Detroit Beer Porn

[burningrome]

I was down in Windsor visiting the family and decided to head over to Detroit Rock City to go to the much-missed Trader Joe's [in Royal Oak actually]. I picked up a bunch of groceries and they had some interesting beers there - very different selection than the Norcal TJs I was used to. A number of Michigan micros I've never heard of [Bell's, Arcadia, New Holland] and some California imports [Sierra Nevada, Red Seal, a variety of Stone, a number of big bottles of Rogue, but no Dead Guy, a staple in Norcal TJs].
I picked up a six of the Two Hearted Ale from Bell's, very tasty IPA but not overwhelming like say, Arrogant Bastard [which they also had], and a mixed six of some other IPAs and Pale Ales, which I haven't tried yet, other than the Stone IPA. Thought you'd like to see a picture of my haul:




The prices were...um....refreshing, with most of them between $7 and $11 bucks per 6.
btw, no duty or taxes on about $200 worth of groceries and the 2 sixes, I declared them all.....

[Bobsy]

Nice selection and good prices! I've never had a Bell's, but I've read all sorts of good things about their beer, and they seem to be really highly regarded:
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/287

[tupalev]

Never had a Bells?


Yikes, there is a world of world class brews, including some highlighted above (Two-Hearted is one of the best IPA's made, IMHO) not too far away! Their stout collection alone is worth a session or two. And if you liked the Two Hearted and love your hops, get some Hopslam now.

Here is a link to all of their beers, sorted by overall score on ratebeer.
http://www.ratebeer.com/Ratings/beer/Sh ... &OrderBy=2

As you can see from the sheer amount of ratings some of them have, Bell's beers are widely available if you ever find yourself over the border.

Beer Bistro did have some limited stock of a few Bell's beers not too long ago, but I think that has pretty much run dry.

[shintriad]

Bells is a great brewery. I find their wide selection of beers a bit unnecessary, but their core products are very high-quality and consistently tasty.

Case in point, I was in Madison, Wisconsin a couple weeks ago. Great town to visit, by the way, not just for the ubiquitous good beer. While I was there, I happened to visit the celebrated cigar bar Maduro the night that all 21 taps were taken over by Bells!

It was pretty awesome. Even though I wasn't crazy about all the cigar smoke in the air, the Smoked Stout was great!

[tupalev]

I find their wide selection of beers a bit unnecessary

Coming from a Province where not too many breweries even try a few different styles, I will never ever discourage a great brewery from trying as many different styles as they can.

[Gedge]

I have a bottle of the Expedition Stout that I've been cellaring for nearly two years. Just sitting there, tempting me. High time for a trip to Michigan!

[boney]

Bell's is pretty much my favorite brewery ever. The Two Hearted was the first IPA that I had that made me go "holy shit, is this what an IPA is supposed to taste like? What the hell have I been drinking?"

I had a friend from London that used to work in Kalamazoo and she would bring me back six packs whenever she came back up. Unfortunately, she's back in Canada and I'm down to my last few Hopslams and Kalamazoo Stouts.....I was too greedy and didn't cellar any Expeditions

If any of you ever get a chance to visit the brewery in person, I highly, highly recommend it. The Eccentric Cafe (attached to the brewery) is one of the best places in the entire world to enjoy live music and beer. They work really hard to make visiting the brewery a great all around experience. Great atmosphere, great people, great music and most of all great beer. End of nostalgia trip.

[sstackho]

In my limited exposure, Bells Two Hearted Ale was fantastic. Sadly, Bells isn't distributed in Massachusetts, so I don't have regular access to it.

Luckily Stone IPA is, and that one is also fantastic. I'll pass on the Stone Pale Ale however...

[shintriad]

I find their wide selection of beers a bit unnecessary

Coming from a Province where not too many breweries even try a few different styles, I will never ever discourage a great brewery from trying as many different styles as they can.

That's true, it's just that if I were to have attempted all their stouts in that one tasting, I would've knocked myself unconscious

I tried three stouts and they were all pretty much the same.

[mike24]

speaking of beer porn, i went to buffalo today.





and there's some more left in my trunk. this should last at least a few weeks.