Bells Batch 3000 Ale

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

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.

Disappointed, mainly due to the HIGH price for this grog. It was very, very good, but not the sublime experience I had expected. Definitely shows that Bell’s is not mailing it in, but striving to produce something out of the ordinary.

And with this bottle l pull into the lead as no.1 for Bells. Biggest thanks to Trevor for this. Pours a reddish brown with no head. I’m a bit concerned that there’s no pop to the top.regardless the flavor has held up remarkably well for it’s age. Notes of caramel, some apple and strangely in the finish some chocolate. Good alcohol finish. Yea!

Wonderful! New to the market in August 1998, this is a real gem. The aroma is all plummy maltiness, soy sauce and salt. Hops are essentially gone as far as I can tell except for some thinning, cutting of the body. Alcohol is melded to the body perfectly although it’s a bit thin. Great raisiny flavors! Very effervescent even this many years out! Great beer, but seems barleywineish, winey, not so stoutlike. Shared with hopsrus. Thanks to the Motor City BBB provider.

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.

Moderate brown in color and hazy. Aroma is very malty(similiar to a barleywine) and a little burnt. Flavor is big malt, light smokeness with a little tartness. It was well carbonated, expecially for its age. Finish was lip smacking sweet up front with an alcohol dryness that crept in toward the end. Provided by and shared with PsychProf, thanks old friend.

winey feel. little to no head. starts out with some coffee and a surprisingly strong hop presence, especially considering it came out we figure about 5-6 years ago. alcohol notes throughout, quite strong

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.