Bells Batch 7000 Ale

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

I don’t even know what to call this thing. It’s too hoppy to be an impy stout, but it’s too creamy and malty to be a double IPA. Any ideas? It’s pretty great, whatever it is. I’m glad I got to try this one, because I can’t get Bell’s where I live and this is "only brewed once." Here’s to 7000 more. Cheers.

Pours real dark, with a decent light brown head. malt and chocholate notes rise up to the nose. Thick rich mouthfeel, almost like drinking chocolate syrup with hops and a touch of citrus, coffee, and alcohol. Very rich and flavorful.

Deepest burgundy-brown without the opacity of an expedition, but producing an initially fair head that leaves interesting lacing for its strength. Immensely hoppy nose explodes with grapefruit, mint and citrus aromatics, but the malt overlay is just as massive. Cakey feel is intensified by the floury, chocolatey and coffee-like notes in abundance. The roastiness is powerful all along. Very bitter in mouth, that’s usually not my type, but it has qualities otherwise, for one, its dominant orangey citric character somehow manages to keep the acidity level at a low. The coffee/cocoa malt combo seems to simply accept and bend under hop pressure rather than being forced to and I guess it makes the difference. Medium-full bodied, heavily roasty, sensible carbonation, but without the silkiness of the greats at this point, maybe as the hops mellow – it is not overly astringent, but the components extravagance can’t help but giving it a rapacious feel on the palate. Additionally, that hop action takes a lot away from the malt fruitiness underlying. While it may not have been made to be balanced, the final product certainly seems to be striving for it. Lots of hops for lots of malt. I would trade it for an expedition in a blink, but I can see how some people may find it a regal.

Good imperial stout, but too sweet for my taste. Needs more alcohol backbone and more hops. Definitely don’t notice the 12%.

Pineapple fruitiness, biscuity malts and orange blossom, minty, herbal hops greet the nose along with a strong milk chocolate sweetness. Opaque black body is topped by a decent brown head that recedes to cover with some sudsy lacing. Very roasty flavour with plenty of orange herbal hops and a lingering charred bitterness. Some notes of white chocolate. Full body with moderate carbonation that is velvety and sticky. Bottle sampled at Barry’s housewarming tasting.

aroma of gingerbread, brown sugar, ripe fruit. Pours opaque black, nice reddish/brown head. Flavour is sweet and thick. Strong licorice and fig flavours. Hops in the finish. Tasty.

Pours dark and thick. Builds a nice creamy brown head but doesn’t hold too long. Aromas of gingerbread, molasses and coffee. Strong sharp black licorice flavour on a bed of bitter chocolate and coffee. Short finish. Delicious with a nice alcohol finish.

Pitch black color with a thin brown head that disappears pretty fast. Thin lacing that does not cling to the glass. Pungent aroma of dark malts and coffee. Thick and creamy body with loads of sweet dark fruit followed immediately by hops and roasted coffee flavors. Alcohol in the background from beginning to end as well. The finish is long and smokey with more dark malt. Seems a little untamed right now, still it is another well done Stout by Bell’s.