Bells Batch 6000 Ale

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

On tap at Maduro’s

This is probably not going to be on tap very many more times which is what made finding it at Bell’s pre-Great Taste festivities a nice surprise. As I was impatient rather than starting with something lighter I went right for the big one. I was not disappointed at all. While it seemed to lack some of the characteristics it had when fresh (according to reviews) I think it more than compensates for that with what it has going on right now.

Aroma / Appearance - Wheat, yeast and caramel form a rich and dense nose. Nutty topiaca pudding and vanilla make me wonder how this is a barleywine as it seems a bit on the sweet side. There is almost no hop presence in the aroma which is not too shocking as it has almost three years on it now. The body was the color of chocolate milkshake with a fragile white head.

Flavor / Palate - Simutaneously hoppy and bitter I didn’t know what to make of this pour at first. Caramel, grape jelly and molasses create a playful sensation. Yeast and then malt take over before the woody finish caps things off in style. The mouthfeel is thick without being cloying. While still a high gravity beer it was easy to drink and has held up exceptionally well.

12oz. bottle thanks to Sully. Hazy brown color with a small tan head. Beautiful, sweet malty, caramel aroma with a bit of hops. Flavor was not as sweet as expected. Still tons of malt and caramel goodness, but more of a hop presence in the taste than the aroma. Delicious beer!

Reddish brownwith an almost ,I don’t know tannish almost golden orange head.great color .Comes thru with a citrus aroma but also sweet and not as hoppy as I thought,but Sh*t,complex,my nose is working overtime trying to decipher this.Just like my women,sweet and sugary.Fruit maybe but I sense a little bitterness which helps to contain the syrupiness.Has a good finish holding a pleasant flavor on the "palate".

Very Malty aroma with a tan head. Hazy brown hue. Sweet, malty flavor with a slightly citrous flavor. Nice alcohol flavor at the end. The beer goes down very smooth. Very good beer.

Had this at the last Columbus tasting, I think it was shared by Sliffy (apologies if this is wrong). Aroma was nice--sweet malt and some alcohol. Appearance was a very jet black color. Taste was full of roasted malt, and plenty of alcohol. A very good mouthfeel.

Thanks to robertsreality for this beer. Poured a murky mahogany with a cramy light tan head. Aroma of grapes, cinnamon, grapefruit hops. Taste is sweet up front with vinous notes, some caramel. Strong pine and grapefruit hops dominate quickly past the intial sweetness, lingering long after the sweetness fades. Body is thick, slick and creamy. One of the best hoppy barley wines I’ve had.

12 oz. bottle. Transparent dark ruby colour with a thin creamy and frothy tan head. Big toffee, and dark fruit aroma with light alcohol notes. Candied fruit and toffee flavours with an alcohol and grapefruit pithy bitter finish. Full bodied, chewy but smooth mouthfeel. Thanks Slikwily!

By far the best BW I have had and the only beer I felt inadequate to write a review on as I could never come to a conclusion, the 18 bottles were not enough and went far too fast. A murky oak color with the light being absorbed by the grains of malt. Every time I would sniff, a different world of aromas would hit me as if I was John Carter. Oaken barrels left to dry, fresh buttered toffee, and a field of woody hops tended by no-one. Each sip would bring me closer to realize that while my wine friends claimed divine intervention on certain vintages of wine a true brewmaster did not depend on how much rain fell on the west side of a mountain to produce a vintage like this. Alcohol not noticeable and in a lame attempt to get the brewer to make this a regular rotation, one of the best beers I have had, period.