Bells Batch 7000 Ale

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

Beer pours black with a totally retained dark tan (tinged with red) colored head. Aroma of chocolate malt, smoke, alcohol and hops. Oh man what a flavor, or should I say layer upon layer of flavors. Initial flavor is sweet malt, chocolate, there is tons of smokey, roastiness. There is also hop bitterness. A bit of alcoholic edge shows through and the finish is all coffee. This is a monster beer that is good now. And I agree with all the others about the vast aging potential.

inviting chocolate and slightly winey aroma, black as my feet after a bender wearing flip flops with a red tinted head that leaves beautiful belgian lace, some oaky notes initially then tons of burntness and some tobacco notes, getting a little licorice and lots of dark chocolate that’s bitter with hints of sweet red wine and alcohol, an overpowering imperial stout, 12% and you can feel it, lingers for awhile, more like it loiters in your mouth like a hobo outside a liquor store, an exceptional effort, one that will silence some of the Bell’s haters

Black, with a dense brown head. Really appealing smokey, coffee aroma, with some notes of maybe cinnamon and fruit in the background. Very smooth and rich - Some notes of coffee and chocolate, of course, but also some tart flavors, too - cherry, maybe? As it warms, a rich flavor come out, I’m gonna say pumpernickel bread? And some woodsy, earthy flavors, too. Really tasty. Thanks, Secret Santa!

A really massive beer, of that I have no doubt. Some dark brown head and a body that is basically black but with red and yellow spectrums. Very hoppy nose with pine needles stuck in my chocolate. It has some of the great qualities in the mouth as Expedition, being so rich and smooth. Very heavily smokey, roasted, torched even, like a Lindts 85% Cocoa chocolate bar. In fact, just after saying this, I pulled out part of one such bar and ate it along side of it. Lumpy commented that it almost made the beer seem mild by comparison! So, just as others said to me, this beer has some barleywine dimensions and some imperial stout dimensions, making for one very interesting beer, nothing if not intense. I’m glad I had a half bottle instead of a whole bottle.

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.

12 oz bottle (sampled November 2009): same pour as I remember...thick and black, seemingly missing any semblance of head and then an abundance of brown bubbles start at the center and quickly form a huge 3 inch dense, thick and lasting head...almost overflows my Duvel glass...the hop resin has died into thick, sweet caramel aromatics and flavours, increasingly sticky and overly bitter and acidic in the finish. Still incredibly thick and gooey. Doesn’t compete in my opinion with an Expedition stout from the same year aged the same amount of time, but still tasty and very drinkable. Cheers!

12 oz bottle (fresh in October 2005): deceptive pour – initially it looks flat, but suddenly a huge, dense, fluffy ruby brown head rises out of the black abyss that is the body. Eventually the froth diminishes, but I am left with a half centimeter of thick foam. Aromatic hop resin with burnt rye, freshly cracked pepper, toasted (though moist) tannins, and apple butter. Creamy, vinous, hop laced palate. Thick cherry and raisin soaked flavour with flecks of carbon, gooey alcohol, and bitter hop flowers and citrus rinds. After trying a variety of Bells’ beers with several having characteristic yeast and hop flavours, this one however is unique, this one is special in its own right, well done guys!

Nearly opaque black body with a tight dark tan head. Aroma and flavor of toasted raisins and espresso. Aggressively roasty and bitter with some balancing, medium sweetness. Luscious, intense and creamy. This is a great beer and very distinct from other imperial stouts. I foresee this aging marvelously for a year or so.

A pitch black beer with a brown head. The aroma is sweet malty with notes of roasted whole coffee beans with this oily sensation you can find, but also with notes from the brewed coffee with a slight acidity. The flavor is sweet malty and again I find this oily sensation from well roasted coffee beans, combined with alcohol, leading to a dry roasted end. Nice one.