I love rye ales, and I love Bell’s, so this beer was destined to be good. Smitten is an American Pale Ale brewed with rye, as it’s name indicates. It starts by pouring a beautiful unfiltered golden hue. The notes are of grain and toast with some floral and pine in the background. There’s a lot of malt in this beer but the hops are in the forefront. There’s orange and pine, withe hops coming through as bread and caramel. The finish is slightly sweet and this is where the flavor of the rye really shines. Overall, the flavor has some very nice components, but could use a little more complexity. A very enjoyable beer for the hoppy-pale ale fan, and the rye is a nice twist on the style.

I give it a 3.8 out of 5.