Fake Larry Bell

Well it all started when my beloved Vicki and I were having coffee. I glanced across the coffee shop and commented to her, "That guy looks like Larry Bell". She agreed and also noted that his hair even looks the same. I knew it wasn't the real Larry Bell but the similarity was striking. He came close to the counter where we always sit and being the shy guy that I am, I let him know that he has a famous twin in Kalamazoo. "I feel sorry for him." the man said. "Don't be. He is a millionaire and a famous brewer." I replied. I quickly jumped aboard the internet with my Ipod and showed him this picture. Come to find out, he is Pastor and his name is Matt. He doesn't like beer and Vicki stated to him, "You have not had any good beer yet." They struck up a conversation and I posed in a picture with this impostor. She even gave him some beer suggestions.

Bell's Pale Ale

For those who are "not in the know"... Bell's had pulled all of their beers out of Illinois over a year ago after a distribution dispute. All of us Bell's drinkers in Illinois had been relegated to border runs to Indiana for any of those great Bell's beers!

And they are always worth it!

So, when I was headed back from Indiana a few months ago... I picked up some six packs of Bell's 2 Hearted and Oberon. I saw the Pale Ale sitting their... And realized that I have never had this beer. Now, I did not have to go to a resource book, website or ask for advice on whether or not to buy this beer... No... This is a Bell's beer... And with that in mind... I was fully confident that I would be buying a quality beer.

In hindsight... How many brewers do we really say that about? Most of us have a trusted few.

This beer is everything advertised. A great American style pale ale. Lots of hop flavor... But smooth and easy to drink. I would probably call it a session beer solely on the fact that it does not knock you around with hard edges and extreme taste. Don't take that as a bad thing. A balanced beer that is easy to drink is really what I am looking for most of the time.

Sure, there are more glamorous beers out their... But at the end of the day... A tasty, quality and reliable brew from Bell's will never let you down!