Bells Black Note Stout

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

Serve in Snifter

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Without doubt, the best bourbon flavored beer I have ever had,aroma carried all the best traits of the best of stouts,the dark roasted malts,rich creamy chocolate,almost bosco like, and the best bourbon flavors ever,all that oak and vanilla flavoring,alcohol was just on the fringe of being noticeable. I see no room for improvement. I pray I get this again before going to that big brewpub in the sky

Multiple 6 ounce glasses at the 2007 GTMW. The beer was simply marvelous. A huge active murky black body with a huge nice brown active thick head. The beer was aromatic with chocolate, charred wood, smoke, and brown sugar. Sweet and creamy. The flavor was a deep molasses and chocolate nicely blended with a charred wood and brown sugar. The sweetness on this one is large. A long flavorful finish pervades the senses. The beer has a full body and oily and creamy mouthfeel. Simply divine. My only perfect beer to date.

Bottle courtesy of rayl101, thanks a ton dude! this is a great beer. took me a second to realize it was a five, but its so damn complex. just the aroma had me sniffing for a while, starts with a good dose of sweet vanilla, bourbon, earthy wood transitioning into espresso, plums, figs, dried black cherries and semi sweet chocolate; literally to name a few. i feel that aroma is the hardest category for me to give a perfect on, and this fit the bill immediately. the pour is pitch black, small dark brown head, but it has a most desirable quality that whenever you swirl it you get some head resurfacing. i used a CBS snifter, which is huge and can kill a low carb beer. this beer had enough carb in the mouthfeel and still kept a steady torrent at every swirl to release the aroma to the last sip. The taste is just awesome. i wasn’t even really trying to tell what parts were expedition like and which were double cream like, standalone its just such an excellent flavor that you dont even have to think about it to give it a perfect score. theres so many layers of awesome: different chocolates of varying degrees, dark pitted fruits like cherries, figs, dried apricots, and even prunes in a good way, cold extract coffee, premium espresso, iced caramilla swirl latte, chicory, mesquite, oak, smoke, tar, resin, that black bourbon goo candy that seeps out of the barrel as you age it, burnt marshmallow, and so many more. It’s just so damn complex and tasty and blissful. the mouthfeel is better than you could hope. there is only really a few big stouts out there that truly pull off this level of palate. its full and rich and unwavering and yet its super creamy and smooth. Theres a chocolate milk aftertaste that makes you feel like a kid wishing for another shorty carton in elementary school. this is more of an old school 5.0, if that makes sense.

Finally got to try this bad boy on tap at Bells. Poured a straight jet black color with a dark brown head, somewhat intimidating. Aroma s loaded with bourbon, lots of smoke, dark roasted coffee and dark chocolate, really inviting. Flavor was much the game as the aroma, lots of bourbon taste but hardly any burn, lots of the smoke from the expedition but its toned down a bit by the sweet and velvety character of the double cream.Just a perfect masterpiece.

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!

Draft at Jerry’s. Black with excellent (given barrel-aging), creamy, chocolate shake head / Rich, smokey nose of tobacco, chocolate coffee, bourbon, and oak / Full body, sweet and chewy, with great balance and long, alcohol well balanced, sweet and lightly bitter finish / Winey flavors of bittersweet chocolate, dark roast coffee, caramel, bourbon, coconut, cream, and oak / A treat when found.

Handbottle, courtesy StFun. Pours flat, dark brown, reddish haze. Nose is tons of bourbon, lots of roast, big heat, dark, dry wood. Flavor is STUUUUUUUPID. Tons of roast, chocolate, big bourbon, huge dry coffee, extremely wonderful finish full of dry ashy roast and wonderfulness. Probably the best, most complex stupid beer I’ve ever tasted. It just doesn’t get better than this. PERIOD.

On tap at the Eccentric Cafe. Served as Black Note. Pour is jet black in my snifter with a thin tan head that fades to a ring. Aroma is chocolatety, with notes of coffee, vanilla, caramel, and a bit of bourbon. Mouthfeel is thick, and viscous. Very dense, and filling. Flavor is also chocolatety, with the same notes of coffee, vanilla, and toffee. Bourbon isn’t as pronounced as it usually is in BA stouts. Much more subtle, making this very drinkable. I absolutely loved this. Probably the best bourbon barrel aged stout I’ve ever had!

First 5 I have ever given. Pours deep black with thin tan head, aroma is big chocolate, coffee, toffee, molasses, bourbon, and a touch of vanilla. Mouthfeel is rich and creamy, perfect amount of carbonation with big coffee, chocolate, and roasted notes up front, going into a nice balanced bourbon and vanilla middle that finishes nice and roasted and bitter with a touch of dryness. Excellent brew, the perfect combination of tastes to make a fantastic brew.

The best bourbon barrel aged stout I have had. Excellent balance between bourbon and sweetness. Top five beer.