Bells Batch 5000 Ale

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

I was taken by surprise, both when TChrome brought this bottle over to my house for a quick tasting and when I found out that it was a smoked beer. Having had their Batch 6000 and their stout series, I wouldn’t have thought they’d have gone so...German. But perhaps. The aroma is enchanting, esp. as it warms, when it gives off layers of salami, smoke, vanilla, vinyl, nuts, and more. Chestnut brown color, just a few bits of yeast in the bottom of the bottle. I had recently had the Viking Rauch and found that the palate really let it down, so I was very pleased at how well this kept life--not imposing, just pleasant, allowing the complexity to waft through the mouth. Is there just a titch of sour in here, perhaps suggestive of a faint fruitiness? A very pleasing beer, and my pleasure to say that I’ve tried it. Thanks Tad!

The average score here is bullshit. When are people going to understand what a smoked beer should be?? A big thanks to BrooklynBoy for this one. BrooklynBoy is rapidly establishing himself as one of the best traders on this site. This one pours turbid dark amber/diarrhea with aroma of huge malt, smoke, smoked almonds, toffee, scotch, cognac, sausage, and peat. I actually took my notes before I found out this was a rauchbier and read the description......so I’m quietly patting myself on the back for my assessment. Tastes malty, with a very rauchy taste and finish, in addition to fruit, smoked meat, and cognac. I pegged this one as 2 parts rauchbier, 1 part barleywine, and 1 part Belgian dubbel, and this review proves to me that I truly belong as a Beer God here, and that truly gives me a huge woody (a smoked woody in this case). Cheers.

Smoky flavor has softened somewhat. Definite hoppiness throughout aroma, body and finish. Earthy, peaty body. Awesome flavor combo reminds me of aged Bigfoot and a top-notch wee heavy doing the lambada on my tongue. A bit of fruit -- dried plums and brown sugar coated apples. The only thing I disliked was a bit of saltiness in the finish.

Luxurious smoked malt (Bamberg-y) painting thick layers of prosciutto-like meatiness onto the tongue, writhing in pleasure...Lingering alcohol warming carries caramel, velvety peach skins, red fruit jam, baby grapefruits and a well-proportioned sweet/salty agglomeration...A devilishly witty and seductive replacement to Schlenkerla Urbock...

Huge, smoky, bacon and hickory aroma. Opaque brown with tan head that recedes to cover. Salty, sweet and smoky. An odd combination that works curiously well. Plenty of alcohol warming. Smooth and creamy mouthfeel with medium body. Bottle (enjoyed with MartinT and Rastacouere). Thanks CaptainCougar.

Medium brown. Off-white head. Very old-ale ish aroma, but how salty, meaty, alcoholic.. ham-like, but very sweet malt at the same time. Very surprising flavors, they work kind of well together. It’s very sweet. On the tongue, this has the same malty sweetness than an old ale, similar light earthiness, maple and toffee notes, but the difference come from the smoke of course. It’s the kind of beer that is a meal by itself, very meaty. Alcoholic finish. High carbonation, big creamy mouthfeel. Love it or hate it kind I guess, but it seems a bit underrated. Not many brewers could manage to come up with a beer like this. Cheers CaptainCougar!

Lots of smoke! Honey, peanuts, roasted. Hazy brown-red body. Moderately sweet, lightly acidic flavor becomes a lightly sweet, lightly acidic, moderately salty finish. Medium body, oily texture, soft carbonation. The bottom line is: too salty/smokey to handle without smoked foods...

This one definitely needs food to go with it, I could not drink this one by itself. That does not make it a bad beer, but I have alot of respect for someone that can drink this all by themselves. Needs cheese and sausages to be complete. A very strong smoky aroma, like a smokehouse full of cured gamey meats, this one has an almost salty aroma, like sea water. Deep light brown color, hazy with a small foamy ring for a head. The flavor is honey roasted peanuts through and through, more salt with a light hoppy fragrance. This unfortunately was just too much for me.