Style: Wheat Ale

Pairs well with the game mode/type you usually don’t play in an annual release, like a sports game or Call of Duty. 

Welcome to another craft beer review for Games And A Glass! This week I am reviewing another beer from Bell’s Brewery, located in Kalamazoo and Comstock, Michigan. The beer for this week will be their Pooltime Ale, a Belgian inspired wheat ale with cherry juice. But of course before going into the review, let’s talk about Bell’s Brewing.

The history of Bell’s can be found on their site, and it tells the story of a college graduate who found an interest in beer and ran with it. The story is told through a cool slideshow.

“Our journey began with a 15-gallon soup kettle, a quest for better beer and countless batches of homebrew. The passion and personality that began Bell’s continues today through our breweries and Eccentric Café. We continue to grow and evolve, dedicated to our mission; to be fiercely independent, 100% family owned, deeply rooted to our community, committed to the environment and brewers of inspired beer.”

In case you didn’t read my last review involving Bell’s brewery, some of their mainstays includes their Two Hearted Ale, Amber Ale, and Lager of the Lakes pilsner. Their seasonal and specialty releases includes their Oberon wheat ale, Expedition stout, and Christmas ale.

Their description for Pooltime reads, “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.”

And now onto my thoughts!

Nose: To start, the beer smells light and friendly thanks to its wheat ale style. The cherry juice that goes with the wheat has a very faint presence. While this combination is a nice change of pace from the typical orange and lemon that show up in wheat ales, I wish the cherry were a little stronger. I’m most curious in its taste and how much the cherry juice place a role there.

Palate: The cherry makes the beer quite tasty! It goes together with the wheat quite well and gives me a fruity and refreshing taste with each sip. The addition of the juice allows the beer to have a touch of tartness that I like a lot. Its tartness is like a jab and I appreciate it as it serves as a reminder that this flavor is cherry. The taste is more unique and not something I usually drink in a wheat ale. The cherry flavor lingers on the tongue for a short time, leaving me excited for the next sip.

Overall: This is a yummy, and different kind of beer. The cherry blends with the wheat quite well for a fruity and light flavor (Say that five times fast). At 5 percent ABV, it’s very easy to drink and because it’s light and refreshing, it’s a great summertime beer. As its name suggests, I’d definitely enjoy this beer laying out in the sun by the pool. But knowing me, I’d get burnt within the hour.

I’d like to thank you for reading my craft beer review. If there’s ever a craft beer you’d recommend I try and/or review, please let me know and I will try, to the best of my ability, to acquire it! And remember, like a fine alcoholic beverage or a memorable video game, please enjoy in moderation.

While you’re here, feel free to check out The Spirit Shop NJ on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! Located in Cherry Hill, New Jersey and where I currently work, we have dozens of craft beers with new ones coming in weekly! Check us out!