Bells Batch 7000 Ale

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

Pours dark brown, thick-looking like Expedition, with a nice sized tan head. Aroma is huge dark fruits, milk chocolate, very sweet, almost bourbon-ish... I had to double check I was not drinking the bourbon barrel aged stuff. Flavor is a lot heavier with the chocolate, except it has a bitter dark chocolate flavor instead of the smooth milk chocolate I got from the nose. Big dark chocolate, roasty malts, a little bit of cherry and just a tinge of alcohol. This is pretty old, it certainly does not need more age, but I still think it has the potential to be even better with additional time in the cellar. Absolutely fantastic.

I would like to thank Ughsmash for sending me this brew, It was a true pleasure. Pours an oily black colour with a medium dark tan creamy head. Nose dark fruits, roasted malts, cocoa, and alcohol. Initial taste is very creamy, melting chocolate covers the mouth with a touch coffee, dark fruits linger while the more roasted character comes into play with a tangy hop presence. Molasses & Alcohol is presented in the backbone through the intial taste to finish but defines the beer well and is not overwhelming. The full body helps intensify that chocolate and coffee presence. The finish is very enjoyable. The hops and chocolate are perfectly balanced. Very Sticky mouthfeel and lips. Lacing of the glass is good and minor head retention. Palate duration is perfect. Awesome

Bottle thanks to the dark benefactor motortoddhead!!!...Thanks man!...Pours thick and almost black with a slowly apprearing head that starts orangey tan and slowly lightens in color...aroma is big and bold, chocolate syrup, molassas, port wine...coats the mouth like frosting, flavour is similar, bitter cocoa, coffee, vanilla, burnt wood and molassas...flavour does not let up, lingering bitterness that lasts close to a minute...a beautiful brew that still has plenty of legs...

5/14/08. This was my end of the Spring semester celebratory beer. I can’t think of a better time to open this beer. An aggressive pour into my Duvel tulip leaves a nice lasting dark brown head. The smell is off the charts. Definitely a lot of oxidation (soy sauceish?) in there but it blends really well with the dark chocolate and roasted malt smells also get plenty of molasses. I could smell this all day. The taste is really similar to the smell and there is quite a bit of apparent alcohol still here. Tons of chocolate and roastiness as well as a pleasant lingering bitterness. This just absolutely coated my mouth and slicked over my tongue. Exceptional mouthfeel. This is a great double stout but I can’t picture ever having more than one or two but I don’t think I will have that problem as this is my only one! Enjoyed this to the very last drop.

Bottle thanks to northernbrews!
Dark brown, slight tan head that goes to a ring. Sweet nose strongly of bitter dark chocolate, also licorice, woody alcohol, some sugar, and berries. Incredibly rich mouth of chocolate and oat with minor bitter roast notes and very little alcohol. Monstrous body, but so smooth, loads of dark chocolate into the long, coating finish, and then some lighter sweet fruit notes emerge. This is fantastic right now. A master class impy, and perhaps more impressively, an easy one to throw back. Founders, eat your heart out.

12oz bottle from pantanap, thanks Kan. Pours like oil, dark tan head. Great aroma, dark roasted malt, dark fruits, very rich. Nice little bitterness to it, coffee, dark bittersweet chocolate. Very tasty brew.

12 oz bottle. Pours black with brown head. I was quite drunk by the time I got to this one but here goes. Aroma of chocolate with a hint of alcohol. The alcohol was noticeable in this one but the other flavors complemented it nicely. Taste was ’roasty’ and somewhat ’fruity’ at the same time. Very good. I’m looking for some of these.

Bottled version. Aroma is rich, roasty and full, the powerful maltiness contributing notes of semi-sweet chocolate and espresso, along with lighter additions of burnt sugar, black cherry, dried plum, charred wood, alcohol and a certain loamy, musty character. Solidly black in color, nearly imposingly so with a fine, slight and lasting dark tan head. Massive flavors abound, starting with some strong dark chocolate and tangy sweetness, becoming infused with a deep burnt grain bitterness and roastiness that increases in strength throughout, culminating at the finish where it is met with a blend of spicy alcohol and hop bitterness, drying substantially amidst the incredibly long, warming finish. Palate is bracing and thick, very heavy and creamy in feel with a suitably ample body. Shares a scant thing or two in common with Expedition but I find this even more to my taste.