Bells Batch 4000 Ale

Formerly brewed at Bells Brewery
Style: American Strong Ale
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

Serve in Snifter, Tulip

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orangish pour. Fruity aroma with some sweet sugary notes and caramel. Flavor is fruity and sweet, has held up ok, but isnt my favorite.

Pours a hazy copper bronze with a thin off-white, lightly lacing head. Has a rich dark malty caramel aroma with some butterscotch and a touch of lemony citrus. Starts lightly sweet with a hint of honey turning more tart, dry and citric with a warming finish. Has a surprising amount of carbonation for its age. Nice subtle complexity, but this is probably past its prime with the added sourness. Thanks to goldtwins for sharing!

Tremendous thanks to StewardofGondor and mista Styles for the opportunity! Bottle poured a hazy deep caramel with a short off-white head. Heavy old ale-ish aroma with rich, porty caramel, toffee, boozed-up darker fruits, and other dark sugars. Flavor was much like the nose... chestnutty-spices added.. lots of fruit and some port in there... very mild oxidation.. Heavy.. Warming.. Satisfying! Smooth across the middle and dry. Alcohol highlights and warmth play a supporting role. Tremendous beer that falls on #800! WOO!

5 yr old bottle. This particular bottle has not held up very well. Bottle-conditioned, it pours a cloudy amber, topped by a filmy off-white head, lasting. Aroma is passed its prime to say the least. It proposes sausages and tart apples notes in a crusty and sauerkraut like background. Sharply vinegary flavour profile, earthy, cookie-ish and mildly alcoholic. Light bodied has certainly lost some of its glory. Thanks for the opportunity Clark.

Cloudy brown , light fizzy head . Light hops around, good malt base, alcohol behind present. Medium-full bodied ale, quiet malty, age made hops a bit shy I presume. Decent even after those years.

Bottle. Pours a hazy amber toned body with an off white head. Dark fruity, malty and sweet with chewy fruit esters reminiscent of raisins. Dark malts, chewy toffee, soy and some maple notes. A lighter oxidation surprisingly tolerable almost works well, oddly enough.

Sampled at Arg0’s Pre-RBSG Tasting at his pad: Golden amber, light haze. Notes of raisin, sherry, juicy caramel. The flavor is rich and chewy. Certain characteristics of quality beer, a bit old, questionably drinkable. Mellow. 8 years old? Sigh.

MUCH THANKS JASON for the rare opportunity to revisit this beer from my pre-Ratebeer days! Poured a hazy brown hue with a small frothy off-white head and some lace. The aroma has notes of vanilla, caramel, dried apricot, fig, grainy malts and of course a heavy oxidized vapor (which is a good thing for this beer). The flavor profile is fruity and rich with malts. Moderately nutty and caramelized as well. Finished off with a biscuity and slight cardboard (for ageing I would guess) aftertaste. The feel is the weak point of the brew, dry and soft, a bit sticky after you are done. This has aged wonderfully turning into an olde ale. If you get the chance, don’t pass it up!

Bottled. Hazy ambber coloured. Dark fruits, almonds, liqueur and toffee aroma. Sweet flavour with the same notes as in the aroma. Mature.

An aged double mild? Haha- no wonder this one didnt hold up well at all. Pours a light to medium amber with a fizzy dying head. Aroma is almost pure soy fromt he oxidation (some cream sherry)- with herbal and yeasty hints- grass, lemon, heather, pineapple and green pepper. Lightly sweet flavor formt he soy and aged malts, light caramel, nutty, toasty, and hints of dull bittersweet chocolate, and the obvious soy and wet cardboard wiht some dirty earthy yeasty notes. Possible light autolysis as well- some rubbery and butyrate notes as it warms.