Bells Expedition Stout

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

This was an amazing stout. Great balance of chocolate/coffee taste, with good maltyness and minimal hops. Incredibly smooth, yet still thick and alcoholy. Quite worthy of it’s rating. Great beer.

Comments on the 2003 bottling:
Extremely creamy mouthfeel, the flavor reminds me of coffee with melted dark chocolate mixed in. I like the fact that this version doesn’t have the "oily" alcohol overtone, but at the same time it seems a little dumbed down.

Re-rate 12/4/03

Tick rocky light brown head, pretty good retention. Warm piney aroma, somewhat reminds me of a pig (musky straw overtones). Big hoppy flavor backed up by a chewy, gelatinous malt. Lots of flavors here, sweet chocolate, bitter coffee, ripe fruit, bitter hops - it all comes together to form a kickass brew! Piney bitter aftertaste, and a creamy-smooth sensation sticks around too. My only detraction bases around an excessive alcohol taste - there’s this vodka-y oiliness that presides over the flavor spectrum. Not sure if I like that... 6/20/05 - ’02 bottle. Wonderfully rich and malty. Reduced hops content but it’s OK.

Rating #800. Bottle. Opaque pitch black body with a long lasting creamy brown head. Roasted malts, chocolate, coffee and bittering hops in aroma. A tiny bit of alcohol is there as well. It really fills out the nose with complex notes. The body is very creamy and soft. The flavours are lots of coffee, roasted malts, coffee, tobacco and bourbon. Its very complex. It ends up in a very long tasty oak aged like bourbon finish. Brilliant beer. One of my favorites.

aight for a stout, was highly regarded but failed to live up to the hype. A nice black/ mousse color to it with generous head. Malted milk balls and chocolate fill the air. Flavor is straight forward choco/coffee with a few subtle hints of something, maybe fruit, maybe not. I can not say that this batch lived up to the high score, but whatever.

I’m surprised that it took me this long to try this top ten brew. It’s been sitting under my nose for several years. I suppose the $13.99/6 pack price scared me away a little bit, but when you consider that it’s just $2.33 a bottle for a beer of its stature, that’s not bad at all. And, it lives up to its billing. Milk chocholate aroma with no hint of alcohol. Huge brown, fine-bubble head that slowly cascades up through the engine oil body. Beautiful lace. Not used to seeing lace this dark. Head is lasting. Really tasty. I like this about the same as the Town Hall Czar Jack that I had last night. This is subtler. Hops are apparent but in the background. Thick and oily mouthfeel. Chunks at the bottom of the glass. Some chalk. Very fine.

Pours like MOTOR OIL! Super thick, chocolatey. Some burnt aromas, flavors. Extremely heavy and thick on the tongue. There’s no way this could float on a Bass. Alcohol spice on the tail. This thing is an absolute MONSTER TRUCK - big kick, big dark aromas and flavors, whopping bitter and heavy hardy feel. I wish I loved stouts more... This is the most stouty stout I’ve ever tasted. Big thanks to PROC!!!

first off, i FINALLY got a snifter!! that being out of my system- this is the first beer i put into it. i really like the presentation look that the snifter gives this beer. pours like motor oil with a thin tan head. smells of chocolate, coffee, and toffee. hoppy coffee flavor that is not much unlike speedway stout. this is much more drinkable than speedway is however because it is not so thick. great hoppy flavor that adds a very nice bitter aspect to the brew. this is absolutely wonderful, and very worthy of a top 50. this brewery has yet to disappoint me. wonderful beer.

Thick, black body with oily texture. Hints of chocolate, coffee and oak in the nose. Smooth with an oily softness that coats the throat. An abundance of coffee, chocolate flavour with a bittering finish. The ABV is well covered up with the flavour. Slightly acidic but otherwise a great beer.