Bells Batch 8000 Ale

Bottle. Pours a hazy orange hue with yeast particles in suspension. The aroma is heavily spiced, yet tasteful in its execution. Strong coriander and orange are noted as well as subtler hints at clove and rye. There is an underlying tartness. The mouthfeel is fairly dense on this one. Any flavor I would associate with a Belgian wit is here: coriander, orange, cloves, banana. This is not heavily sweet, but rather nicely tart. The finish is lingering. The alcohol is very well hidden. This is unlike many Belgian strong ales I’ve had. This really is a double Belgian Wit. What a strange concept to take a normally delicate style and blow everything up, though it worked out pretty well.

Bottle. Poured a hazy, orangish-golden color with a ton of sediment and a light white head. Slight lacing. Aroma of coriander and clove, with a bit of banana. Mouthfeel is nice. Flavor is pretty complex. Starts out with a nice blend of coriander and orange peel, with a banana aftertaste. Not a beer I normally would like, but this is nice.

Split 12 ounce bottle in tasting glass. Pale cloudy yellow with white head. Aroma of alcohol, yeast, alcohol, spice. Honeyish sweetness with alcohol and slight spice and alcohol. Medium-full body and medium carbonation. Like Oberon with a shot of rubbing alcohol in it.

12oz bottle. Pours a hazy dark amber with a thin head, good carbonation, and some visible sediment. Aroma is both sweet and tart with sweeter citrus notes of orange, grapefruit, and passion fruit alongside notes of yeast, wheat, and spice. Taste is full with a flavor very closely tied to the aroma -- initial tartness and flavors of hops and yeast give way to a long, lingering finish of a melange of citrus, spice, and floral notes. Calling this an Oberon on steroids doesn’t do it justice.

A rich, deep brown pour with a creamy and frothy head. Aroma ranges from burnt sugar to cinnamon to orange. The flavor has a remarkable amount of complexity with a Christmas-y flavor and a quick, herbaceous finish. Batch 8000 would pair exceptionally well with a younger, more complex gouda and almonds.

Wheaty, sweet citrus, and very spicy, corriander and grains of paradise, great fruit aromas. Pours cloudy orange almost copper with a dense white head. Wheat, spices, the alcohol makes its presence known, I get the grains of paradise coming through, some corriander, a slight bubblegum flavor. Not bad.

Pours a medium cloudy orange with a faint head. Lots of yeast in the bottom of the bottle. I poured it too cold so I will try another bottle at a later date and re-rate the appearance (hopefully it will produce a bigger head). Wonderful aroma of big spice, coriander, ripened fruits. Flavor is of spicy wheat, fruit zest, touches of pepper. Sort of reminded me of New Glarus Dancing Man Wheat.

Pours a cloudy, glowing, orange-amber body. A medium, spongy, off-white head settles to a frothy 1mm blanket of foam that holds well. Random dots of sudsy lace are scattered about the glass. The aroma is fruity and complex, showing sweet plantains, candied orange peel, lemon chiffon and light coriander, all over a light caramel base. The flavor again shows caramel underneath, with a strange tropical fruit flavor (paradise seed?), orange peel, light cream, and coriander. Just on the heavy side of medium bodied and slightly sticky, though not overly cloying. Short, clean finish. This one is about as bright and refreshing as a 9% beer can be. Resembles a really good Abbey Tripel.