Bells Bourbon Barrel Double Cream/Expedition Stout

Multiple 6 ounce glasses at the 2007 GTMW. The beer was simply marvelous. A huge active murky black body with a huge nice brown active thick head. The beer was aromatic with chocolate, charred wood, smoke, and brown sugar. Sweet and creamy. The flavor was a deep molasses and chocolate nicely blended with a charred wood and brown sugar. The sweetness on this one is large. A long flavorful finish pervades the senses. The beer has a full body and oily and creamy mouthfeel. Simply divine. My only perfect beer to date.

GTMW07- In my opinion the star of the show and the Bells beer line. As "waldo" was saying on the bullhorn "perhaps the best beer Bells has ever made". I’d agree. Everything I love about both beers with the added robust bourbon flavor. It works with the beer, not against it. Its the harmony of the 2 beers and wood that makes this so special.

First off, let me say my thanks to Larry Bell for making this gem, and thanks to The Party Town for making this available for growler fills. That being said, wow, what a treat! I’m a huge expedition fan, so this beer is what I’m all about. Pours a dark brown with a slight head that recedes quickly after pouring. This is possibly one of the best noses I’ve ever had come from a beer. I spent quite a bit of time sniffing this one. Smell is velvety bourbon, with notes of chocolate and espresso coffee. The taste is incredible. Think bourbon barrel aged Expedition with a very creamy and silky finish due to the Double Cream. This is the perfect combination, everything is working incredbily together. If bottled this would rival and give Kentucky Breakfast a run for its money. Very happy that I had the chance to enjoy this, but very sad as well, because the chances of coming across this rare gem again is small.

On tap at GTMW, 2 full glasses worth. This was one of those weekends where a brewer went above and beyond, exceeding its already sky-high expectations, to dismantle and re-create my Top 10 list.

Poured jet black with an explosive creamy cap of deep beige head.. highly viscous, clinging to the glass at every opportunity. The aroma was just heavenly (although in a deep, dark, and seductive way).. sweet, well-roasted dark chocolates (some darker and some cocoa) waft across the nose and are hit by a sweet bourbon and vanilla crosswind, with vanilla interplay from the Double Cream and the barrel.. toasted oak adds even further complexity. Couldn’t ask for anything more or different!

The flavor had a rich base of moderately-roasted milkier and darker chocolates accented by lightly-charred oak.. the barrel influence was not very pronounced, but did impart some sweet vanilla and even less bourbon on the latter half of the drink.. long and wonderful finish of sweet and roasty chocolates and a mild oaky sourness.. Amazing! Heavily-bodied with a perfect blend of the Expedition and Double Cream as well as a brilliantly soft, but certainly noticeable barrel influence on the beer. I hope to all the higher powers that I get to try this again!

Hand bottle from Growler. Big thanks to egajdis for sharing this hand bottle, this was truly a treat. Pours a deep, deep black body with thin head. Aroma was very complex - butter (not in a diactyl way, but in a bourbon/whisky way!), vanilla, bourbon, vinous. The aroma honestly changed everytime I took a sniff, well deserving of it’s "10" rating. Flavor is complex as well - caramel, vanilla, butter, very sweet. A few sips I noticed had an peanutbutter like taste. Being a bourbon barrel beer this is pretty smooth and I was surprised to find that the sweetness of the Double Cream was dominating the Expedition. This is one truly delicious beer and I NEED to have a bottle (or grolwer) all to myself at some point in time to truly appreciate this beer.