Bells Expedition Stout

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

Pours thick and pitch black with a tan head. Aroma is chocolate, dark fruits, cofee. Taste is dry, chocolate and dark fruits with a roasty character balance. Finish has hop bitterness and coffee. The mouthfeel of this beer is amazing, thick and luxurious. Alcohol is well-hidden. Could finish a couple of these but not a whole six-pack. Almost as good as dark lord.

Pours like thick motor oil into a wine glass. Dark cocoa head slowly builds, but doesn’t remain for long. Black as night. One of the darkest beers I’ve ever seen. Winey legs slowly slide down the glass, with specks of foam dotting the outside of the glass. Not a real strong smelling RIS. Definite roasted malts, slightly sweet. Slightly musty. Maybe some chicory? Taste is strong on dark roasted coffee. Quite a bit of hop bitterness, and the alcohol is quite well hidden. Roasted malts prevail. Definite bitter aftertaste, which sticks around just long enough to make sure know you’ve had really big beer. Chewy mouthfeel, with a surprisingly clean finish. Overall, this is a really big, really solid RIS. It would be hard to drink more than one at a time, but IMO this rivals, if not surpasses, Stone RIS and the other big stouts for the top of the list.

Pours black with minimal brown head. Delicious roasted malt aroma with a hint of grape and smoke. The flavor stars with an onslaught of roasted malt which moves to an overpowering hoppy sourness and finishes with a strong roasted flavor. Mouthfeel is creamy and delicious. I really wanted to love this beer but that hoppy sourness is killing me. A young bottle, maybe with some age this will balance out.

12oz bottle. One of the best stouts I’ve had to date! Pours a deep brown/ black with a creamy chocolate head. Tons of caramel and toffee on the nose. Same with the flavor with an added punch of chocolate and toffee.

[fresh 08 batch] Pours thick oily black with the darkest head I’ve ever seen... creamy... an inch thick and grayish brown. Big licorice, coffee, woody aroma with notes of chocolate and smoke. Big viscous body, oily and syrupy, a full mouthful, sugary and reminiscent of darklord (not nearly as lumpy of course). Sweet, sugary, buttery, licorice, smokey, extremely woody with some chocolate and coffee. A little bit tannic in the finish (fresh bottle), but not nearly like DL was.... Really an amazing production. [04 bottle sampled June 08 courtesy of Dukefan] Perfection! the age mellows and blends every nuance into bliss

12oz bottle. Pours a dark dark black with a thin short lived brown head. Aromas of milk chocolate, caramel, coffee,and some dark fruit Flavor is even more complex and wonderful, along with the above mentioned thier are hints of wood and alcohol in the mix. The palate is greated with a thick full body, a syrupy texture, soft carbonation, and warm flavorful finish that lasts and lasts. One of the best Imperials I’ve had. This one is a must to try and buy a few extra to put back.

Bottle. I don’t get the high score. Normal looking. Aroma of toffee, maple syrup, cherry, alcohol; slightly subdued. Tastes harsh. Alcohol, burnt sugar, spicy hops. Thick alcohol and syrup finish. It was better after I halved it with Bud Light. Actually very nice then.

Lucky to have this on draft @ Barley’s No. 1: This is just a beautiful beer. Pours black as night, with a thick, indulgent tan head. Aroma is burnt coffee and dark fruits, and some dark chocolate. Alcohol is present in the nose. Flavor is silky and rich, with undertones of vanilla, coffee, traces of lactose, and big roasted chocolate malt flavor. Well-balanced to give a very full mouthfeel, that finishes warm in every part of your mouth. Just a well done, delicious, impressive imperial stout.