Bells Batch 7000 Ale

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

12oz bottle thanks to Sparky27. Pours black with a thin, light-brown head which dissipated quickly. Wow, this had a wonderful fragrance of chocolate and coffee that I just wanted to smell all evening. The taste was a luscious, dark chocolate, coffee and even some berries! The mouthfeel was thick and some bitterness, but not really dry. Incredibly good impy stout.

got a good sample while waiting in line for Dark Lord 2008. pours black, slight tan head. fruity coffee aroma. flavor of coffe, rich chocolate and fruit (cherries?) medium bodied. an interesting brew with very well-hidden alcohol, but i think the fruitiness knocks it down a point or two overall.

Such a pleasure to have tried this at Dark Lord day 2008. I was given a generous pur from a stranger, thank you whoever you are out there. anyways, was increadible impressed with this beer. A poor mans Dark lord, in a way. Was slightly thiner then I wanted, but great none the less.

200th rating. 12 oz. bottle. Pours a thick, dark black. Very thin, light tan head. Aroma of dark chocolate, licorice, some soy sauce. Big, flavorful body with a wondeful complexity. Initial taste is a bit sweet, with caramel, bourbon notes, and some cherries. As the beer sits in your mouth, the smokiness shines through, complimented by roasted coffee notes and dark chocolate. The finish is bitter and sticks around for a long time with very little warming alcohol. A wonderful beer all around.

12oz Bottle Getting the opportunity to try this tonight thanks to Hoppymeal, thanks again Derek! Batch 7,000 is a thick heavy duty brew that chugs from the glass black as Satan’s soul. An aggressive pour was difficult considering the viscosity of this brew but it produced a swirling head and thick brown, with that purplish twang, ring around the glass. Leaves respectable lacing after each sip that slowly slides back into the body. A good looking stout, without a doubt. A tantalizing combination of dark chocolate and a soft dark berriness greet the nose immediately. A solid roastiness creates a sturdy background and a ghost like spicy alcohol lets you know it’s present without actually standing out. Big, rich, and inviting! A solid roasted maltiness leads the way and is quickly joined by dark chocolate and a mild coffee grounds. The dark berrys come through mid-palate but seem a little more green than the nose suggested. Finishes with a roasty bitterness that grows the more I imbibe. A damn fine stout! The mouthfeel on this beer is exactly what where it should be. Viscous, slick, and big! Heavy bodied without being cloying or overpowering. A stout this big and bold is without a doubt a sipper but one to sip the night away. For being so big this beer goes down incredibly easy. I’ve been wanting to get my hands on this beer for awhile now and it was well worth the wait. Bell’s makes some damn fine stouts and this is one of their best. Thanks for the bottle Derek! 3/24/08

Bottles courtesy kp and Sephiroth - Thanks!! Pours straight black with a thin dark tan that holds its own for a while. Aroma is phenomenal! Loads of chocolate, caramel, roasted nuts, vanilla, and some dark fruit...blended beautifully. I pour imperial stouts colder than most people would, and allow the beer to warm, so I can see how the beer evolves. This IS had one of the stronger noses I’ve ever noted at a cold temperature. Flavor is pretty darn good as well...loads of chocolate, toffee, roasted (bordering on burnt) coffee (which I didn’t expect given the aroma), dark fruit, and some vanilla accents. This was still a pretty hot drink (thought it would have mellowed a bit more over time, though I can’t say how this beer was 2+ years ago)...the alcohol was pretty evident, and warms the palate. Could have done with a bit less ’burnt’ coffee flavor... Moderately oily, and relatively thick, but not over the top. Very good Imperial Stout overall, though the aroma outdid the flavor... Looking forward to future bottles, which I think I’ll allow to sit a while still!

Drank from the bottle at the Brewery in 2007. Very strong, overpowering, and while full of flavor, not an enjoyable experience.

Thanks to my good friend Alldaydrinker for this special privilage. Pours out a visibly viscous black colour with a very late forming brown head that fades quickly to a thin film clinging to the edge of my glass. The is exploding with potent notes of anise, caramel, dates and molasses. There are subtler notes smoke, chocolate and vanilla. The flavour is perfectly balanced for an impy stout. Initial flavours of rich caramel, chocolate, dates and coffee tranasition into flavours of smoke, tobacco, anise, raisins and alcohol. The finish leaves a lingering of roasted malt and coffee with an extremely long residence time. This evolves as it warms, unveiling complexities unnoticed intially. The texture is silky smooth with gentle, yet ample carbonation, and a viscosity that coats tooth and gum. Its rich, yet dry in the finish and not overly sweet. Also, rather than harming the integrity of the beer, the booze complements the beers character. OUSTANDING!