Bells Black Note Stout

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

Serve in Snifter

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One of my top wants and I have been waiting years to try this. Smells like the real bourbon deal! Really rich and heavy vanilla mixed with bourbon. Taste is very bourbon forward and mouthfeel is thick. This is one of the best beers I have ever had. Definitely worth the wait! WOOHOO

Thanks to Mike for the bottle! Black Note pours a deep black with a thin tan head and light lacing. The nose is filled with vanilla beans and sweet bourbon. Lots of cocoa and oak. Lovely. The taste follows suit with vanilla, caramel, cocoa and a nice level of bourbon throughout. Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy with some nice weight. Light carbonation. Booze, but not overdone. Essentially a perfect body for this style. Overall, this beer is awesome. Perfectly executed. Maybe not the most complex stout out there, but the flavors are rich and beautiful. Love the vanilla and bourbon combo. Highly recommended.

UPDATED: MAR 3, 2013 On tap during the Bell’s Eccentric Day event at the Hungry Monk (part of Arizona Beer Week). Pours a dark black with a very thin, off-white head. A solid aroma of sweet bourbon goodness and dried cherries. The taste starts with a light roasted malt with a sweet cherry undertone, all the while supported by a balanced bourbon backbone. Smooth with a medium body and a slightly dry finish. Still a great brew, but nowhere near as good as it was at the same event in 2012.

Bottle, 03/17/2012. Pours thick black, mostly opaque, thin tan head fades to swirling surface slick, thick lacing rims the glass. Aroma is rich chocolate maltiness, moderate roast, touch of fruitiness, and big barrel notes - vanilla, coconut, caramel, wood, bourbon heat. Taste begins with molasses, malty body, licorice, vanilla caramel bourbon character, balanced by coffee roast, lovely lingering aftertaste of vanilla, subtle fruitiness, alcohol barely present. Palate is full, smooth and round without being too thick. Overall- rich, complex, balanced and well restrained. I was expecting a thick creamy bourbon bomb but found instead just a very well done brew.

Sample thanks to motortoddhead. Wow! Thanks brotha! Stoutfest! Deep, clunky black pour with minimal head. Aroma of smooth roasted malt, smooth cream, faint vanilla, and mild bourbon. Flavor starts briefly with sweet vanilla and light bourbon before quickly flipping to that well-known smooth roasted malt, mild ash, and some wood. Light lingering bourbon and wood. No alcohol. All aspects are smooth. Not really sure that this is an improvement on the the base beer(s).

Special event @ Claddagh Irish Pub - Had to stop by after work for this one! I was worried the keg would be tapped by the time I arrived, for work responsibilities come first, but I was served this delicious stout promptly. Everything one would suspect is in here: Unbelievable aroma, vanilla, oak, mass malts, dairy, and some mushroom on the end? I’m not going to get too carried away with the overall score on this one, but a nice opportunity to try a limited release.

Shared at Hunahpu Day. Pours black with almost no head. Aroma is light bourbon, caramel, chocolate, and dark fruits. Taste follows suit with vanilla, bourbon, toffee, chocolate, dark fruits. Thick palate. Amazing beer.

Got to share this one with peteinSD (big thanks as always!). 750ml Bottle No. 964 of 1081. Pours black like motor oil with a thick look and a small tan head. Nose was more subdued than I expected with the Bourbon and wood present, but subtle and mixed with hints of coffee and dark fruit. The flavor profile of this one will make you a believer, incredibly well balanced and complex with nothing out of place. Essentially it tasted like a well aged, more creamy and slightly less bitter version of the Expedition which in my opinion is the best six pack stout ever made. The vanilla and caramel from the barrel shows up in the flavor with excellent layers of over ripe fruit, chocolate and roasted malt. Enjoyed the bitterness that was always lingering in the background without interfering with all of the other complexities of the beer. Perfect heft on the palate for the style with a slightly creamy texture and a light carbonation. Finished with a fantastic blend of wood and malt that left me craving another sip. I could probably actually finish an entire 750ml of this and still be enjoying it at the end which can’t be said of every big barrel aged beer. Another classic stout from Bells.

Bottle cracked open at Bill’s big stout tasting (thx greatly). Poured a dark brown body with a thin cocoa head. Nose is roasted coffee and chocolate, with a oaky bourbon aroma. Taste is molasses sweet with some dark fruits, coffee, vanilla and bourbon. Decent body with light carbonation and a creamy rich mouthfeel on the finish. Very nice stuff from the folks at Bells.

I deleted my previous rating of this from a couple years ago b/c it was a small hand bottled sample and this time I had a quarter of a 750 to delight my taste buds. Thanks Ryan for hooking this up. It did not disappoint. Super black, super creamy, bourbon is upfront but its sweet and delicious and melded so well with the expo and double cream stouts. yummers.