Bells Bourbon Barrel Batch 7000 Ale

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

Draft, Birreria Paradiso, Bell’s Dinner. Pours a very dark, murky and oily brownish color; thin, fine-bubbled head with more oiliness than lacing. Very dense, buttery bourbon and dark chocolate and an impressively soft, toasty vanilla-tinged oak and intricate bourbon character in the aroma; just lovely. Exceptionally oily, dense mouthfeel: all the roastiness and oily, nuttiness of the non-BA version, with a soft, buttery bourbon character; plenty of vanilla and warming alcohol, but nothing harsh; creamy, dense, excellent bourbon throughout, without overwhelming the beer underneath. Medium, soft bourbon and chocolate and roasted nuts in the finish; oily and smooth.

On tap at the Bell’s dinner at Birreria Paradiso; 5.5 oz. pour. Inky black; tepid grey foam in a thin lining. Sherry, sour mash bourbon and the seared crust of creme brulee in the aroma; subtely oxidized and wooded with hints of soy sauce and some charred dark fruit. Shades of pepper and port linger near the bottom of the what actually may be characterized as a truly bottomless montage. Rich, bold, and refined, with a really thick meaty quality throughout; late suggestions of grahams and caramelized sugars, blonde brownies. Taste first presents the subtle colors of bourbon in vanilla and toasted oak; cherry cola and plenty of bright, sharp sweetness in burnt honey, hickory, peppermint and eggnog. These tones are slightly lactic and not as dark as the typical sugars of imperial stout, though the residual foundation itself is as black and chocolatey as ever could be. Softly carbonated, oily, and fully decadent mouthfeel; viscous, deep, and tightly balanced. Finishes with a type of drying alcoholic heat that suggests vanilla-tinted vodka, remaining quite sweet. Syrupy and a bit tangy in its final pulse; striking gold with the elusive success of bourbon integration in its both careful and brash disposition. Incredible; memorable.

On tap at Graydon’s Crossing, Grand Rapids. I was really excited to try this one, and the beer did not disappoint. Deep opaque brown-black body, tight brown medium head. Big oaky nose backed by strong roast, licorice, and plum/prune notes. Wow! Incredibly potent body. The oak quickly melts away into the deep roasty body, a complex but still rough-hewn gem of prune, acerbic woodiness, charred malts, burnt marshmallow, and chocolate. Sharp, prickly alcohol reminds the drinker of its heft. Excellent complexity. This is a rich, decadent beer without the barrel...the addition of oak makes every sip an experience.

Maduro/PreGTMW07- This would of been the best thing I drank all weekend, but Bells out did itself with the expy blend. This is such a wonderful close second. The main thing I didnt like about 7K was the hop presence. This wonderfully took care of that. A little more age, and the bourbon, again not over the top. Bells seems to really know how to use a barrel to work with the beer, not against it. This was just fantastic, and I hope I get to drink it again.

On tap at Maduro for the GTMW pre-party. Are you kidding me, a whole pint glass of this stuff!?!?!? As I settle into my leather couch to contemplate the insanity that is about to ensue with tonight’s event, I take my first sip. Immediately, Sombeast and I look across at each other and utter, "holy crap!" We were both blown away by the immense proportions of flavour associated with this brew and also by the fact that at 12% alcohol, and a full pint of this mind you, it was going to be one helluva marathon to get through all the Bell’s offerings on tap. The aroma is huge with enormous notes of bourbon, oak and vanilla with a certain sweetness also emanating from the glass. Wow, the mouthfeel is thick, oily and extremely viscous. Flavours of grilled steak (believe it!), raisins, dark-bittersweet chocolate and charred oak. A bit high on the amount of bourbon in place as I would have liked to have seen the oak character emphasized a little more. Later on, some noticeable caramel notes with a residual sweetness on the palate. Good complexity in this one, but a few hints of fusels on the finish support my notion that this could have aged a bit more. Overall, I’d still love to get some more!

On tap at the Maduro, the night before GTMW Black color. Oak and cappicino aroma along with cocoa & 70% chocolate. Mouthfeel is insane. Taste is vanilla cream, dark roast, dark fruit/berries.

On tap at Maduro prior to the 2007 GTMW: Pours an oily opaque black with dark brown edges and a thin coating of frothy, well-lacing dark brown head. Incredibly rich, sweet dark caramel and chocolate aroma has a good amount of vanilla oaky bourbon complexity and some raisins and brown sugar. Body starts with a full sweetness, dense molten dark cocoa and complex bourbon oak with a mild touch of grapefruity hops that are still fairly assertive given the age. Great bourbon balance and thick, yet smooth palate. An awesome barrel-aged imperial stout!

A bountiful portion at Great Taste. One of the better Bourbon Brews I tasted,(at least of the one I remember),full rich Chocolate cake ,roasted malt and everything that is wonderful about good bourbon. Taste was the same. Yes,the bourbon was on the high side,but I dont dock a brew for that if there is arich smoothness to it,and if good malt flavors still manage to come through. This was a fantastic way to staart the Festival and really raised the bar