Bells Eccentric Ale

2006. Pours a clouded chocolate. Reddened. Wispy eggshell film. Full sweetness in the aroma of raisins, molasses, fig, cinammon, cookie dough, carrot cake. Lightly salty with pumpkin flesh full of cloves and milk chocolate. Malt vinegar and alcohol. Mild, musty wooded oxidation with a sweetened cardboard stripe. Huge flavor full of raw brown sugar, burnt honey, and cinnamon coated apples. Quite hot, very pasty, very dry. Chocolate and vanilla toned tobacco ash. Needly bitterness. Lingers more as some kind of spice liqueur than any type of strong ale, with this burly syrup and firey brown dryness that singes every corner of the mouth. Mid palate is mostly brown sugar crusted pineapple and honey and a suggestive malted milk ball stickiness. Brandy seems to rub through with the constancy of heat and clinging sugars; really an unexpectedly thick film of vanilla and toasted coconut sweetness leaving a grainy texture in the mouth. Palate is remarkably full, again as a syrupy liqueur, with soft, barely there carbonation, managing to seem somewhat smooth. Dark berries, tangy bourbon, maple syrup, and pastry before an alcoholic, dry finish. Staggeringly complex and mountainous, but never exceedingly difficult, which in this case must be an admirable accomplishment. Thanks Derek!

06 vintage. Medium sized tan head with good retention and a nice coating lace that lasts. Clear, deep brown, ruby hued color, good lookin brew. Nose of spice, molasses a hint of honey and chocolate. Lots going on here. Body is full, creamy on the palate with a soft carbonation. Strange flavor profile has the above aromas coming through in the flavor along with notes of pepsi cola, toffee, raisiny notes, cinnamon? pine needles(and i,ve brewed beer with fresh pine needles, believe me), cocoa notes, sugary malts and the honey notes lying in wait. Finish is lightly sweet with a sort of wierd astringency, not bad just,,, different. The 11% ABV is undetectable. Props to Robert @statelineliquors for the bottle! Eccentric,,, indeed.

Thanks to Blake for this ’04 bottle. Dark brown color with a minimal head. Heavy aromas of maple, oak and honey. Honey flavors dominate with light herbs. Rich and thick.

(Bottle, 2005 vintage) Pours a hazy mahogany body with a spare beige head. Aroma of bread, toffee, ashes, and dark fruits. Flavor of toffee, caramel malt, bread, molasses, and charred.

Thanks to Bu11zeye for this. Bottle said 2005. Poured a ruby/brown color with tan head. Flavor was sweet malt, syrupy, with alcohol kick...Full mouth feel, low carbonation.