Bells Batch 7000 Ale

Dark black color, thickened appearance, retentive tan to brown head and spotty lacing. Nose of musky dock wood, soy sauce, vinous molasses enriched with brown sugar, strong herbal ethanol notes. The chocolate and roast hide fairly deep in the smell considering they’re the forefront of Imperial Stouts’ smaller siblings. The flavor is ripe with sugars and astringency, thick and bitter. The tail is long and salty with other rich, bitter and dessert like qualities. Dissapointing flavor profile but nice smells and very big. Thanks to Indiana Red for sharing his bottle.

Nose is dark malt sweet with a bold roast, chocolate malt character. Palate is murky thick and satin-touched. Flavor is waves of malt: smoke, oak, chocolate, and roast increasing in impact before a long hop-infused dry finish. Deep, strong, and enjoyable this is nearly an ideal imperial stout.

Poured extremely dark with a thin brown head. The aroma was chocolate and alcohol was present but not overpowering. Tastes the same with a very bitter aftertaste that lasts awhile. If you like bitter this is the beer for you. I’ll be looking forward to buying another bottle.

Thanks, baby (zug4abby), for sharing this beer with me and drinking so many other beers with me on my way to 1700. This brew pours with a dark brown to black body topped by a thin head with some lacing. It’s sweet and creamy with a roasty bitterness, a touch of coffee and a hint of chocolate. Full bodied and smooth.

Got this around Christmas and shared it with thedm and hotstuff. Inky black body with a dark brown head and clingly, oily lacing down the sides of my glass. Aroma had hints of rasins, and plums along with a good dose of choclate. The taste was that of milk chocolate, plums, sweet fruits like cherries and some alochol as it warmed. Near the end there was a bit of bitterness that also lingered until the next sip. Very tasty indeed.

Bottle: Jet black with a mondo light brown head. Lacing is like chocolate cool whip -- yummmm!! I smell hops, chocolate. The moment it hit my tongue, my brain told me "this is a complex imperial stout!" One that is marked by bitter hops in the lasting aftertaste, sweet alcohol and other darly roasted verities. This stout will make a man out of you! I would like to see what those guys who brag about how Guinness is a like a steak dinner and how they like heavy beer would do with this one! Most stouts pale in comparison to this hefty ale. This beer’s dad must be a pistol because it’s a real son of a gun!

Rating #1 Bottle (7 5 8 5 18) (1/21/06). Pours like black cold and looks as dark as the night with a foamy dark brown head. A rich velvet, semi-sweet chocolate and coffee flavors with wood chips, vanilla, espresso, nuts, and mint. A true delight. The right amount of bitterness and sweetness in the chocolate flavors. Enjoyed on the last night at the Colony house. Goodbye Mountain View, hello San Francisco. Rating #2 Bottle from the same six-pack (7 5 8 4 18) (4/24/07). A solid black color with a rich dark brown head. Roasted nuts, chocolate and molasses in the aroma. Thick and oily body with loads of roasted malts and chocolate, complimented by an earthy malt and molasses finish. Intensely rich.

From bottle

Finally got my hands on this one at the local bottleshop. Poured motor oil dark, big brown 1-inch head, that nicely laced the glass. So far so good. Aroma fruity, sweet and It picked up the alcohol. Flavor was bitter and hoppy. I picked up some roasted coffee although it was slight. I couldn’t taste the alcohol. Full-bodied. But a little too bitter to drink. I was alright fresh but I think it may turn into a real treat aged. Re-rated (9/28/08) 2005 vintage-Poured like motor oil. Pitch black, with a tan head that fizzled up to a cloud. Aroma was coffeeish and malty. Alot of the hoppiness faded away. Flavor was of full coffee, dark chocolates, and malts. Slightly sweet in the finish. Carbonation is still very present. The beer is really filling and amazing 3 years later.