Bell's Brewery Octoberfest

I've mentioned a hundred times on here how the Fall brings one of my favorite beer seasons, with pumpkin ales and Octoberfests abounding.  And this year, i was fortunate enough to get my grubby little hands on a pretty outstanding Octoberfest from Bell's Brewery.  The 5.5% ABV beer pours a crisp, coppery color with a white head and smells of bready malt with notes of caramel and some light hints of sweet fruit.  The flavor is a very balanced and delicious mix of roasted malts, caramel, toffee, and a touch of hops, just the right kind of libation to pair with a pretzel or bratwurst.  This one may be my new go-to come next Autumn.

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Bell's Old Fashioned Holiday Ale

And it seems that i may have just found my favorite brew of the season, the fantastic and delicious Old Fashioned Holiday Ale from Bell's Brewery.  The 10.8% beer is a bourbon barrel aged scotch ale with added dried cherries and orange peel.  It pours dark brown with a minimal head and smells of orange, spice, and alcohol.  The brew nails the cocktail taste and feel, flavors of orange, bourbon, and bitters highlighted up front, with the cherry and orange in particular becoming more evident as the beer warms.  It's a pricey 4-pack, but so, so good.

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