Bell's Venus The Bringer of Peace (8/10)

Bell's Brewery of Kalamazoo, Michigan, produces a line of planet-themed beers.  There are beers for Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.  Venus The Bringer of Peace is a blonde ale brewed with honey, apricot, cardamom, and vanilla.  It was released in October 2014.

Venus pours a hazy orange amber color with thick white head that dissipates fairly quickly and leaves behind no lacing.

The aroma mixes apricot, malt sweetness, and cardamom herbal and citrus elements.

The flavor is more complex than you might expect for a wheat-based ale.  It starts with an initial sweet malt hit, followed by a strong apricot burst.  Vanilla and cardamom are there, but take a definite back seat to the apricot.  Finish is mildly bitter, like a dried apricot or a bit of apricot near the pit.

RateBeer reviewers didn't seem to like this one, giving it a 49 overall.  Beer Advocate was a bit more kind, giving it a 75 or "okay" rating.  I liked it a bit more than they did, but will admit this isn't a beer I'd want to drink more than occasionally (since I'm not that into the fruity beers).  I'm giving it an 8 out of 10.

I found this particular bottle at Northwest Wine and Spirits, though it may be available elsewhere. The price was $2.99 for the single bottle.

Flavor Profile:
Sweet, Malty, Dry, Bitter, or Sour: Sweet
Spice Level:  Low
Hops Level: Very Low
Dominant Flavors: apricot, cardamom
ABV:  7.5%
IBU:  Unknown, but probably below 20
My Rating: 8/10