aromas of Bell's house yeast, this leads to a remarkably drinkable American-style India Pale Ale.

Oberon aged in Traverse City Whiskey barrels that is strong, warming and spicy with toffee notes

Each offering is a different interpretation of the composer’s movements, like the above Venus, The Bringer of Peace. This edition is first and foremost a blonde ale, brewed with apricot juice, honey, cardamom, and vanilla beans.

Wedding Ale is one of the rare Bell’s brands to use spices. A subtle blend of orange peel & coriander enhance the aromatic profile of this golden ale. Brewed with a combination of wheat and pale malts, Wedding Ale is fermented with our signature house ale yeast. A light touch of European hops rounds out the beer, while a generous addition of honey adds a dry complexity rather than sweetness.

Taking its cues from Belgian-style white ales, Bell's Winter White Ale offers a lighter yet abundantly flavorful alternative to the traditional heavy winter warmers. Fermented with a Belgian ale yeast, this blend of barley & wheat malts yields a mixture of clove and fruity aromas, all without the use of any spices. Deliberately brewed to retain a cloudy appearance, Bell's Winter White Ale is a beer for embracing winter.