Bells Batch 8000 Ale

why say coriander? no one calls it that. everyone says cilantro. crazy. everyone tries to be so fancy.

Glowing amber in color. A slight spice aroma. I can taste the coriander but the combination of spices reminds me of licorice. There is an alcoholic vapor in the nose and an estery flavored alcoholic warmth after each sip. There is a lingering soapiness that remains on the tongue. There’s enough complexity that each sip provides a different sensation. I loved the 7000, but I found this a little disappointing. I expected something a little more unusual for the 8000. I still recommend it.

The aroma was filled with a light presence of Belgian yeast spice and an earthy character. As the beer warmed the aroma became more peppery with a nice orange citrus/coriander presence. The beer poured into the glass small particulate laden hazy with a golden amber color and a white head that retreated quickly to only leave tracing near the top of the surface. The flavor was nice with a pepper spice and citrus flavor. A bit of caramel was notable as was the wheat. The flavor had a subtle sweetness at first on the palate, but that quickly dried and remained that way into the finish. The body was heading toward medium full with a low level of carbonation. A nice beer, nothing outstanding. 12 ounce bottle.

Bottle courtesy of CBA: Poured a dirty hazy beige color ale with a medium foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma is dominated by coriander and orange peels notes and is very enjoyable. Taste is a heavy mix of orange peels, coriander and huge wheat malt notes with some medium sweetness. Body is full with some limited filtration and some great carbonation and alcohol was not apparent at all. Very well done and another fine beer form this great brewery.

12oz bottle from CaptainCougar. Pours a deep golden bronze that is very cloudy (can barely see the shadow of a finger through it when held up to the light). An immense white head forms at first, but fades to a thin, spotted layer that leaves a little bit of lace on the glass. The spots are uneven size and are reminiscent of pancake batter (as the baking powder causes bubbles to form in the uncooked batter). The aroma is thick and fruity - tropical fruits with citrus/lemon, hints of other soft fruits, some coriander, and a touch of star anise. There is also a noticeable dose of alcohol in the aroma. The flavor starts bready on the tip of the tongue and then fruity with a hint of spice on the sides. The spice must be grains of paradise: peppery and citrusy with a slightly astringent, medicinal flavor. Slight bitterness begins to roll in around the sides of the tongue, too. The middle of the palate detects a big wallop of wheat - soft and grainy. There are notes of bitter citrus peel at mid palate as well. The finish is spicy, fruity, and almost hot with alcohol. I think it is merely "warm" with alcohol, but the peppery bitterness combines with the ethanol to make a very sharp taste in the finish. A buzz comes quickly (even on a full stomach) - and after a few sips, the flavor of ethanol seems omnipresent all over the tongue. The mouthfeel is very full in body and feels rich and sudsy from the carbonation - almost velvety. The carbon dioxide level is high and tickles all over the tongue. Overall, an interesting and complex beer, but far from a favorite...

Bottle: Dirty straw, extremely cloudy, moderate to large frothy off-white head, sticky lacing.   Big Grains of Paradise on the nose, some citrus peel and Coriander.   Smells somewhat like an Imperial Witbier.   Tastes like an Imperial Witbier, heavily spiced on the tongue.   Wheaty malt base that is quite heavy.   While it is spicy, it isn’t sharp or bright.   Pretty hefty, moderate to full bodied.   Semi-sweet finish, some dulled citrus peel, with lingering Grains of Paradise and Coriander.   Definitely on the spicy side.   Good, but wouldn’t mind if they toned down the spices just a tad.   Otherwise glad to have tried it.   Thanks Chris for the bottle!

Bottle from ucusty. Thanks dude! Strong Tripel/Wit/Strong Golden aroma. Coriander, wheat, light citrus, yeast. Interesting. More or less it tastes like an Imperial Belgian Wit. Wheat, oranges, spice. Very enjoyable and drinkable. Damn good. Tasty.

Bottle from Secret Santa. Golden color pour, very hazy. Banana, clove, coriander and some citrus aromas. Wheat, some yeast, banana, and spicy flavors. Did not know that this was 9% abv, but that probably contributed to the slightly thicker mouthfeel of this one. Very well made wheat beer.