Bells Batch 7000 Ale

Formerly brewed at Bells Brewery
Style: Imperial Stout
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

Bottle from Bello Vino, Ann Arbor. Pours a deep black colour with a small dark tan head. Aroma of charred malt, chocolate, licorice, whiskey and hops. Soft, creamy mouthfeel. Flavour - wow, this is big. Some sweetness and roastiness off the top, with notes of molasses and chocolate, but it’s quickly overcome by a kick of hops and hot alcohol notes. Pretty over the top, but I loved it.

Bottle, at Jim Busch’s place, July 2006. Very dark, very thick. Beige head. Viscous, oily consistency. Bags of burnt malt. More chocolate than coffee. Very rich. Dried fruit - prunes and raisins - in the background. Late bitterness. Big alcohol kick. Perhaps more hop presence that a typical US Imperial stout and none the worse for that. Everything lasts into a lingering aftertaste. Very impressive.

Aroma is of chocolate,molasses,and coffee.Pours a dark black with a tan head.Nice chocolate,coffee taste.Full bodied with a slight burn in the finish.

Bottle thanks to Sprinkle or Rooftoprogue? Thanks to both of you. I opened this to celebrate my Illini getting a committment from Arrelius Benn, the top HS receiver in the country. Pours a viscous dark brown, with a beautiful creamy almost metallic gold head. Very fine carbonation bubbles slowly creep up the side of the snifter, that look like tiny gold flecks. The coolest appearance on a stout I have seen so far. Dark unsweetened chocolate and boozy.aroma. Mouthfeel is thick and oily. Flavor of molasses, vanilla, bitter chocolate, and pepper. Not much sweetness on this one. Bitter finish with some alcohol warmth. Man, this gave me a buzz, while trying to work on my resume. Nice big beer, but I will take an Expedition over this anyday.

Pours out like black oil with a small brown head. The aroma is nice--very vinuous with a slight barrel aged smell, and a hint of soy. The palate is very nice, full and thick. Tastes is very much burnt coffee, boozey, and finishes bitter. Really enjoyed this brew.

A dark chocolate looking pour with a dark tan head. A huge chocolate aroma with a sweet smell of chocolate. A nice stiff biter that relaly stays with you. Thanks to Larry or kp for this beer at the pre noogfest tasting.

12oz bottle, sample #19 in a blind imperial stout tasting. Pours a very dark, murky brownish black color; dark tan head with fine-bubbled lacing. Plenty of dried fruits, candy sugar, and toffee in the aroma. Full, viscous mouthfeel: plenty of candy sugar, orange hops; slight oxidation; dense, creamy, oily caramel and dried dark fruits. Very lengthy, leather and dried fruits in the finish; some residual sweetness. 8.5.9.5.16=4.3

12oz bottle courtesy of HogTownHarry. Thanks, Harry! Pours a pitch-black core with thin translucent brown edges; dark tan head with decent retention and lacing. A dark, serious beer. Generous boozy nose, showing dark chocolate, black fruits, and pepper. Full, viscous mouthfeel: milk and dark chocolate, hints of coffee and spice, light carbonation, roasted malts and vanilla. Alcohol is well-integrated. Dry, lengthy finish: bitter chocolate and the slightest hint of a vegetal note. I prefer the focus shown in the Expedition, but this is still a pretty phenomenal beer. 8.4.9.4.17=4.2

This was a great imp stout smooth and a bitter sweetness to it. Very thick with a great finish and hidden alcohol CHEERS