Bells Expedition Stout

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

[fresh 08 batch] Pours thick oily black with the darkest head I’ve ever seen... creamy... an inch thick and grayish brown. Big licorice, coffee, woody aroma with notes of chocolate and smoke. Big viscous body, oily and syrupy, a full mouthful, sugary and reminiscent of darklord (not nearly as lumpy of course). Sweet, sugary, buttery, licorice, smokey, extremely woody with some chocolate and coffee. A little bit tannic in the finish (fresh bottle), but not nearly like DL was.... Really an amazing production. 9.5.10.5.19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [04 bottle sampled June 08 courtesy of Dukefan] Perfection! the age mellows and blends every nuance into bliss . . . . . . . . . . . . [batch 94??] what the hell... I purposefully bought this six pack to confirm that this should be in my top 10, but my last 3 samplings have been very disappointing. Pours the same but everything else is wrong.... soy sauce, extreme soy sauce and this is a very fresh bottle.. maybe I have some basis to judge now after having sampled many IRS.... 7.5.7.4.15

12oz bottle. Pours a dark dark black with a thin short lived brown head. Aromas of milk chocolate, caramel, coffee,and some dark fruit Flavor is even more complex and wonderful, along with the above mentioned thier are hints of wood and alcohol in the mix. The palate is greated with a thick full body, a syrupy texture, soft carbonation, and warm flavorful finish that lasts and lasts. One of the best Imperials I’ve had. This one is a must to try and buy a few extra to put back.

Bottle. I don’t get the high score. Normal looking. Aroma of toffee, maple syrup, cherry, alcohol; slightly subdued. Tastes harsh. Alcohol, burnt sugar, spicy hops. Thick alcohol and syrup finish. It was better after I halved it with Bud Light. Actually very nice then.

Lucky to have this on draft @ Barley’s No. 1: This is just a beautiful beer. Pours black as night, with a thick, indulgent tan head. Aroma is burnt coffee and dark fruits, and some dark chocolate. Alcohol is present in the nose. Flavor is silky and rich, with undertones of vanilla, coffee, traces of lactose, and big roasted chocolate malt flavor. Well-balanced to give a very full mouthfeel, that finishes warm in every part of your mouth. Just a well done, delicious, impressive imperial stout.

Batch 8145, bottled Sep 2007. (Thanks Bells Batch finder website!) Pours an intense deep black color with an espresso colored head. Flavor is dark chocolate, coffee, ripe cherry, a bit of bread. Has a nice little spiced tang at the end to finish it off. Full bodied, a bit syrupy. Alcohol notes come through after letting it sit on your palate for a bit. Wow, this stuff is liquid manna. For such a big stout it goes down super easy. Rich enough that you really couldn’t drink more than one, but the one you drink is delicious down to the last sip.

I don’t even know what to say. The head is so amazingly dark and the full bodied aroma brings tears to your eyes. Not even going to lie to you, it’s the best beer I have personally had so far.

2007 Bottle - Batch8311, pours a viscous black with almost no head, thick like motor oil, aroma is light, toasty and fruity, flavour on the front end is cloying, burnt sugar, chickory, molassas, and cocoa, it stays thick as it warms and the alcohol is always present, on the back end high bitterness, way more than expected, but pretty pleasant given the richness - very good Imperial Stout, but its reputation preceeds it, and that is a high bar...

Bottle. Pours black as my soul with thin mocha head. Pretty standard aroma of chocolate, coffee, and caramel. Wonderful taste.