Bells Batch 6000 Ale

Formerly brewed at Bells Brewery
Style: Barley Wine
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

Bottle: Courtesy of SuIIy via trade. Aroma of moderate citrus hops with caramel, chocolate, hints of banana bread, and a touch of alcohol. Pours a reddish-brown with a big tan head with very good retention and great lacing. Lots of caramel with light hints of chocolate and light banana bread. Well balanced citrus hop finish which I can only assume has mellowed quite a bit over time. I imagine this was very hoppy when fresh. Mourthfeel is very sticky and syrupy.

#250! What a treat! Murky brown hue. Slight reddish tint to the edges. Ring of off white head. Sweet malt nose with notes of molassis, prunes, residual sugar, vanilla oakiness, and a slight bit of bitter chocolate. Full bodied but still with a lively effervescence and a nice alcohol warmth. It does have a long drying finish with bitter notes. Initial flavors of sugar and malts. Cloying sweetness. Followed by the alcohol whiskyish middle that warms the body and evolves from the sweet to the bitter. The chocolate and cocoa notes also appear somewhere around here. The finish is dry and bitter, but with a nice citrus and piney, berry undertone. The more I delve in, the more a cocoa note permeates. But it fades as quickly as it appears. Good cola note and a figgy character. Fantastic brew! This is one of my favorite styles and this is among the best I’ve had. But being from the Bell’s Brewery, it doesn’t surprise me in the least!

This beer says hello with an aroma infused with the scents of barley, malt, anise, molasses, and dates. It is a mahogany colored solution with a decent almond colored head. This thick and heavy beer offers a bitter sweet taste of dates and molasses. Those flavors fade leaving a dry sweet taste of dates and hops lingering on the palate.

Bottle (12oz). Shared with DougShoemaker, Radek, "R" and others - courtesty of DougShoemaker. Poured murky brown with a small head. Rich roasty aroma of pumpernickel, woody, yeasty malt, muted pungent hops - like a barleywine without the aggressive alcohol - puts me in mind of the older JW Lees Harvest Ales. Taste follows, but the hops are much stronger and combine with the strong alcohol *taste* to make for a long, bitter finish. Mouthfeel is very nice, complex - thick, dry and bitter, not much carbonation, but still a superb balanced woody and smooth barleywine which is holding up very well. Big thank you to Doug for sharing this one.

#450. 12oz bottle. Served at 58° in a Duvel Tulip. The color is coppery brown with a small, hazy head. Huge malt and dark fruit aroma as well as smoke?, alcohol, and some muted, lighter fruits as well. There seems to be an overall spiciness to the aroma. The smell is just fantastic. Certainly more of an english barleywine. The initial taste is a huge dark malt taste, with ripe and dried dark fruits; prunes and raisins. There is also a bit of woodiness to the initial flavor, as well as accompaning mild vanilla flavor. The mid-taste is a more pronounced smoke, dark fruit, and a touch of oxidation as well as alcohol. This is almost Old Ale-ish. The mouthfeel is thick and chewy, as it should be, but the alcohol keeps it under control. The finish is woodsy, with a lingering, mildly sweet flavor that is far from cloying. It is always bittersweet when likely my first bottle will likely be my last, but I do appreciate the chance to try it. I think this is the best English style barleywine I have ever had. Thanks to the generous soul that gave it to me in a trade, I have had it so long, though, that I forgot who gave it to me. Thanks anyway!

Bottle courtesy of hippie4beer. Sweet, malty flavor with mild hints of oak, bourbon, and vanilla. Too malty for my taste, but a good representation of the style.

Bottle. Hazy reddish colour with a tan head. Sweet malty aroma with hints of hops. Sweet malty flavor with hints of caramel and hops. Warm finish with alcohol and hops.

Hazy deep reddish colour with a tan head. Sweet malty aroma with note of bread and liqourice balanced with a hoppy piney note. Malty and sweet flavor with a touch of anise. Finish is a blend of alcohol and hops. All in all a very well balanced beer.