 ClarkVV (3547), Allston, Massachusetts, USA
Nov 3, 2003 Updated: Sep 12, 2005
Dark, rich murky brown, very clouded. Great beige-off-white head. Tons of lacing. Aroma has a nice woody hops smell with some caramel malt and even some alcohol. Wonderful texture, silky with lots of creamy/soft flavors, tiny bit of carbonation. Begins with a big chewy, juicy malt flavor that is medium sweet, quite caramelly and very tasty. Malt develops into a big grapefruit hops flavor. This is the most grapefruit I’ve ever tasted in a beer. Alcohol wonderfully masked. Ends on a lightly dry note with some lighter citrus and hints of orange. Drinking this beer is like biting into a super ripe ruby red grapefruit with lots of brown sugar on top. I tried this at many temperatures and preferred it at room temp. This is going to be even better as it matures, but I was vastly surprised to find it amazingly drinkable this young. My rating is a mixture of how great I thought this was now, but also how much potential I feel it has. On draught MBGSBF 2004. Well the beer is certainly still developing. It hasnt lost it’s big alcohol bite and hugely bitter hops finish, but it’s improving, the flavor is still intact and deepening. Another handful of years or so. . . .
Lubiere (3324), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Sep 6, 2008 A dark hazed brown amber ale with a very creamy tan head. A fig and fruity malt aroma, vinous and caramel malt aroma, light chocolate, very smooth, In mouth a very pleasing barley wine, with dirty caramel malt, crisp hops, earthy woody notes, and warming alcohol. Rich and distinguished. Tasted April 2007.
tennisjoel (741), Shakopee, Minnesota, USA
Aug 26, 2008 Great Taste of the Midwest 2008
OK. This had to be the highlight of the Great Taste event. My buddies and I are walking by the Bells tent, and notice a guy with a Bells t-shirt on uncorking a 3 liter bottle. My friend says, "Who is that", and someone quickly answers, "It’s Larry Bell". Well duh. He then proceeds to open the bottle and pours each willing participant a sample of the long awaited Batch 6000. Tasters then eagerly placed their cups (like pigs coming for the teat) below while Larry poured each a sample. When tasting, I noticed that the hops were still alive here. A wonderful concoction that I’d love to have any day.
henrikb (1124), Aarhus, Denmark
Aug 24, 2008 Clear chestnut body, very fast disappering creamy beige head; Huge hoppy nose, a little soapy but very good; Big soft and sharp body, not really balanced; Thin and soft finish, simple bitter and sweet.
Marsiblursi (1425), Gö te la borrrrg, Sweden
Aug 22, 2008 (Bottle thanks to Puddintane) Pours a muddy brown with some copper hints. Small head. The aroma is compact and complex malty with tones of caramel, dark sugar and dark juicy bread. Rather vinous and still a bit hoppy with notes of grapes, tart fruits and dark fruits like raisins, figs, prunes and oranges. Some resin and wood. Undertones of mint, earth, leather, apples and tobacco. The flavour is medium to heavily sweet and medium bitter with tones of caramel/toffee, citrus like oranges and grapefruit, resin and hints of chocolate. The mouthfeel is round and light sticky. The finish is hop dry alongside some light syrupy notes. Near full-bodied. Fantastic aged BW aroma but the flavour is rather simplistic.
islay (405), Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Aug 15, 2008 Small sample from a large bottle at Great Taste of the Midwest on 8-9-2008. "Who is that guy [pouring the beer]!? "That’s Larry Bell!" "Oh..." Pours brown with small amount of tan head. Citrus, especially orange, in the surprisingly hoppy aroma. I can’t believe how hoppy this beer is in both aroma (especially) and flavor after years of aging. Wonderful aroma. Watermelon-sweet taste. Full body. Lively and silky in the palate.
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