Bells Batch 6000 Ale

Formerly brewed at Bells Brewery
Style: Barley Wine
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

Wow. Sticky, syrupy sweet with a thick hop bite. Alcohol was well hidden, and flavors were nicely balanced.

Orange-brown in colour. Aroma was very floral, with citrus hops and some alcohol. Flavour was floral, lots of hops, citrus, plums, caramel, oranges, moderate alcohol. Medium body. Finishes with an alcohol burn. Thanks for the beer PsychProf.

A fine beer, but just not quite up there with my favorite barleywines. Very malt focused, and seems to need some time to balance out as it seems to have a lot of different things going on that don’t all meld together. I much prefer Exp. Stout or Third Coast for the Bell’s strong offerings. Putting the other 4 bottles away for 8 months or so and see how it develops.

Coloring very dark brown. An unbalanced barley wine. Varied flavor. Not too bad to start with, but wouldn’t make it my last one.

#100 what better way than with a mich. brew. Poured a nice mahogany with a small tan headand very little lacing. Aroma caramel raisins malts, alcohol and a sweetness like cherries.Flavor plums, molasses, malts,cherries and alcohol as it warms. I ahd this last year a I thought it was good beer, now after sitting in my basement for about 7 months it has become a very good beer I glad I bought more than a couple of bottles would like to rerate this in a year. thank you bells

Original Rate June 2, 2004. Very dark brown color with a thin tan head. Aroma of sugars and malt. The taste seemed very muddled. There were various malt, hops, sugar, caramel, earth, and spice tastes, but it never seemed to pull together into something coherent. It was still good and tasty, but nothing spectacular. I think a couple years in a cellar would do this a ton of good. I have no problem with many flavors in my beer, but when they all mash in an odd way, it’s just not as good as the subtle blending obtained over time. 7/4/6/3/14 Re-Rate at MN Ratebeer Winter Gathering, January 12, 2008. I’m glad I finally had a chance to revisit this one. Dark copper color with a little head. Lots of yeast floaties. Caramelly aroma. Sweet malt and Noble hop taste. Some bit of Belgian yeast. This barley wine now somehow tastes like a Belgian Ale. Strange.

RE-RATE 1/3/06 from a 12 oz. bottle obtained at Keller’s IGA in Cincinnati, OH 5/25/04. Same delicious beer as before, but the brown sugar aroma is melded together and even more haunting, and the prickly twigs have become entangled with a deep figgy malt richness, reminiscent now of a beautifully aged Hurlimann Samichlaus, only with the perfect touch of juicy hop character and simply beautiful carbonation (even after two years). I’m almost ashamed not to give ’er a 5. In due time. . .10/5/9/5/19/4.8 ORIGINAL RATING: 5/31/04. Poured out of 12 oz. bottle, bought at Keller’s IGA in Cincinnati, OH 5/25/04. Hazy burnt sienna-- dark reddish-orange with hints of brown. Fantastic fluffy and rocky, dark tan head with absolutely terrific, dense lacing. Sticks in uniform sheets and falls slowly down the sides of the glass like brown sugar crystals. Aroma is rich brown sugar, bright hops and caramel; terrific balance and rich complexity. I have a hard time putting into words just what separates this from the others; reminiscent of Doggie Claws for me, but this is like a whole new level of Doggie Claws. Flavor is spicy brown sugar, slightly peppery, well-hopped and with mild dark fruity sweetness. Just about the best malt backbone you could ask for in a barley wine. Fantastically balanced sweetness and dryness, hops and malt, earthiness and heavenliness. Smooth medium body with a warming alcohol glow and nicely drying, slightly twiggy dirty finish. Extremely long. I’d like to see this one round out a bit to take off the little bit of harshness that is still there. I’d imagine a few years on it would make it just about the best barley wine it can be. 9/5/9/5/19/4.7

#600, thanks raindog! Deep brown/orange/red color, murky, with a nice tan head that fades slowly. Alcohol laden toffee and caramel nose laced with a bitter hop note with grapefruit and spice prevalent. Malt sweetness stikes the tongue initially, followed by a bitter push of grapefruit oriented hops. Further contemplation showed molasses, plums, and apricot notes. A complex behometh of a wine that hasn’t even begun to mature. Great stuff, should age beautifully.