Bells Batch 7000 Ale

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

I think I got this via last years Secret Santa. If so, thank you Saint Nick. 12oz bottle pours a viscous, oily, opaque black with a very thin, bubbly tan head. Legs down the side of the glass like a fine scotch. Aroma is strong but doesn’t beat you over the head, toast, roasted grain, raisions, dark chocolate, earth, tobacco, molasses. Flavor is very strong on the brown sugar, chocolate, slight coffee, toast, very heavy raisin, vanilla, bourbon, booze, molasses, nuts, you name it really. I was surprised at how drinkable this was, easy on the tongue for 12% alcohol but still very complex. Sweet and bitter on the end, thick and oily. A real treat. I wish I had a case. Bells really knows how to do their stouts.

Thanks to MReusch for the bottle. Oozes out of the bottle like oil and managed to create a thin dark tan head. Once you start drinking some, it leaves a disgusting oily film all over the glass, just wonderful. Great aroma of cognac, tobacco, roasted grain, chocolate soy sauce and cocoa powder. Very complex and ever changing as it warms. Tasting this beast gives you a thick chewy body, chocolate, roasted grain, cocoa and hints of orange liqueur. Finishes with nice touches of chocolate. A big ballsy Imperial Stout that can almost double as a dessert beer. Simply outstanding.

Bottle pours oily pitch black with tan head. Aroma is some oxidation, bittersweet chocolate, and rich molasses. Mouthfeel is probably the thickest beer I’ve ever had. Oily thick doesn’t do it justice. Flavor follows the nose. I was expecting this to be a huge oxidation bomb. It had some, but not nearly as much as I was expecting. More bittersweet chocolate, espresso, and molasses. And I can still detect some alcohol. This is just a wonderful brew.

Today is a good day. Recieved this bottle from a friend, and man was it worth it.Pours a coal black with a slowly bulilding head. Absolutely beautiful. Molasses and brown sugar mixed with the licorice is just a dynamite Aroma. The flavor follows the smell very closely with the molasses and licorice dominating. Some bitter chocolate shows up towards the end making this one of my absolute favorite beers Ive ever had.I love Larry Bell.

06/13/09 Haven’t had this beer since it came out. I thought it was great then and it tastes even better now. Thick nut brown head, rich dark chocolate molasses flavor. One of my favorites.

Some generous porter drinker made this beer available to sample at the weekly tasting. Thank you sir, may your cup of porter runneth over. Pours deep dark with thin dark tan head. The smell is hot as hell booze followed by caramel, roast, molasses and hints of maltiness. Wow, pretty darn hot nose burning alcohol (is it still too young?). The taste elicits another wow response to pure triple layered yumminess. I get a thick chewy velvety fudgy mouth feel that feels oh so right. Notes of blended creamy malts, chocolate, molasses and caramel have come together in velvety harmony. Holy cow. This is fudgy yummy chocolaty, rich and delicious. It gets caramel, fudge and dark roastiness into the finish.

Poured black with a brown head. Aroma of chocolate and roasted coffee. Flavor of roasted malt with hints of chocolate and molasses.

First rating in forever! Bottle courtesy of pantanap (thanks Kan!). Pours dark black with slim tan head, thanks to some force on my end. The aroma is lovely, tons of dark fruits and chocolate. Plenty of roastiness as well. And the taste...just wow. Everything I like about Expedition basically. Explosion of dark bitter chocolate, burnt roast, and slight plumminess. One thing I’ve been amazed at with both this and Batch 6000 is just how unreal the texture is despite the years of aging. Wonderfully slick and full on the tongue. Finish is bitter and roasty. Excellent, spectacular, etc. Can’t wait for Batch 9000!