Bells Batch 7000 Ale

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

ZBF 2008 on the Saturday, this was shared out to us ratebeerians by the very generous Miketd, cheers Mike! Bacon was on the aroma as so accurately spotted by Phil L, but also some smokiness and roasted nuts. Intensely bitter but backed with much sweetness. The bitterness coats ones tongue and stays there for some time, some coffee flavours as well. I liked this but I’m glad that I had a smallish sample as any more and I may have found it just a bit too much for me.

Much thanks to hoppymeal for this beer. Incredibly dark pour that was very still. Virtually no head, and the one that shyly appear left in an instant. Big coffee and chocolate nose along with roasted malts, some licorice and a bit of stale air. Wow...the flavor is truly wonderful. Black licorice, deep roasted coffee, dark chocolate and some black cherry cola as well. Mouthfeel is creamy with good coverage and carbonation. Thanks hoppymeal, this is a great beer!

a full bodied brew with a very dark color, little head. Aromatic flavors of coffee and chocolate. Sits well on the palate with a creamy aftertaste, although a slight texture on your tongue after you swallow.

Pours super dark with a very small bubbly brown head. Tons of roasted coffee, chocolate, and more of both of those. The alcohol is very well enough to enjoy the other flavors involved. I wish it came in a bigger bottle, because I never wanted the glass to end! Can’t wait to try this one again!

pours a thick black used motor oil color with a nice two finger, stiff, very dark brown head. aroma is roasted malt and hops with dark chocolate, coffee, and a touch of citrus. has a full body with clumpy lacing and just right carbonation. flavor is the same as aroma but stronger and has a little black licorice. everything sits on the tongue for a while and the only alcohol present is a little burn going down. very very nice and i think just as good as expedition. aroma does get stronger as it warms. also is oily on the palate with a little creamy mouth-feel.

[Bottle, thanks Skyview!] Pours black with a dark tan head. Aroma is raisin, coffee, and roasted malt. Taste is bigger on the coffee, with some hops and chcolate. Mouthfeel is quite thick. This was a good beer, although maybe not quite as good as I had expected. Of all the beers we tasted this night, this was one of the ones that I was most looking forward to--unfortunately it also ended up being one of the few beers I have ever spilled. Awesome. In need of a re-rate on this one, not sure if it will happen though.

Pours opaque black and syrupy. An exaggerated pour near the end of the bottle aroused not only an upswell of ultra-fine brown bubbles, but several chunks of sediment. The chunks splashed a small amount of inky brown liquid onto the counter as the thick, dense head rose to an inch and a half. Aromatics are filled with alcohol-laden chocolate syrup, coffee extract, black licorice, and undertones of orangy citrus. The mouthfeel is thick, chewy and doughy. Very large. The pallet is a monster of numbing alcohol, cocoa-dusted tar, Kahlua reduction, and coffee liquer. Finishes with lingering bitter chocolate, charred malt, and vineous heat. What a bruiser, you can tell this one’s at 12%. With the alcohol being as apparent as it is, the brew is reminiscent of a barrel-aged example.

Bottle@Dr.Bills. Poured dark with a thin head. Hints of coffee, cherry, and bourbon. Sweet, sticky and dry on the palate.