Bells Expedition Stout

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

12oz Bottle. Wow...Nose of dark chocolate, roast, freshly baked bread, coffee, leather, hops, and raisins to name a few. Syrupy palate rich with tastes of coffee, chocolate, cookie, roasted malt, vanilla... I cant get everything its immensely complex. Bell’s is amazing. The brewery has never let me down.

Bottle. Pours very black, small tan head. Smells of roasted coffee, dark choc; slight caramel and malt undertones. Taste is very full and complex. Lots of sweet coffee, slight vanilla, and roasted malts. Some noticeable caramel character, with loads of choc. complexion. Honestly, this reminded me instantly of Dark Lord...............a poor man’s Dark Lord, but none the less ( I don’t mind the price break). How they packed so much taste in a 12oz. bottle for $3.50 is beyond me. A bargain, and a Treat when it comes to Imperial Stouts. (re-rate) Dan’s Bachelor Party Extended Weekend Rating #46 of 90. On tap at the Eccentric Cafe in Kalamazoo. Pours pitch black with brown edge. Sweet chocolate, coffee, excellent roasted malt, molasses, dark fruits. So, so good, clean/smooth finish. Not a strong abv taste, but the hint is there. This is one to have stocked at all times!

Bottle.Color is Black . with a thin tan head.Aroma of coffee, chocolate, caramel, dark roasted malt and some anise just to name a few that I could pick out very complex .Flavor is DARK ,intense roast coffee,chocolate,some dark fruit,and bitter hops. Very thick ,full body, thick mouthfeel , very little carbonation ( could use just a wee bit more). Roasty long finish , hoppy , roasty aftertaste . Glad I saved this for rating #100 Thank you to the hard working crew at Bells , you guys rock and this beer kicks ass . I love you guys !

In short: A tasty, complex and perfectly balanced Impy Stout. Nothing groundbreaking here but this beer is brewed to perfection. Best Imperial Stout, period.
How: Bottle 12oz. I’ve had this beer many times before (fresh and aged) and I’m finally rating it. This rating is for a 1 year bottle given to me by dmac, thanks a lot Dave
The look: Black body with a very large tan head with good retention
In long: Nose is hoppy and roasted. Amazing taste. Body is clearly a 5/5, full, round and chewy. This is everything world-class Impy Stout should be, a ton of roasted malts, cacao, roasted coffee beans, some molasses, light fruity notes, everything. But what really makes this one stand out is the hopping. That big motor-oil body of sweet highly roasted malts is superbly balanced by an equally enormous amount of green leafy hops. This beer never falls into the extreme. A complex and wonderfully well balanced beer which is something I can’t say about most of the top rated ratebeer Impy Stout (mostly over-the-top monsters). Tempted to give it a 5/5.0 but I’m still hoping there is an even better Imperial Stout out there. Unlikely. Drinking this bottle made me realize that all other Imperial Stouts pale in comparison but it doesn’t really show because cause they’re all black.

Bottle. Large head, brown in color, with a very dark brown body. Aromas of molasses, chocolate, and some flowers for the hops. Creamy texture with a very pleasing finish. Overall, one of the best stouts that can be drank in the US!

Expectation is very important with this beer. Knowing nothing about it, I drank it after a couple of other beers expecting a straight Imperial Stout that would sit nicely on top of what preceded it. It clashed terribly and I was left with a bad feeling about the beer. Ready for a rich, oily sweet beer with nothing preceding it, it is one great beer. My memory tells me it’s similar to Goose Island Bourbon County Stout, but my nod goes to the Bells. Good future blind tasting.

I really am torn about this beer....I know I know - it’s awesome, it’s from Bells, it’s an Imperial Stout....that being said, it’s way too concentrated - really high in alcohol taste, in other words this will drink like a meal and feel like you drank twenty beers. The torturous part about this review is the initial taste of this beer is everything I love about stouts - chocolate richness, coffee and smoky flavors reside in the mouth feel for minutes. I think this beer deserves another try, but for my palate is too much power....

Eerily similar to Surly Darkness and an Oatmeal Stout with reddish tint and long lasting head. Aromatic scent to die for and taste is also amazing.