Bells Batch 7000 Ale

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

Major thanks to Pailhead for sending me this as a bonus! Thanks Kevin! This is my 500th rating! Nearly black pour with a dark brown fairly quickly receding head. Aroma is strong coffee, chocolate, raisins and alcohol. Taste is very bitter coffee, chocolate, hops and raisins. Sticky mouthfeel. A little odd, but in a good way.

Had this for our Bell’s Batch 4000 - 8000 tasting 9/22/07. HellsBells24 (Joe) used one of his bottles for the tasting. I’ve had quite a few of these since its been released a few years ago and this seems like a good time to rate it. Appearance: This shit is DARK. It looks like motor oil with a 1/2 inch tan head. I don’t even think a spot light could get through this. The head faded slowly to leave a nice trail of lacing on the glass. This is what a double stout should look like. Aroma: I can’t believe how hoppy this still is after 2 years of aging. There are some orange and chocolate notes that go with the piney hops. The hops are similar to the Batch 6000 we just had, just more pronounced. Could use a little less hops and more chocolate and malt notes and this would be perfect. Maybe in a few more years. Flavor: Starts with some nice chocolaty malts. The hops come through with hints of orange and lots of piney resins. This is not your typical stout, but damn its good. Palate: This is still pretty thick. The flavors don’t go away for a while. This is dangerously drinkable for 12%. The flavors, even though strong and complex, blend well an help to make this pretty smooth for the strength. I can and have sipped on a few of these over the years. Overall: This is the best double stout I’ve ever had. I said that when I first had this, and I’ll probably still say this in 5 - 10 years. I’m glad I have a nice stash of these. This is probably the best beer Bell’s has every made and one of the best beers I’ve had. I wish all of thhe future batches are stouts, because thats what Bells does best. If you ever see this (not likely), you’d be dumb not to pick it up.

No head, dark black mocha tinge. Smell of dark flaky chocolate, cocoa, booZe, prunes and woodiness. Taste of cherry, roastiness, worstershire with minimal coffee. Mineral aftertaste with a salty nutty raisen bread character left in the mouth. Thanks Pepsican.

veryy dark with a thick creamy head and nice lacing burnt roasted malt flavor pine hops slightly alchoholic coffe pruune molasses flavors warming very nice

Meow thanks sliffy: The only thing that could make this brew better is bourbon barrelling. That being said: This pours a rich motor oil black, with a wispy tan head. Aroma is alcohol, chocolate malts, sweet dark fruits, and coffee. Complex flavor is rich chocolate malt, burnt coffee, scalded sugars, and traces of anise. Warm finish even with the aging. I think this could even hold up several more years. Excellent.

Bottle. This is incredible and was my 900th rating some time ago. Its dark brown imperial beer with a thin tan head. Aroma is coffee, sweet malt, etoh, and dark liquorish. This is outstanding the two times i’ve had it, i wonder why the brewers didn’t just say screw it and start brewing this all the time. Bells best offering and one of my all time favorites WOW!

Pours black with a few bubbles. A good swirl bring forth a medium sized espresso head. Aroma was chocolate, caramel, butter, and coffee. Flavor was coffee, caramel, toffee, campfire, black licorice, wintergreen...unfortunately it also had some celery, salt, and soy sauce. Viscous mouthfeel, long finish. This one seems to be going downhill, or maybe I got a bad bottle. Still a fun beer to try.

Thanks to Aaron for this one. Black bodied, brown ring of bubbles. Dry cocoa, licorice, chocolate aromas. Chocolate, smoke, slight sourness in the flavor.