Bells Black Note Stout

Brewed by Bells Brewery
Style: Imperial Stout
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

Serve in Snifter

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Bien heureux d’ouvrir une bouteille de cette cuvée qui est née le 28 décembre 2012. À 4.31 de moyenne, faut-il s’attendre à une merveille? Une fois versé, ce liquide brun ne permet qu’une mince construction mousseuse. Au nez, rien comme une œuvre majeure. Je dirais même plus, que des arômes raisonnablement riches et cossus de chocolat, de caramel et de bourbon vanillé. Sur les papilles, rien d’autre qu’une prodigieuse et délectable épopée de malts chocolatées, de bourbon enrobant et de mélasse fruitée. En bouche, rien comme une grosse et féroce bête visqueuse. Je dirais même plus: un corps qui est altéré par la barrique peut parfois être agréable. En finale, rien comme une grosse chaleur. Je dirais même plus que la douceur des malts chocolatés se transporte vers une amertume timidement établie par des notes de café. En résumé, rien comme une proposition messianique. Je dirais plutôt qu’il s’agit d’une bière franchement parfumée, savoureuse à souhait et très facile à boire. Salutations à solidfunk pour cette chose plutôt rare.

Probably the best beer I have had this year, it doesnt need any aging this beer if prefect

I had some mindless work to do and felt it might go better with beer. Heard that Thinking Man Tavern in Decatur was pouring Black Note and made my way over. Poured a deep dark brown with just a hint of red. Tan head. Felt just slightly oily on my tongue. Malty with vanilla notes ad a slightly bitter finish. The whiskey was more hidden than I expected. Excellent beer that I will try and grab again if available at Thinking Man Tavern. Draft - Thinking Man Tavern - Decatur, GA

Chilled brown bottle poured into a snifter, big thanks to Josh. Pours black with small light brown head. Medium/thick body, medium carbonation, and nice chocolate aroma. Taste is complex sweet chocolate. Great imperial Stout. My favorite of 12 highly rated imperial stouts.

12-oz. Second batch, bottled 12-28-12. Thanks, JA! Pours jet black with a dense and creamy dark tan head that sticks around forever and ever. Humongous bourbony nose hits you before you really even get your nose anywhere near the mouth of the glass. Sweet and chocolatey, lots of vanilla and apricots, there’s coffee and prunes as well, but the predominant quality by far is the intensity of the oak and the bourbon without a doubt. Thick creamy body, almost sludgy, still showing carb--but it’s kind of a formality. Even if this were re-carbed, the density of the body would still keep this moving more like a creamy liqueur. So don’t spend a lot of time thinking about them bubbles. The mid-palate is big and sweet and bourbony, oaky, showing lots of vanilla and apricots and some sharper phenolic bourbony notes. Then lots of coffee, chocolate, prunes, and other stout notes thunder past. It’s big, heavy, complex, harmonious, just incredibly well done throughout. Lovely beer.

12 ounce bottle poured a dark nutty brown color. It took a bit of coaxing but it held a coating of tan head. Aroma has sweet bourbon, chocolate, barrel wood, perfect oxidation, brown sugar, dark coffee, and some dark rich fruit. Absolutely wonderful with so many layers it just calls you to take another sniff. Mouth feel coats very well and it is rich and juicy with just enough carbonation to bring it all across. The flavor from both the rich malts and the barrel treatment are equally top notch and combine perfectly. Dark rich malts, sweet bourbon, hefty barrel wood, sticky molasses, coffee but with little bitterness, dark dried fruit, and a spicy hit of alcohol that is well within reason for such a big beer. Here is a case where the hype is deserved and the beer is beyond expectations!

Smells like bourbon barrel, caramel, chocolate, and black licorice. Dark and creamy, pretty smooth with a slightly boozy finish. I would love a vertical tasting.

Smells like bourbon and oak aging. Taste is strong bourbon flavors as well as faint hints of oak. Very sweet as well.

Bottle at home, courtesy of Matt. Thank you so much for this one!! Pour is pitch black with a small tan head. Big raisins, coconut, anise, vanilla, dark cocoa, prunes, toffee, and brown sugar in the aroma. Taste is big bourbon, anise, black licorice, raisins, plums, oak, cocoa nibs, vanilla, toasty, leathery, and nutty with some light bitterness on the finish. Thick/syrupy mouthfeel with soft carbonation. Tasty stuff.

On tap at Hagemeister Park in Green Bay for Bells tap takeover. Poured syrupy black and had nice brown head. Aroma is phenomenal, sweet chocolate/coffee scent with black licorice and leather mixed in. Has a oily rich heavy mouthfeel and goes down smooth as silk. Taste is sweet yet salty with black licorice, chocolate, coffee and anise. Finish is somewhat dry and mild aftertaste. Overall this beer is amazing. Reminds me of the first time I tasted Expedition Stout back in 2008. This beer is sweeter and has that dry finish but otherwise the same. Please try this beer if you get a chance, you won’t regret it!