Bells Batch 7000 Ale

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

a good beer...but it seems a bit funky....I wonder if it was just not handled well....seemed really too ashy for its own good.....sad....and a fair amount of vegetable notes

Many thanks again to Pigfoot in Minneapolis for this stunning special release! Sampled in the sun with friends on new years’ day 2008. Look: Menacing opaque with sediment in the bottle, like molasses or (from a rural perspective) like cow-shed effluent but not as green! Left a dense, viscous, thick oil around the glass (not unlike motor oil). Aroma: Big sweetness upfront (malty molasses, prunes) followed by Marmite (yeast spread) - and a farm supply shop smell. Finished with citrus zing. Taste: Surely the most polarising beer I’ve ever shared - "this is not like beer!" a friend exclaimed. We tasted tar (like licking a road), burnt coffee and toffee, molasses and treacle, an acidic bitterness combined with a sour edge that lingered for ever and ever. As we sipped the alcohol became apparent prompting guesses at it’s strength from 7.5 to 8.5% ABV. Body: A curious shift from fizziness to reveal a thick, tarry licorice body with warming alcohol. Food: We guessed strong cheeses, salted pistachios, bier-stick or jerky, or even darrrrrk chocolate. Overall: An astounding beer - a barley wine we wondered? Certainly a oncer for fireside end-of-night deep and meaningfuls.

Bottle at Sune’s (Thanks Bager). Wow what a powerfull brew. Black - brown head. Burned, high high hoppy, alcoholic, tarmac, smoked, cherry, red berries, chocolate, roasted, tobacco, dried fruits. Very nice - a bit too violent..... but all that hop and this beer is almost 3 years old !!!!

Øl fra Bagerne til klubaften. Igen en sort en af slagsen. Fornemmer vi et tema??Intet skum. Den er olietyk og utrolig lækker. Noget gennemstængende alkohol, tørrede frugter, hårdt rustet, bitter choko og kaffe. Me like!

12oz bottle. My Rating 1900#. Trade. Thanks Chris. Pours pitch black with a small stable creamy brown head & thick lacings. Nose is of dark fruits & roasted malts - a lot of chocolate. Palate is like velvet - smooth, creamy, thick, soft & wonderful(l) Taste has wood, vanilla, chocolate & coffee. Alcohol is very well hidden & pleasant! This is a masterpiece! Now I cant wait to taste the Expidition stout in the fridge!

12 oz, from zeswaft? Much hoppier and grassier than I was expecting - both in aroma and flavor. Chocolate, vanilla, dusty astringency. Quite excellent and rather boozy. Strong flavors all around.

bottle by way of ucusty... dark ruby black colored body with brown edges. it’s topped by a tight, spongy orange-ish mocha head which paints the glass with lacing. the aroma is intensely high roasted grains, chocolate, burning alcohol, dark fruit/fig/black cherry, coffee and burnt/charred black raisins. the flavor is really rich and robust but largely the same as the aroma... black cherry skins, astringent grain, vanilla marshmallow, light sourness, wood, floral, piney and grassy hops. alcohol vapors pour out of me on the burnt grainy finish. long lasting aftertaste of coffee. thick body is rather sticky and unpleasant. low mellow carbonation gives it a creamy smooth mouth feel. i’d love to try this in another five years. but for now... i’m certainly glad this is in a 12 oz. bottle as i couldn’t have finished anything bigger!...

12 oz. bottle courtesy of jjpm74. Pours black with a tightly packed reddish tan head. The aroma is vinous with dark fruits, molassess, vanilla, caramel malt, and some light roast. The flavor is dark chocolate, caramel, molasses, roasted, vanilla, earthy, fruity, and slightly smokey. This is thick and viscous from the beginning. I enjoyed every second of this beer and wish I had more. Aroma, flavor, and mouthfeel are all top notch. This was a perfect way to celebrate number 600. Thanks John!