Bells Batch 8000 Ale

Formerly brewed at Bells Brewery
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

Pours a hazy golden orange with a ring of thin white head. Aroma of sweet, pale malt with a touch of caramel, earthy spice, orange, and lots of bubble gum. Body starts with a nice, fresh coriander and orange spice with a good sweet pale biscuity malted wheat balance. FInishes smooth and flavorful, but I agree that this is best enjoyed fresh.

Good, irregular off-white head over very hazy orange beer with fine carbonation; end of bottle solid. White candi sugar, and a touch of coriander dominate the nose, as well as alcohol. Suggesting sweet-bitter taste, and probably the most Belgian smelling American beer. There’s just a whiff of hops, fleetingly. Sweet-bitter, softly toasted Belgian waffles with sugarsyrup. Finishes very peppery-spicey with a suggestion of citrus. Retronasal serious hops. Medium bodied, quite slick, nearly viscous. Not very attenuated as a tripel. BENG! Larry, of all people has done it! This brew is more Belgian-smelling and Belgian-tasting as any original Belgian brew I’ve ever had. I’d nearly call it a caricature of itself, if it weren’t so high in quality. Thanks, David, this one was not one to miss for money!

Bottle courtesy of crizay. Pours amber with a white head. Smells of coriander, ginger, lots of citrus and syrup. Taste is a mess of molasses and syrup and obverly cloying. This beer is in a state of disarray right now and a big let down. Guess I’ll cellar the other 5 bottles I have and see if it calms down a bit, but I’m not counting on it.

Sample from a 12oz bottle, thanks to artusory. Murky golden orange color, fantastic looking opaque body, probably 70-80%, with a medium sized, evenly bubbled white head. Nose tends to center around oranges, banana yeast esters, light-to-medium spice, a bit boozy up the nose as well, with some sharp and spicy grain alcohol scents, though not very strong, and generally kept quiet by the nice banana bread, coriander, clove and "general spice" aroma. Starchy, parched, dry yeast settles on the tongue, with straightforward flavors of wheat and spiced banana bread. In the middle of drinking it I thought actually that some wood or some whiskey flavors would have been really nice, or maybe some grapefruit or lemon citrus fruit, some sort of sweetness, since it seems to be a bit too dry for my tastes.

Very handsome pour, a rich golden body with a lofty, spongey, stained head that does some odd patchy lacing. The nose is fruity with bananas, fresh peaches, and one orange. Plenty of aroma from the coriander and paradise seed, too. Quite lively and peppery in the mouth, it delivers flavors of wheat malt, loads of spices, bananas, citrus fruit, and more spices. Nice tangy, spicy dry finish. A nice job by Bells... whithout being a stout or a hop bomb.

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Hazed golden color with a moderate light ecru head. Sweet malt and wheat aromas surrounded by light bananas, allspice, orange zest and a touch of alcohol. Alcohol does seem to present itself early. Flavors of wheat and dry spices seem to be overpowered by the alcohol as the beverage reaches the back of the throat. Some light fruit in the finish and linger with apricots, peaches and bubblegum. Spice and alcohol add to a mild burn in the linger. Interesting effort, but not one I will visit often.

Bottle: Pours a hazy bronze/orange color with a nice puffy white head. The aroma is very strong with belgian esters, lots of orange and coriander, yeast and light pilsnery malt. The flavor is tart, zesty and acidic, but has a sweetness and carbonation level unlike a belgian, so it actually balances out quite well. Some darker malt flavors like fig and bread come through, but it’s mostly fruit and spice. Light sweet citrusy tail with heavy alcohol and a smooth soft tail. Good! Thanks Jake.

Bottle from Dutch’s. Pours hazy dark orange color with an average ceamy off-white head that was mostly lasting with good lacing. Moderate sour citrus, spicy and banana aroma. Medium body. Medium sweet & sour flavor with a medium sour citrus finish of an average duration. My expectations where met.