Bells Batch 6000 Ale

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

12oz bottle aged a little over 4 years in a cool dark cellar. Poured into a big brandy snifter, this is a pretty barleywine. The color is a murky purplish brown with a head of swirling white creamy bubbles. The aroma is really quite rich. I see earlier ratings that describe grapefruit hoppines. That isn’t here in the aged bottle. This is all caramel and chocolate. The aromas as well as the flavors are constantly swirling and changing. This is really a sexy beer. The alcohol is there, but it is just part of the luscious experience. Sexy, yet sophisticated.

Finally I’m drinking this one! Great copper brown pour,Slight head, very smooth, Caramel sweetness, Alcohol well hidden, slight oaky flavor, great stuff. Thanks to Sprinkle I believe for the bottle.

Murky brown with red hues. Off white head that leaves bits of lacing. Hops are fading, but still present. Caramel sweetness and toffee with what’s left of the piney hops coming together for a wonderful smell. A small amount of oxidation comes through, some sherry, sweet malt, and still a little bit of pine in the taste. Medium bodied with light carbonation. Really good beer that is still holding up great. I’m glad I’ve gotten to try this at the Great Taste and that hey_kevin shared a bottle of it; wish I had some of my own.

Duane shared a bottle of this. Thanks! Dark brown pour with reddish edges. Very sweet aroma of dark fruits and brown sugar. Flavor was similar with some caramel malt and a very subdued piney hop presence. Awesome stuff and too bad this is probably the only time I’ll ever get to drink it.

12 oz. bottle from my secret santa. sure wish I had a case of this, but I joined RB and only learned of Bell’s shortly after this was gone. poured the color of dark brown mahogany with a very short-lived off-white head, fading to just a ring of spotty lace. a great aroma and flavor ( even after all these years ) of ripe fruit, caramel, nuts, toast along with some old leather and a bit of oxidation. a delight to finally get to try this one.

As I get closer to 1000 ratings, I’m doing a little countdown and here is #999 - a sweet 99th percentile brew from ucusty - thanks again for this one! Lately I’ve been losing my taste for barleywines and don’t know why. It just seems like this once special and rare style is being overdone and needs to get back to its roots. This one is taking me back. Darker brown with a ruby-eggplant coloring mixed in. Flavor still has a good deal of hop bitterness, mostly an earthy-pine mix, plus darker fruits mixed in with sweet cake, candy, brown sugar...really nice. Tingly-smooth mouthfeel. Its a shame such beers don’t come around more often.

Had this on tap at bells eccentric day. Poured a murky brown with a small head. Smelled rich and wonderful. Taste was big and balanced, dark fruit, expensive nuts, caramel, hints of vanilla and a nice hop backbone. This one was wonderful. It has aged very well. Glad I got to try it. Re-rate: they had this on tap at crunchys in east lansing! Great beer, age has treated this beer well. What a joy to try on draft. Nothing too much more to add, but try it if you can.

Slightly disappointed. Aroma of raisins, bread dough, caramel, sweeter malt, nuts (cashews and almonds) and alcohol. Pours muddy brown/orange with minimal carbonation. Flavor is slightly alcoholic, nutty, vinous with a mild hoppiness. Chewy, almost oily on the tongue with barely any carbonation. Finishes with a hint of metallic dryness. I have another (thanks to sliffy) r that I will revisit soon.