Bells Expedition Stout

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

Serve in Snifter

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Totally opaque with the slightest caramel brown head which I had to coax, but it's leaving a wonderful lacing on the glass. Huge chocolate nose - roasty, toasty and nutty as well. I can smell a hint of that 10% ABV lurking in there as well. Taste is sweeeeet! Literally and slangly. This is so right up my alley. Sweet, dark chocolate hits the tongue and then fades into a roasted malt and slightly bitter spicy, floral hop blanket that clings. Like eating a slice of hearty pumpernickel bread slathered with Nutella. Can't drink more than one of these in a sitting. It's a special occasion kind of brew.

Bottle. Poured as black as used motor oil and almost as thick. A small brown head formed and then diminished fairly quickly to a ring of bubbles around the edge that lasted to the bottom of the glass (and I drank this rich SOB slowly). Aroma is complex; figs, chocolate, molasses, coffee and pine with a definite alcohol note. It tastes like an amazing mixture of everything mentioned in the aroma description along with grapefruit rinds and quince extract. It starts out thick and sweet, then gives the taste buds a rollicking ride through the flavors to an oddly pleasant bitter and astringent finish. The mouthfeel is amazing, thick - almost syrupy - with a light cream carbonation when rolled on the tongue. Great example of the style.

This was very thick and poured jet black without one bubble. Hints of chocolate in the taste and a very viscous mouthfeel made this beer unique and worth trying.

Jet black. Dirty brown-greige head reduced to rim in secs. Relatively lively pearling for a minute, then all life stops in the tarpits. Nose with chocolate, plums, sweet brandy, alcohol, dried herbs, celeri. Taste is dried cigar ashes, but bitterness overlapping a sweet deep-chocolate sauce made from pure bitterdark chocolate and brown candisugar. After some time, the bitterness betrays itself, linking to the herbal aromas: a megadose of hops; piney notes, the peels of walnut, chicory. And all the time, the chocolate sauce is screaming to get your attention. Viscous liquid, seeming to go solid any minute. Pure body (on alcohol). Aftertaste gets fruity through all the bitterness: black grapes. WOW - exactly right were the Speedway stout had it all wrong. Huge one. Slaínte and big thanks to hey_kevin.

Pure motor oil in the glass, I counted a total of 12 bubbles, then nothing seeped through the inky blackness. Astounding aroma, like someone boiling spruce in dark chocolate. The mouthfeel is slick and almost syrupy, the lack of carbonation having a somewhat negative effect. Flavor is dominated by roasted malts, espresso, chocolate, brandy, and spruce. Definite note of tar in there as well. More of a liquor than a beer, but truly worthy of respect. If this thing had just a bit of carbonation, it would probably have launched itself into my top 10.

UPDATED: MAY 5, 2004 Pours jet black with a tan head. Aroma is of coffee, toffee, and chocolate. Extremely thick and coating mouthfeel. Good carbonation(2003-4)Lots of flavors - dark chocolate, coffee, little bit of black malt, some roasted barley, slightly yeasty, and maybe even some black licorice. Sweeet too, almost like there are chocolate morsel in there. Alcohol evident as its very warming. A must try.

Dark brown, black coloured beer with no head. Roasted coffee and chocolade aroma. The taste is an attack on the taste buds. Every taste imaginable is in here. The roasted flavour dominates though. A very interesting brew.

UPDATED: JAN 3, 2004 Bottle sampled at 63 degrees F. So viscous that you can see a layer stout slowly crawl back down the side of the glass after a sip. Head brown and minimal, but sustained for some time. Very little lace due to the viscous nature of the stout. The aroma is chocolate and coffee and raisin/date. The flavor is a touch bitter, but is well balanced with the roasted malt and chocolate and coffee flavors. Minor alcohol flavor that warms the throat. The palate is exceptional. I love this Imperial Stout and will buy it again.

UPDATED: JAN 4, 2007 Batch 6811. Pours a deep rich velvety black- super thick like motor oil and a nice deep orangey head with kickass lacing. Aroma is intense and can be smelled from the bottle 2 feet away. Rich chocolate, espresso, dark fruity esters- moslty raisins. Thcik full flavors, dark chocolate, tons of roasted barley, tons of sweet caramel, toffee, nutty, all very intense- towards the end of a single bottle my pallette is already coated and tired. Huge luscious mohytfeel which coats the mouth, tongue and teeth. Alcohol is hidden extremely well. This batch was phenomenal. Upgraded previous rating from an unknown batch number from 4.2 to 4.6. World class beer.

Opaque black, burnt toast aroma, some coffee, a bit of roasted sesame seeds. Quite thick mouthfeel, a bit oily, somewhat silky. Never ending bitterness, dark berries, coffee and so much more.