Bells Batch 7000 Ale

Thanks to JohnC for bringing this to Pizza Port’s strong ale fest. Poured very dark with a big thick brown head. When held up to the light the color had deep red notes, quite pretty. One smell and taste and it was clear that this was a BIG imperial stout, very chewy body with flavors of cigar tobacco, coffee grounds and molasses. The texture was marvelous, the head almost like it was on nitrogen (was from the bottle). When swished around in the mouth was like a silky milkshake. Damn I wish we could buy these in California!

Thanks to JohnC for bringing this to share at the Pizza Port 9th Strong Ale Festival. Very nice aromas of roasted malt, cocoa, coffee, dark fruit and hops. Flavor follows aroma but this is strong and assertive, complex and thick. Alcohol is up front, the finish is bitter. I liked this but it could certainly use some mellowing.

Hmmmm... someone poured some tar into my snifter and managed to whip up a nice medium sized tan head to boot. Aroma of rum, whisky, dates, plums, and wood. Whomping alcohol up front with a huge pile of malts and bitterness. Coffee and chocolate in the back. It’s nice now, but I’ll drool over it in a year or two.

12oz - Aroma is thick roasted malts, dark chocolate, and a touch of hops. Pours motor oil black with a small dark brown head that fades to leave great lacing. Flavor is strong initially with alcohol and burnt chocolate malt. That fades into a rich mocha espresso blast. Palate is sticky and creamy at the same time with a little bitterness. Once the bitterness and alcohol fade, this will be a top notch imperial stout.

RERATE original rating 7/5/6/3/16=3.7 from 12/05/05 - New rating 03/04/07 - Aroma flows out of the bottle before I even pour it. Pungent dark roasted malts, vanilla, brown sugar, and dark chocolate. Flavor is luscious chocolate and vanilla with some cigar and a big roasty finish. Palate is smooth and slick. Alcohol is an afterthought and that’s not easy at 12%. This brew is holding up wonderfully.

Pours dark. strong roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, toffee, light hops. wow this is an amazing beer. very complex. you can really taste the 12% alcohol in this one.

Pours with a frothy finger and a half thick, brown head, which never completely disappears. The beer is an opaque black color that shows a clear, deep brown color as I pour it into my Tulip glass. The aroma is sharp with acidic notes of burnt malts. The acidity almost brings a fruitiness to this beer that is echoed in the hints of burnt raisin and burnt plum found in the nose. There is lots of roast malt character in the nose as well, but overall the aroma makes me think that this beer is too young; put a couple of years on this, to mellow, and it might be something else. There is a also an aromatic note that has a meaty sort of rich quality to it that is sort of reminiscent of a concentrated, thick brown sauce (notes reminiscent of a quality demi-glace).

The beer has a nice thick creaminess to it that completely engulfs and coats the palate. The mouth feel on this is incredibly rich and smooth; I really like how it lingers in the mouth. Having said that, some of the actual flavors of this beer get in the way of , and even work against, the sublime mouthfeel. The finish especially has a sharp, acrid burnt note that accentuates a harsh acidity; both of these notes, unfortunately, linger for quite some time on the tongue. This beer has an incredible depth and balance to the flavors, if you concentrate on it as the beer is in your mouth. In fact letting the beer just sit in my mouth is quite a pleasurable experience for the taste buds. It is only after you swallow that the harsh notes kick in.

Flavor wise, I also get notes of dark chocolate, creamy French roast coffee, sharp / dark roasted espresso, burnt toffee, and even a hint of port or even sherry. This beer hits some incredible highs, but is pulled down a bit by the finish (in both the aroma and flavor). It is a tad on the green side and within a year or more of age should be quite stellar. Now I just need to find a few more bottles of this.

When I picked this up, I did not realize it was an Imperial Stout. I was actually expecting a well-made (yet typical) IPA. So, imagine my surprise when I crack open the bottle and pour out a slow, black, viscous monster of a beer with a dark brown, oily head! It was like winning the lottery! This beer is truly black, and is as thick and sticky looking as it will eventually feel. Aromas are light & dark chocolate with roasted malt and bourbon notes that suggest barrel aging. If that is the case, it didn’t sit long enough becuase there is a hot-edge to the alcohol. Otherwise, flavor is chocolate-sweet with coffee-bitter, all within a gorgeously thick, syrupy mouth. Sharp astringency due to the ABV prevents a "5" for palate.

If this hasn’t sold out, I will definitely purchase more and lay it down for a year which should mellow it perfectly.

<font size=-4>Purchased at <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp?PlaceID=1477>Archer Liquors, Chicago, IL 60638<font size=-1>

Large dark chocolate malts and roasted fruits .If you like dark chocolate, this is it. Slightest hint of alcohol and dry spicy hops are apparent in the finish. Somewhat warming on the way down. This beer is really smooth and not overpowering . Nice lacing on the glass, a good looking beer. Best flavor seems to come approaching room temperature. Looking forward to aging this for awhile and trying it again later.