Bells Batch 4000 Ale

Formerly brewed at Bells Brewery
Style: American Strong Ale
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

Had this as part of a Batch 4000 - Batch 8000 tasting 9/22/07. I received the bottle from tangfoot. Thanks alot Fred. Appearance: Pours a darkish orange with a slight haze. The 1/2 inch off white head fads slowly to leave some nice lacing. This looks awesome and has alot more carbonation than I expected. Aroma: Wow! Starts with some sweet orange and pineapple notes. There is a slight alcohol burn. As this warms, theres some raisons and dark fruit that creep in. Very nice. Flavor: Not quite as intense as the aroma, but this is pretty nice too. There is a slight tartness that I really enjoyed. Some of the pineapple and dark fruits leave a nice path to a dry finish. This is almost like a mild wild ale. Palate: This is pretty spritzy and the flavors hang around for a little bit. Pretty nice mouthfeel. Damn does this go down smooth. Its amazing how flavorful and balanced this is after all these years. It just goes down too easily. I could easily toss back a few of these, but I’m glad I’m just enjoying the little bit I had. I’m not too sure how old this is (I wish I knew when it was bottled), but it has aged vey well. It definitely exceded my expectations. This was my second favorite of the Batches from 4000 - 8000. Can’t wait til I can have this when we have our 4000 - 9000 tasting in a few years. If you ever see this, have a chance to try it, or have a chance to trade for it, you won’t be disappointed. Another awesome beer from Bell’s. I just I would have tried this fresh, but I suspect it is even better now. Thanks again Fred.

[Bottle, thanks tytoanderso and hellomynameis!] Pours really cloudy amber with a tan head. Fairly sweet but there was a bit of sourness also in there. Chocolate and caramel malt in the taste and something that I couldn’t identify in the aroma. Medium-thin mouthfeel with a good finish. Had at a tasting and not with a fresh palate, so wouldn’t mind trying this again to be able to pick out some more of the tastes/smells, but as it stands I was not particularly impressed with it.

Ripe dark fruit with some biscuit and molassess notes. Soft and herbal palate with a bready depth. Mild oxidation with a soft lingering finish.

12oz from pantanap - thanks, Kan! This one is super duper cloudy on the pour, almost like good apple cider in terms of its looks (although with a surprisingly substantial head, given the age). Very sweet and boozy, and I’m not sure how that compares to the young beer (which I obviously never had a chance to try), but fairly pleasant. Sour and caramel blend together with some tasty sugars and a nice bite on the tongue. More cider qualities emerge the deeper you get. I enjoyed this and big ups to Kan for giving me a chance to try it.

What a great great opportunity to try this! I have to thank the Minnesota raters for outstanding generosity. Mildly hazy amber, thin ring of head (not much at this point in its life....) Markedly sweet, but with a sour edge--due to aging? Caramel notes, to be sure. My final synthesis while sipping this is that it is a decent beer but it probably wasn’t worth keeping it this long.

It was awesome that Tyler and Zac shared this aged beer. Sweet and malty. A hint of oxidation, but it works for the beer. Almost no carbonation. Considerable sugar. It has held up very well after 8 years. Cloudy, muddy brown color.

Sampled at MN Ratebeer Winter Gathering in Maplewood, MN and supplied by tyleranderso and hellomynameis. From a 12-oz bottle pours a semi-hazy medium amber brew with a thin off-white head that quickly dissipates to a thin ring. Aroma of powdery caramel malt, a touch of candi sugar and hard fruits. Taste is slightly oxidized and low carbonation with flavors of milk chocolate, caramel and a touch of orange. Finish is slick, slightly syrupy, with a sweet caramel malt aftertaste flavor.

12 oz bottle from Goldtwins and hellomynameis sampled at the MN RB Winter shindig. Time has tempered this beast for sure. Oxidation is setting in some. Plenty of sweet malt and candy on the nose. Overripe dark fruit. Pours bright clear copper. Almost still. Flavor is very malt forward with some cinnamon and chocolate. Medium bodied. Slightly syrupy and thick.