Beerlicious » Bell’s

Beef pot roast with Bell’s Amber

Stuart — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:47:31 +0000

Bell’s is a new entry to the Alabama market. Their Amber Ale is probably one of the best examples of the style (84th percentile and B+ on the two big rating sites).

Today being a colder day, I decided to go with a beef chuck pot roast, with potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, and using some of the Amber Ale to provide the liquid component of the dinner.

This was a perfect meal for a colder day. The malt sweetness played off the beef and the sweet potato. The carbonation lifted the fat off the tongue, refreshing the mouth for each bite. The hop bitterness freshened the tastebuds and contrasted nicely with the sweet, fatty richness of the rest of the meal.

Sometimes simplicity is what you crave. This hit the spot exactly right.

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Beerlicious articles by Stuart Carter, stuart@beerlicious.net is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Chili with stout

Stuart — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 02:03:48 +0000

In recent days I have had Bell’s Expedition Stout and Old Dominion Oak Barrel Stout with chili. These are two very different beers, the first being an Imperial Stout, the second being a regular stout. The flavour profiles of the two beers are radically different, with the Imperial Stout, as expected, being very much richer and more complex in flavour.

How do these beers pair with chili? The regular stout is a very pleasant beer, and is an eminently suitable pairing. The Imperial Stout, with its coffee, caramel, chocolate, and dark fruits are a superbly rich complement to the taste of the chili. Quite simply, any Imperial Stout will leave a regular stout gasping like a grounded fish.

Despite the clear superiority of the Imperial Stout, you will not be unhappy with the results of pairing a chili with either beer.

Stout goes well with both chili and dessert. And it’s liquid bread. What more do I need to say