Bells Batch 9000 Ale

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

Serve in Snifter

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This draft brew from a beer bar poured a small sized head of foamy finely sized bubbles that were mostly lasting and left behind a no visible carbonation opaque black colored body and a fair lacing. The mild aroma was dark malt. The mouth feel was tingly at the start and at the finish. The strong flavor contained notes of roasted malt toasted malt brown malt dark malt and hops. Very Yummy! A wonderful best in class brew.

12oz draft pour into snifter Aroma:dark fruits, raisins, cherries, chocolate malt Appearance: pitch black pour with dark tan head that faded quickly. laces glass ok Taste: medium sweet, mild sour, very mild bitter Palate: medium carbonation, full body, sticky texture. medium sweet and mild sour on the finish Overall: I like this beer. It is definitely a sipper. Alcohol is well hidden. It reminds me of expedition stout with more dark fruits and cherries.

Dark fruit, molasses, sherry notes. This has some Belgian character and drinks so much like a strong ale and nothing reminiscent of a stout. I this beer miscategorized?

Originally reviewed: 12/17/10. Got a bottle from each of the following two traders: Elric73 and BeerFMAndy (BA). Thanks guys! One bottle for now, one for later. 12oz bottle poured into a snifter. Pours a ruby-tinted dark brown/black with just a sheet of lace on the top. Nothing sticks around. The nose is very "dark," with notes of currants, plum, molasses, gingerbread, and licorice. Wow. That’s really heavy on the nose. The mouth is very creamy and smooth with the most subtle snap of carbonation on the back end. Great for the style. Big flavors of more dark fruits, molasses, syrup, black licorice, booze. This is not a beer to be had at any time. This is one to sip and savor. Not the most drinkable. I couldn’t have any more than one of these, and even that’s a bit of a chore. Also, nothing I’d visit often. Too rich. I’m glad I got to try it, but dang if this isn’t one of the heaviest beers I’ve ever had.

Refrigerated bottle from JoePessie poured into a snifter. Pours black with dark brown highlights and very small light brown head. Little lacing, medium/thick body, and molasses aroma. Taste is roasted malt, molasses, some dark candy sugar, some coffee, hint of licorice, goes from a hint of alcohol at cooler temps to a fair amount of alcohol at high temps, and a hint of hop bitterness in the finish. This is just as much a strong belgian ale (struise pannepot) when cooler and as it warms it becomes more alcohol barley wine may be more so than an imperial stout . Too much alcohol, but still pretty good. One of the few dark beers that I prefer cool, too sweet and too much alcohol as it approaches room temperature.

February 15, 2011. My bottle shared with blankboy and garthicus. 12oz bottle. Black, ruby highlights with a nice creamy lasting brown head. Smells like alcohol, stewed fruits, coffee, overroast malt, some cream, even a bit of soy sauce - maybe a jangly mess, but it appealed to my nose. Taste follows - a lot of prune laced into a solid coffee-ish imperial stout - boozy but appropriate. Thick, sticky mouthfeel, slightly boozy, mildly carbonated, a long tart pruney finish, bitterness and roast stay restrained - a bit like SA Triple Bock, but nowhere near as much soy character. Hey, what can I say, I liked it.

12 ounce bottle. Thanks Jake! Pours almost black with a small tan head. Sweet aroma of malt, licorice, molasses, dark fruit, and a bit of chocolate. Taste is heavy on the licorice, with some malt, chocolate, molasses, and alcohol. Very sweet, very unusual. Glad I had it once.

Bottle. courtesy of Ryan, thanks! A hazy dark brown to black beer, with an average sized, frothy, lightly lacing, mostly lasting off-white to light brown head. The aroma is moderately to heavily malty (caramel, roasted grain, molasses), with notes of alcohol, licorice, with a hint of maple and soy sauce. The flavor is heavily sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Full body, syrupy/sticky texture, soft/average carbonation, very long finish with moderate bitterness, moderately to heavily alcoholic. Neither bad, nor very roasty/stouty. Fatiguing and a bit cloying after few sips, difficult to finish the whole 12 oz bottle. Nice appearence and aromas, straightforward flavors, boozy. Something in the middle between an Imperial Stout and a Barley Wine.

12oz bottle. I was lucky to find this single in a liquor store in Tampa, I have no idea when it was bottled but it certainly tasted aged. Thin, persisting light brown head. Dark brown color. Strong boozy taste does not go well with the super-strong molasses-licorice taste.... Those are two flavors I just don’t enjoy in beer. Light carbonation, drier texture. But very strong booze aftertaste. Not drinkable... Had to fridge it and come back for it later (not going to drain-pour a rarity like this)

Bottle. Dark brown colour with a beige head. Aroma is chocolate, hay, malt, yeast. Flavour is malt, alcohol, apple, hop, chocolate, coffee. Nice beer.

A licorice bomb. Too sweet to palate, with nothing to balance it out. Drain pour.