Bells Batch 8000 Ale

12oz bottle courtesy of JB175. Looks like a glass of pulpy orange juice when poured, very hazy and cloudy body, bubbly white head. Looks very juicy and appealing. Nose of coriander, fresh oranges, yeast, spices and herbal hops. Very nicely done. Flavor improves on that, oranges, lemons, yeast, hops and spices meld together exceptionally well. Medium bodied, dry palate and finish, which is very lengthy. Slightly sticky mouthfeel. A huge winner, I need more of this ASAP!

It’s been beaten to death, but this is nowhere near a BSA. It’s a travesty some arcane thinking is keeping this from it’s rightful category, because this is definitely a Wit. Hell, this is closer to a Tripel than it is a BSA.

Cloudy dull peach color. A mist of actionate bubbles reside within and climbing the glass edge. Small sustained capping of white foam sits atop. Minimal lacing in a few strings and spots. Aroma is a fairly present array of Belgian maltyness bringing in creamy orange candy, corriander dust, dullish banana, and a bit of lime. Quite clean and vibrant and sweetly citric. Flavors are full right away on the palate, big on sweet Belgian malt which really is giving more of the impression of a Tripel than a Wit. But as a big Wit it makes the grade. Large dullish citrus candy notions with orange, lemon, banana, pushed into a mushy dryness of yeasty goodness and soft breads that’s partially earthy and spiced with some corrainder and pithyness. Very rich and fulfilling with a super lofty smoothness thats easy to please. Yummyliscious! Feel is adequately broad and mediumish closing in on full; well-rounded, smooth, soft, lightly dryish, kinda creamy with a breadishness and a nice malt carriage to lift sweetness over and over again into and around the spicy yeast notes. A subtle concoction of Belgian fun here by Bell’s. I quite liked it and more is easy enough to drink down without much of problem. 9%? No where no be found. Sure its not quite up to par with the last 3 releases of Batch thousands, but its quite a treat in its own right no matter what the occasion. Congrats on another milestone Bell’s yummy brew!

12 oz bottle. Pours bright light orange with pretty big off-white head. The aroma is very orangey, almost like, I hate to say it, orange soda; the coriander also stands out a little bit, as well as some more general, grainy spiciness. The flavor is very, very grainy. It’s kind of like whole wheat bread at first. Then some spicy notes kick in: strong coriander, some pepper, some weird licorice-like notes. The finish is slightly woody and has a tart, zesty orange note to it. Dark, spicy aftertaste. Ok, but not as good as I had expected.

About an hour before I drank a couple sips of this beer I had Struiss Pannepot and as my rating shows, loved it. For its style this beer is even worse than it was before I knew its actual listed style. I hated everything about this beer, it was like bare tree wiess but worse. Spicy notes orange peel, yeast. I literally poured out 4/5ths the glass. I tried applying it being well made for style but once I logged on to see the style had no choice.

Sampled at the Newtown Brewfest. Pours a hazy straw/golden color with lasting head. Aroma of fruits, spices and grains. Exceptional flavor. The fruits, spices yeast, and hops all came together in a taste explosion that gets even better after you drink it. My taste buds were doing a happy dance with htis one. Crisp, flavorful, and refreshing. Excellent.

Opaque amber/orange body with a small beige head that fades rather quickly. The nose is fairly sweet and lightly peppery with coriander, citrus and golden fruits. The flavor is moderately sweet and herbal with cookie dough, cotton candy, orange, tangerine and coriander. Medium/full body is soft and chewy with light carbonation. Definitely nothing like an imperial Oberon.

12 ounce bottle purchased at Big C Liquors Orlando, Florida at $3.95 10/20.

Well, I’d hoped that a couple months of age might raise this beer in my estimation. Very much an imperial Oberon, as many have noted, with the same yeasty, wheaty characteristics of the familiar summer quaffer, but with an indiscriminate, almost excessive pumping up of the wit spices. The initial bottles I had were way too hot, and it’s certainly cooled down a bit. But it hasn’t balanced much, and it still tastes like a noble failure to me. Cloying aftertaste, too.