 CaptainCougar (4633), Rockville, Maryland, USA
Sep 25, 2002 Updated: Apr 1, 2008
Batch #8295 sampled on 4/1/08: Typical appearance. Aroma seems a little drier and toastier than I remember, but still has very nice dark fruity complexity and roasty malts. Body is thick and full as always and has good dark caramel and chocolate sweetness before a more bittersweet, roasty warming finish. This may be one of the freshest Expeditions I’ve tried, but it’s still great and should age well.
Batch #6672 sampled on 8/24/07: Same viscous oily opaque appearance as always with a thinner, wispy-lacing light brown head. Aroma of sweet oatmeal and dark caramel with some plums and mild smoke. Body starts very dense, but with a nice, not cloying sweet maltiness and good dark chocolate notes throughout. Complex dark fruits and plenty of malt hide the alcohol very well and make this incredibly drinkable. An amazingly affordable, available, and enjoyable imperial stout!
2002 batch sampled on 4/4/06: Pours very dark and viscous with a nice, large, dark tan head. Aroma of sweet dark fruits, toasted caramel malts, and lots of dark chocolate. Body is still very full and has plenty of carbonation, but seems to have dried out some, leaving more of a lingering roasted, almost smoky finish. Very enjoyable as always.
2004 batch sampled on 10/11/05: Just a dense, sweet viscous well of dark fruit, brown sugar, mild soy and malty complexity. This is just simply a great imperial stout.
2003 sampled on 1/23/04: Pours the same rich oily black I remember. Very nice complex fruity and sugar cookie aroma. Body is full of molasses and thick sweet caramel malt. Very nice hop balance is also present. The roasted malts don’t show up until late in the finish, but they linger quite long. This is an excellent imperial stout. This gets the same rating as the 2002 version.
2002 sampled on 9/25/02: Black, covered with a smooth tan head. Lots of soy and floral hop aroma. Very syrupy, but elegant and smooth at the same time. Hops taste very fresh and the body is full of surprises; chocolate, soy sauce, and molasses. The best thing I have tried from Bells thus far. If I were going on some sort of expedition, I would not leave home without a six-pack.
The_Jester (479), Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
Aug 30, 2008 355 mL bottle. Opaque black with a small brown head. The aroma is stout-meets-IPA. And they become friends. The flavour has lots of licorice, espresso, dark chocolate, roast, dark fruit, and hops. Some alcohol burn at the end. Really smooths out and simplifies as it warms. Carbonation is perfect. Very full body. Excellent!
CaryTheDude (174), Ripon, Wisconsin, USA
Aug 29, 2008 Cellaring a few of them, but couldn’t help but give one a taste. Big in every way, with a finish that lingers and lingers, and every aspect seems to change and evolve with each sip. Remarkable beer. Challenges the Dark Lord. I’d like to try them back to back.
emerica56 (454), Bristol, Rhode Island, USA
Aug 24, 2008 The beer pours a dark black with a thick tan head. There is a nice streak or film of head residue left along the sides of the glass. The nose is a extreamly intense chocolate and roasted expresso with mocha. The flavor is so robust and has a malted milk ball smoothness on the palate. It also leaves a nice bitter hop finish that sticks on your tounge. The finsih is so creamy and full of rich coffee and dark chocolate.
Michmike (11), USA
Aug 24, 2008 This beer offers as very enticing, dark chocolate, coffee aroma. It pours very, very thick - almost like syrup. The head is almost non-existent and there really is no noticable carbonation. This negatively impacted my experience, but only moderately. The taste is diverse and explosive. A strong coffee/caramel foundation with significant hints of raisin, plum pummeled the palate as a nice shot of hops helped finish off this robust beer at the finish. My stomach’s capacity for additional consumption was limited after just one of these. I can’t imagine sticking with this one throughout a festive evening. Overall, a very good stout...
PeterLikesBeer (103), Berwyn Heights, Maryland, USA
Aug 23, 2008 Batch number 8145. This beer pours pitch black with a very small of white head that fades quickly. The aroma is not as powerful as I expected it to be. There was some hops lots of malt an little bit of chocolate and coffee. The flavor is very complex. I can taste chocolate, coffee some dark fruits and some bittering hops. The taste lingers in the mouth and there is hardly any alcohol. The Beer is much better at almost room temperature as opposed to right out of the fridge.
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