Bells Batch 3000 Ale

Formerly brewed at Bells Brewery
Style: Stout
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

Bottled, thanks Dr.Bill! Dark brown. Restrained malty nose. Caramelly and very malty with soft, velvetty texture. Toffee and salty bitterness in the finish. Well balanced and flavourful.

Name: Bell’s Batch
Date: 06/04/1998
Mode: Bottle
Source: Ale Atlanta
Vintage: 3000

dark ruby, rich warm malt flavor, hint of bitterness, long bitter finish
-------- /> Name: Bell’s Batch
Date: 03/17/2007
Mode: bottle
Source: tasting
Vintage: 3000

dry chocolate aroma and flavor, only a hint of roastedness, light bitter finish, touch of caramel sweetness shows after a while, some oxidation is present but not near what you’d expect after all of these years,

Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.4/5.0
Score: **4
-------- /> The score was calculated based upon the notes and an old scoring system.

Pours a barely transparent dark mahogany with a thin, wispy ring of light tan head. Aroma of lightly sweet earthy, aged dark caramel malt with some mild dark fruitiness and light roast. Body starts with a sticky earthy dark caramel malty sweetness with lots of molten dark chocolate and slightly roasty bitter finish. Seems to have aged really well.

Thanks Brad for sending the bottle with Ryan for our little tasting, you are forgiven for not showing up now: Murky brown with floaties, some small fizzy bubbles and a light oily film. Man this smells like an old stout with oxidized hops, tobacco, dusty yeast, charcoal black patient malt, chocolate and hint of over-ripened plums. I LOVE IT, no really I DO!

The taste is still very roasty and a bit papery. Notes of anise and pomegranate, tobacco and leather, bittersweet bakers chocolate leads to a stunning alcoholic finish. The mouth feel is extremely dry and warming. WOW, a lovely expression of a well aged but still vibrant stout. My rating does not do this beer justice.

Hissed upon opening. Poured a slightly hazed deep chestnut color with a small creamy tan head. Mildly sweet malt with a medium amount of roast. Hint of raisins. The flavor is mildly fruity and sweet to start. Then quickly dries out with a moderately bitter dry finish. Medium bodied with a dull carbonation.

Clear brown pour, small head. Aroma consists of caramel, light chocolate, light oxidation and some light fruity notes too. Flavor is a bit roasty, light chocolate and some slight oxidation. But its held up remarkably well.

Courtesy of Silphium.

Bottle: The aroma is a nice carbonation of chocolate, caramel, faint fruit, and a hint of alcohol. The flavor starts with a quick dose of chocolate. The finish quickly turns to bittersweet chocolate with some oxidation and piney notes. Wish I could have tried this fresh for comparisons sake.

Dr. Bill is the Man for breaking out this brew for us. It pours with a dark reddish-brown body topped by a thin head with some lacing. The aroma is sweet and malty with a little caramel and anice bitter notes and alcohol esters. The flavor is sweet and malty with notes of candy sugar and caramel, as well as, a little bitterneasss and some alcohol. Full bodied, smooth and slightly dry.