Bells Bourbon Barrel Double Cream/Expedition Stout

Brewed by Bells Brewery
Style: Imperial Stout
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

My 100th ratting and what a beer to do it on. 7oz Tap at Stub and Herb’s. Pours black as black with a tan head. Aroma doesn’t get much better; if I wasn’t so excited to get this one I could have just sat and smelled this all night. Lots of bourbon, dark roasted malts, espresso, creamy chocolate, and vanilla. Flavor is fantastic as well and is everything you get out of the smell and more. The sweetness of everything works so well with the bourbon. This is extremely well balanced and everything seems to complement each other. This one lives up to all the hype and then some! I only hope I can get more of this sometime sooner rather than later.

[Tap at Stub and Herb’s] Pours pitch black with a moderate tan head. Aroma is divine. Lots of bourbon barrel, vanilla, espresso, and some ultra dark chocolate, maybe some chocolate pudding as well. The mouthfeel on this thing is ammmmaaaazzziiingggg. Makes expedition feel like grainy water in comparison. Flavor isn’t too shabby either. The double cream stout really shines through, lots of barrel character, dark chocolate, and roasted dark malts. Really amazing beer.

(on tap at Stub and Herbs) Pours black with a thin tan head that rings around the highball glass that I wish were a snifter instead. Aroma wasn’t too impressive, but it contained the standard BA impy fare, with some vanilla, chocolate, roasted malt, and raisin as well. The taste was quite good with some milk chocolate, handi-snacks chocolate pudding, vanilla, light roasted malt, coconut, raisin, and some charred barrel on the finish. What really sets this beer apart from other BA imp. stouts is the mouthfeel which is incredibly smooth, rich, and full. If I could give the palate a higher score I would. A good beer, but not as great as I was expecting. Hopefully I can re-rate a larger sample in a snifter sometime in the future.

Served at Stub and Herbs during their Black Friday event the day before Surly’s Darkness Day. Our waitress was right on this one and did a great job securing a table of ratebeerians with a 7 oz sample of this brew. Later on, I witnessed a beer being Factoed by an unnamed source, ha! One of the smoothest palates of any beer I’ve put to my lips. Tobacco, licorice, lactose, chocolate, bourbon...a lot going on here. Well balanced, as none of the flavors overpower. Fairly impressive, although I have to admit when it comes to impy stouts, this isn’t quite my bag of tea. But I can see how some might be blown away by this beer. I’m glad I got a chance to try.

I’ve been chasing this beer since it first was offered in April 2007. Finally it came to me. On draught at Stub & Herbs in Minneapolis, MN, during pre-Darkness Day 09. Pours an opaque dark brown, nearly black with no head. Aroma of light bourbon, vanilla, raisins and chocolate. Taste is full bodied, smooth as a baby’s bottom, with flavors of bourbon, dark chocolate, vanilla, raisins, a hint of coconut and coffee. Finish is dark chocolate, bourbon and raisin aftertaste with a lingering vanilla flavor. Well done.

Tap @ Stub and Herbs - Pours deep black with no head - looks really viscous. The smell is nice and sweet, but I feel like I needed a snifter for this one. There’s sweet bourbon and vanilla -- not cloying, but pleasant. Taste is smooth, with nice roast. Tons of vanilla, caramel, raisins, and muted bourbon. The finish is pleasant, and leaves a sweet milkiness in the mouth. Definitely felt like I was chewing this one. I think the blend works here, and brings the best elements of each of the two beers. The bourbon barrel seemed to iron out any of the rough edges, as there was none of the harsh, bitter flavors that can sometimes come through with Expy. Very, very nice.

Tap at stub and Herbs. Smooth chocolate on the aroma with vanalla and butterscotch drifting in there as well. Muted bourbon flavor in the body with a very thick & creamy finish. Very nice!

Tap. Chocolaty, roasty goodness intially on the nose. Big, big, big wood/bourbon presence. Dark, creamy melted chocolate. Toasted marshmallows. Grain alcohol soaked vanilla beans. Slight coffee notes... rich, full bodied French-press. Thick, oily pitch black pour. Nearly lifeless. Oily yellow legs on the sides of the glass. Taste matches the aroma. Thick, creamy, melted chocolate. Toasted vanilla bean. Kahlua infused German Chocolate Cake. Rum soaked dark fruits. Vanilla and lots of wood. Absolutely decadent mouth feel. Nearly as viscous as Darkness. The alcohol stays in check on the tongue (thankfully). A very well balanced and well integrated BA Impy. Nice!