Bells Batch 7000 Ale

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

Bottle (@ D’dorf Gathering): Very dark amber coloured, small reddish-brownish foamy layer; roasted malt, liquorice in the nose with a strong coffeeish bitterness; very robust bitter-sweet flavour, medium to full bodied; distinctive coffeeish finish with a heavy touch of molasses and a lingering heavy (burnt-)malty-bitter finish. Worth a detour........

Rating #400... It finally snowed again today. This is only like the second time the whole season, so it’s about time! If it is going to be this frigid it might as well be snowing. Unfortunately it was just a very light dusting that’s gone already, but hopefully more will be on the way. In the meantime, I’ve been really wanting to try the Bell’s 7000 for quite some time, so I finally decided that today is the day to try one! I’m sure it has been worth the wait...

Bell’s Batch 7000 pours out similar to used motor oil in a completely silent stream (no spashing or other noise of any kind when it first hits the glass or the other beer already in the glass). It is a very, very dark maroon brown color. In the glass it appears black with an intruiguing purple hue to it. There is a initially a creamy brown head (with a reddish tint) that slowly recedes to leave a cirrus-like veil with a dense ring around the edges. The aroma is a complex mixture of mocha, port, smoke, and fine alcohol. The rich and creamy flavor is also complex. Red wine, cream sherry, chocolate, coffee, and fine alcohol are all evident. There is also a delicate smoked meatiness that complements all the other flavors. Toward the end a slight warming alcohol sensation emerges that completes the overall experience of this beer. The finish is dry and roasty like espresso and fine dark chocolate. The savory flavor lingers on the tongue long after swallowing and remains rich with a semi-sweet chocolate and well-roasted malt bitterness at the very end. This beer has a full body and is very creamy and smooth on the palate. Overall I think I like this brew just a touch more than the Bell’s Expedition Stout. It must be because of the slightly greater amount of smoke threaded amongst the many other flavors of this beer. It would be quite interesting to try the Bell’s 7000 and Expedition Stout side by side to see how they really compare...

12 oz bottle. Thanks to everybody who has been kind enough to send me bottles of this fabulous beer: Styles, EddieG, Sephiroth, and Silphium. I really appreciate your generosity and look forward to enjoying every bottle. This beer has quickly become one of my favorites!

Pours a deep thick black-brown topped by a dark brown head of sudsy foam that’s at least two inches thick. Excellent head retention, good lacing. Strong roasted grain and mocha in the aroma. Thickly roasted malt that is definately charred but not quite burnt or bitter. The chocolate, on the other hand, is quite bitter. The coffee flavor is strong. Noticeable vanilla. A hint of smoke. Dark toasted raisin bread. Thick and oily and velvety smooth mouthfeel. Lightly carbonated.

Bottle. Thanks to Styles. Poured a black oil thick color. Aroma of chocolate and rubber. Taste bittering hops is very present.

Bottle at the Düsseldorf Gathering. Deep black body. Pours rather sirupy. Lightly brown, creamy head. Aroma of liquor, coffee. Nicely balanced aroma of malts. Moderately bitter, moderately sweet flavour.

Dusseldorf Gathering, Bottled. Black currant and coffee aroma. Black, brown small head, good lace, pours thick. Sweet, very bitter, aggresive, loads of coffee, loads of hops but still well balanced. Thick and warming.

Bottle at the Blue Nile in Minneapolis, Minnesota, poured into a Westmalle Trappist glass. Caution: I drank this beer immediately after enjoying Surly Darkness, which as of the time of this writing ranks as the 10th best beer in the world on this site. Almost anything is going to pale in comparison to that masterpiece. <P>The port-like aroma contains chocolate notes. The alcohol stings the nostrils. The beer pours a dark brown color, like coffee with a dash of cream. It has a moderate-sized sable head and an amber/red hue. It looks very good, but no better than the standard imperial stout. The sharp flavor contains coffee, hops, dark chocolate, sweet port, and sour orange elements. It settles to a more standard dry stout taste after multiple sips. It is tasty, but there is a bit too much coffee to my liking, and the alcohol flavor is too strong. The alcohol actually burns going down the throat. This is the first time I’ve ever had the whiskey burn sensation from a beer. I like it from the palate perspective but not from the flavor point of view. What is this, an Irish coffee? In addition to the alcohol burn, Batch 7000 is fizzy, buttery, and fluffy on the palate. It is medium to full in body. It produces perhaps the most unique experience in the palate that I’ve had from any beer, and I was ready to give it a 5 in this category, but I found the beer too hard to finish to earn a perfect rating. <P>Overall, this is very good stuff. I just wish I hadn’t had Surly Darkness immediately beforehand, because it does overshadow this beer, and it made this 12% abv product even more of a challenge to consume. Believe it or not, this imperial stout is reminiscent of a Belgian strong blonde ale (think Duvel) in its alcohol sharpness. It’s a bit much, but it is definitely a flavorful and unique treat, even by the high standards of the imperial stout category.

Now this brew is a monster. Pours out like a nice thick glass of used motor oil. Has a thick brown head. Aroma is very chocolatey, malty, and had some hints of coffee. Flavor was as it is with most IS very much the same. This thing has a great finish and left me yearning for more