Bells Bourbon Barrel Double Cream/Expedition Stout

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

Handbottle from the Indy crew... had the pleasure of sampling because I hosted a tasting that included the Carolina Crew recipients of said bottle. Thanks to all these guys! Lovely, complex nose filled with chocolate, toasted vanilla, lots of creme brulee, bourbon, and oak. Nutty and creamy and sweet but not too much of any one thing. Retains a nice complexity instead of being a bourbon bomb. Damn good.

WOW is this ever a good beer. So much going on, all the usual chocolate, roast, coffee, oak, bourbon, vanilla, etc. Just a kick in the mouth and so very flavorful.

From the tap at EBF 09! I must have drunk 10 samples of this stuff during the two day event. Poured an opaque black while cascading into a fine frothy head; perfect! The aroma was incredible if you’re a BB lover. Sweet vanilla, chocolate, oak, and of course, bourbon notes abound; could inhale this all night. The taste was superb; roasted chocolate malt, vanilla, and oak blend so well with the bourbon that it just melts in the mouth. Very smooth and creamy with a very slight hint of ABV; which is scary! One of the best well balanced BB stouts that I have tasted. Too bad this isn’t bottled!!

EBF NOTB and session 1- multiple samples. opaque black with a brown head. Aroma is quite potent with roast, bourbon, chocolate, licorice, oak, and a touch of sherry. Taste is intense, roast, dark chocolate, bourbon, oak, vanilla. Creamy, full body (as double creme suggests) with some good molasses character. Finishes with lingering roast, vanilla, and some alcohol.

Draft, at Night of the Barrels 2/20/09. Pours pitch black, capped with a frothy brown head. Aroma of chocolate malt, vanilla, oak and bourbon. Flavor begins with chocolate and coffee, which are nicely complimented by vanilla, bourbon and wood. Some charcoal creeps in for the finish. Fairly full mouthfeel. Nice beer, I’m glad I had the opportunity to try this.

On tap as part of a high gravity lineup. Pitch black with basically no head by the time it got to me. Aroma is vanilla, dark chocolate, espresso, and plenty of bourbon. Taste is a creamy dark roasted chocolate, hint of smokiness, and just the right amount of oak and bourbon as well. Mouthfeel is incredibly smooth and creamy. One of the best bourbon stouts I’ve had.

Draft at NOTB 2009. Poured the classic awesome looking imperial stout of a thick super pitch black body and a big thick beige head. Aroma on this one is simply awesome with notes of vanilla, chocolate, bourbon, roasted malts, tobacco and just so complex and deep. Flavor followed the aroma with lots of raostiness and vanilla/chocolate notes but the alcohol was a little more prevalent then I would have liked, still phenomenal though. Great stuff.

Another glorious beer that I have had the awesome privilege to try courtesy of wetherel! 16oz handbottle, shared at J&J’s Friday the 13th Tasting at WeeHeavySD’s place. This stuff is fucking tight! Pours a viscous, oily black with some fine deep brown swirls in the the center. Killer aroma of mellowed bourbon barrel and sweet vanilla cream with pancake batter. Some light smoke with espresso and molasses hang around there too. Awesome complexity for this style. Flavors follow the aroma spot on, with dark chocolates balanced perfectly with earthy oak, vanilla, and wood. Everything about this beer says matured and sophisticated. Perfect, full-bodied, coating mouthfeel. Damn, I wish this experience never ended. True bliss. Thanks again wetherel!