Bells Expedition Stout

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

Pours a pitch black color, there’s absolutly no highlights at all, it looks like a liquid black hole, on top of this black entity rests a little light brown ring of lace. Excellent aroma of thick, round, rich roasted malt, chocolate and subdued alcohol. Amazing flavor of rich roasted malt,chocolate with a strong bitter finish. The body is medium with a dry texture, the carbonation level is moderate. That’s an amazing imperial stout, many thanks to csbosox for sending this.

Thanks to Kevin42 for sharing this ’03 offering in the parking lot of the Old Monk... Where do I begin? Pours nice and thick, and settles beautifully. The taste is mega-full and loaded with malt and chocolate. One of the best beers I’ve ever had.

Fruity and nutty, yet pulls you into the dirt with some unexpected black coal and graphite underpinnings. Tinge of alcohol on the exhalation--just enough to remind you what you’re dealing with. Creamy and upright on the palate, with a lingering afterstay on the back of the tongue. Complex yet low-maintenance.

Bottle (12oz). Courtesy of my friend Dave B. Poured thick oily black with ruby highlights, an average fairly dark brown head - head is bigger when it warms - what an impy stout should look like. Aroma is a nice medley of dark chocolate, strong roast coffee, prunes, raisins, some hops and interesting vinous, woody and lactic notes too. Mouthfeel is extremely thick and creamy, as well as which just sets off the fine balance between the coffee bitterness and the roast malt - and the stewed prune and red wine character adds tartness, but incredibly this one finishes sweet, with almost a sarsaparilla finish, which gets progressively more bitter as it approaches room temperature. Truly one of the great imperial stouts. Well done.

Pours motor oil black with tan head. Aroma is roasted and burnt malts, and coffee. Flavor is enormous. Chocolate, coffee, hops and burnt molases. Very bitter. Flavor opens up and mellows as it warms. Coats the mouth for a finish that lasts for weeks. Texture is very smooth.

Chocolate really stands out in this one, although I can taste many different flavors... some raisin, fig, molasses, caramel, coffee notes. A good filling dessert type beer. You can tell from the aroma that this is a complex beer. Thick motor oil consistency. Kind of coats your throat as it goes down. Nice!

It’s hard to not want to give this beer a perfect score, alas I must refrain. Pours a syrupy inky black with reddish tinted tan head. Nose is divine rich chocolate with some bitter coffee notes. Some alcohol notes lie in wait under all the other aromas. Mouthfeel is thick and rich. Immense bitter sweet chocolate overwhelms as subtle sweetness dances around on the edges of the tongue. Thick and robust with a well balanced finish.

wow. this beer is massive. pours like syurp. extremely thick extremely dark black beer with almost no head. with a bit of work you can stir up a dark brown head. aroma of sweet soy sauce coffee alcohol anise and hops. bittersweet coffee anise and alcohol dominate the flavors. slightly salty. great body. full and very thick. this beer just coats your mouth. minimal carbonation. finish lasts for days.