Bells Expedition Stout

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

Serving: 12 oz. bottle. Appearance: Pitch black with a thick, dense, brown head. Good head retention. Spotty lacing left behind. Aroma: You can smell this one as soon as you pop the top on it! Raisins, chocolate, vinous notes, molasses, dark roasted malt, and a bit of coffee. Very complex. Taste: A big bold bitterness with coffee highlights smacked me in the face on my first sip. Dark chocolate, raisins, burnt malt, and toffee notes as well. You can’t even tell this stuff is 10.5%. Palate: Medium-low carbonation with a thick, oily mouthfeel. This stuff really coats the tongue. Long, bitter finish. Overall: One of the most impressive stouts I’ve ever had and a great beer for #400. Rebuy: Absolutely. I think this one will get even better as it ages and the bitterness mellows out a bit.

Trade with Hopscotch, much appreciated! Pours black, like a thick black hole with a small milk chocolate head. Aroma is molassas, alcohol, caramel and cocoa. Thick and coating mouth. Licorice and chocolate. Toast and burnt malt linger, and linger. This is one thick, powerful, seductive, layered delicious brew

12oz bottle. Extremely complex. Lots of dark fruit and a touch of sour layered with dark chocolate and wonderful bitter coffee finish. Love this stuff!

Great Imperial stout. Opaque, thick. Way too sweet to enjoy more than one at a sitting. Damn good beer, just dont know what all the fuss is about.

Thanks to rustychiles for giving me a spare bottle of this to enjoy with my fiancee. Finally got a chance to try it. Pours jet black and is deceptively carbonated. Looks like it is flat as a pancake and then explodes with residual carbonation at the last second...had a very tasty mess. Pours with a humongous chocolate brown head and an aroma that is cocoa powder, dark fruits, complex alcohols, and a decided roast overtone that the rest melds together behind. A truly sublime and complex aroma. Taste is very roasty, some cocoa and coffee with a lot of yeast fruitiness. This tastes quite a bit like a foreign extra stout fermented on the hot side. Lots of interesting yeast phenols. Luckily, there was enough alcohol, malt, and other flavors to mask that somewhat, as it is a mild gag-inducer for me. Aftertaste is all roast and higher fruity phenols. Aroma is top notch, taste leaves something to be desired.

12 oz bottle via trade with beernbourbon, this was a bonus beer from Vince, that’s just the type of guy he is. Pours a deep dark brown with a brown head that fizzles out fast. The aroma filled the room... chocolate, molasses, vanilla, alcohol & oak, one of the most aromatic beers I’ve ever had. The flavor is sweet with a strong bitterness that balances out the huge malt base and a light alcohol taste. Full body with a mild carbonation and a thick syrupy mouth feel. This is a very complex beer, it is very rich and definitely a slow drinker. Thanks again for this Vince.

Pours like engine oil -- very dark, very deliciously dark appearance. Aroma is of alcohol and black licorice with a hint of soy. Very thick palate. Flavor is initially of black licorice and sweet malt, then transforms into bitter hops and roasted molasses -- though not burnt. Some notes of earthy coffee and chocolate coruscate through to a dry, dark finish. Very thick, very viscous, and very complex. A very balanced taste between bitter hops and dark characters delivers a spectacular brew with a phenomenal finish. Spectacular! Think Dark City epiphany and dénouement.

Bottled, shared with caesar. Opaque appearance, thin brown head. Malty nose, blackcurrent, liquorice. Strong hopbitter flavour, again liquorice. Very harsh brew, probably very complex, but it’s difficult to taste since it is that harsh. Probably pretty good if you’re into Imperial Stouts.