Bells Bourbon Barrel Double Cream Stout

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

Bottle Pours a deep brown with a good tan head. The head lasts well and laces nicely. Has a good aroma of chocolate, bourbon, hints of vanilla, and caramel. Has a good carbonation. The flavors are great. Plenty of chocolate, bourbon, and hints of vanilla. This is just darn good stuff. Has a full body and a thick texture. The finish is great and you just wish the aftetaste could linger a little longer cause its so good. Well done.

On tap. Marketed as Bourbon Barrel Double Cream. I asked about it and the batch number is 8835. Pours a dark brown with a lively head that dies fairly quickly. Aromas are sweet and alcoholic. Flavor is more of the same... almost a cloyingly sweet mix of brown sugar, maple syrup, chocolate, figs and raisins with a little bit of a bourbon edge to it. Alcohol is certainly detectable. This was worth the drive...

On tap at Maduro pre-GTMW Bells party. pours black with a tan head. aroma of chocolate, bourbon, and coconut. flavor notes are caramel, chocolate, bourbon, oak, and vanilla. all very smooth and well balanced. a wonderful barrel aged beer.

Bells rating no. 70!!!On tap at the Eccentric Cafe 8/25/09. Batch 8835. Pours an oily black with a tan film for a head. Smells of Bourbon, molasses, brown sugar, some vanillaand a touch of soy and tobacco. F**k is that good. Flavors stated above are present with some bitter dark chocolate and wood . Good deal of bourbon in this...slick and creamy. Nice burn on the way down. Damn I wish this was bottled

Rating #3800!! On tap at Maduro. Poured black with a creamy tan head.. thicker viscosity. The aroma picked up sweet, succulent bourbon and vanilla upfront over sweeter, toasted oats, milk chocolate, and vanilla.. just a pinch of oaky sourness evident on the back of the nose. The flavor was sweet overall with moderately-roasted chocolate, black patent, and creamy rolled oats at the core.. vanilla, sweet bourbon, and tangy oak were laced throughout, and paired up with a touch of coffee bitterness on the finish. Rich, creamy, and smooth across the palate, with spicy, engaging barrel presence in all the right places.. perfectly-balanced. This was the highlight of my weekend!

(Draught) Pours an opaque black body with a small tan head. Aroma of roasted grain, coffee, vanilla, and chocolate. Flavor of bourbon, toffee, roasted malt, chocolate, caramel, and vanilla. I only wished this was bottled... Excellent!

On tap at Maduro’s in Madison pre-GTMW 2009:

Opaque with just a small frothy head and oily legs. The aroma has notes of bourbon, chocolate, lactic acid, coffee, oak, plum and fig. The taste is big sweet malts with a dark fruit undertone and a side shot of bourbon. Still lots of chocolate and hint of molasses can be easily found. The mouth feel is lush and oily, smooth but a touch ashy upon the finish. The alcohol is shockingly well hidden all things considered. An outstanding use of the barrel where you could till see some of the base Double Cream shine yet a far different beast out of the barrel.

Pre Great Taste, Maduro, 2009. Talk about a beer that lends itself well to bourbon ageing. The creaminess of double cream is exentuated by the barrel ageing, and I think now that double cream contributed more to the complexity of the bourbon-barrel double-cream/expedition, whereas I used to think the Expedition was pulling the weight. Notes of vanilla, oatmeal, raisin, and caramel, with a semi-sweet chocolate and bourbon finish. Nicely done.